Warner Brothers was Right in Shelving Coyote Vs Acme, BUT…
They Made a Good Movie
It took 3 years, but Coyote Vs Acme finally made it to the big screen. Pitched, Green lit and then eventually pulled for a tax write off, Warner Brothers would eventually try to sell the movie so that it would eventually be seen by movie goers. And today was that day. The question is, was the Juice Worth the Squeeze?
From a purely critical viewpoint, Coyote vs Acme is cleverly written, well animated with solid performances. Inspired by Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which is the standard for movies in this genre, it’s obvious that Director Dave Green, who had previously directed 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows and 2014’s Earth to Echo, took this move very seriously and wanted to honor the original Looney Tunes property, which fans are constantly asking directors to do.
The problem with this movie is, who is its audience? It’s likely the question David Zaslav asked back in 2023 when he shelved the movie as he took over and realized the financial disaster that Warner Brothers was under. He wasn’t sure he wanted to spend $100 Million dollars to market a $70 Million dollar movie just as the theaters were coming out of Covid without a clear idea of who was going to watch this movie. Heck, Space Jam: A New Legacy with Lebron James only grossed $163 Million 2 years earlier? Who was going to come out and see no name SNL alum Will Forte star opposite the Coyote? It’s a fair question. Yes John Cena was also in the movie, but if you know, you know, Cena can’t play the bad guy… it’s just not in him and movie goers don’t want to see it.
The truth is, I am the target audience for this movie, a 53 year old man who grew up primarily on Looney Tunes in the late 70s and early 80s. We left Looney Tunes behind for cars, girls and jobs. A new generation would be turned on to Tiny Toons, and Michael Jordan would help another generation find our beloved characters through Space Jam. But kids moved on to shows like Sponge Bob Square Pants, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Steven Universe and Adventure time. Once again, look at lebron’s inability to bring our beloved looney Tunes characters back into popularity when he is one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
The truth is, no matter how good and nostalgic Coyote vs Acme was, it was going to lose the company money at a time when they just couldn’t afford it. And if this year’s Masters of the universe is any indication that the movie industry can’t depend on 50 plus year olds to carry a movie to success, the other examples are there plain to see. Super Mario Brothers, Minecraft and insert Disney cartoon here… yes, but the Coyote, Roadrunner, Bugs Bunny Daffy duck and the rest are part of the old guard.
I’m glad I got to see Coyote vs ACME. It was made for me. James Gunn pitched it to Warner Brothers in 2015. I get it. He’s 60 years old. Looney Tunes was his jam too. But sometimes, that’s just not good enough. This movie is good enough to be in theaters, but will young audiences show up. The ultimate success of the movie won’t be in it’s very high 95 Rotten Tomatoes score, but ultimately how much it earns at the box office. Until you see $100 in front of the million, Coyote vs Acme will be seen as a flop. This critic is hoping it makes all its money back any more! Grade: B+
