Art imitating life is nothing new in the realm of cinema. However, there are times, as with the case of Dave Green’s comedy Coyote vs Acme, when artists find their own lives unexpectedly mirroring the art they have created.

Filmed four years ago, Green’s Looney Tunes inspired court procedural is a David vs Goliath tale of corporate greed. It’s hard not to see the parallels between the film’s subject matter and its own turbulent journey to the big screen.

Budgeted at $70 million dollars, Warner Bros. Discovery decided in 2023 to shelve the film after its completion in favour of taking a $30 million dollar tax write off. The move not only angered those who worked on the picture, but generated outrage online as well. Though the plan was to destroy the film, the growing internet backlash and persistent pressure from those within the industry led the studio to sell the rights to Ketchup Entertainment – it is being released via VVSFilms in Canada – who finally brought it to theatres.

The interesting thing about Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision is that, judging by the final product, they actually had a hit on their hands. Following the blueprint of legal dramas such as A Civil Action and Erin Brockovich, but by way of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Coyote vs Acme is an entertaining and surprisingly heartfelt family comedy.

At its core is Wile E. Coyote, a self-proclaimed genius who has dedicated his life to catching and eating the Road Runner. After decades of watching his plans backfire, and enduring plenty of physical pain in the process, due to the faulty ACME cartoon products he uses, the carnivorous mammal finally reaches his breaking point. Inspired by a commercial from ambulance chasing lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), who is more interested in quick low value settlements than helping his clients, Coyote decides to sue Acme.

Embarking on a task as challenging as Sisyphus pushing a huge boulder up an endlessly hill in Hades, the Greek myth plays a pivotal role in the plot, only Coyote and Avery’s intern Paige (Lana Condor), his niece who is a recent law school grad, believe it is a risk worth taking.

With no leverage and no witnesses outside a speedy bird no one can apprehend, it’s clear that Avery and his client lack the firm grip needed to pull the giant corporation down. Making things even more challenging is that Acme’s corporate lawyer is none other than Avery’s old Harvard classmate Buddy Crane (John Cena), who is as ruthless as he is arrogant. Crane has extra incentive to swiftly squash the case as the media attention it will generate could potentially expose some secrets Acme would rather keep hidden.

The decks may be stacked against him, but if Coyote doesn’t play the hand he has been dealt, and stand up to a corruption putting others in danger, who will?

Spreading its anti-capitalist critique on with a butter knife rather than a sharp cleaver, Green’s film provides a kid-friendly introduction into the legal process and the ways corporations monopolize industries. The fact that the humans often dismiss the plight of Coyote and the other cartoon characters, despite co-existing in the same world, also speaks to the inequality of classism within society as well.

While Green’s film does not explain how humans and toon seem to cohabit like Who Framed Roger Rabbit does, he effectively uses Coyote’s lawsuit to highlight the importance of friendship and having a purpose in life, even if others don’t understand it. In doing so Green turns Coyote from the butt of many slapstick jokes to a character the audience has great sympathy for.

This also gives a new layer of context to the many Looney Tunes clips and gags the films incorporates.

Easily one of the best Looney Tunes films ever made, Coyote vs. Acme does not reach the heights of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but it carves out its own unique and charming place in the animated/live action hybrid space. Similar to how the audience fully buys into Bob Hoskin’s friendship with a long eared bunny in Roger Rabbit, Will Forte brings so much humour and heart to the role of Avery that the viewer cannot help but be moved by the lawyer’s bond with Coyote.

Featuring a number of cameos from the Looney Tunes roster (many voiced by Canadian voice actor Eric Bauza), including a hilarious blink and you’ll miss it Pepé Le Pew sight gag, Green’s film is a true delight for the whole family. An enjoyable romp filled with plenty of heart, Coyote vs. Acme is one of the year’s pleasant surprises.