Coyote vs. Acme
Verdict: A lively live-action and animation mix that most viewers are calling funny, warm, and worth saving. A few feel the human story is thinner than the cartoon gags.
Pros:
- Wile E. Coyote still works best without speaking
- Classic slapstick and Looney Tunes cameos land well
- Will Forte and John Cena keep the courtroom scenes lively
Cons:
- The human plot feels familiar in places
- Some jokes repeat, and the film is not for every young child
About Coyote vs. Acme 2026
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | Coyote vs. Acme |
| Directed by | Dave Green |
| Written by | Samy Burch (screenplay); story by James Gunn, Jeremy Slater and Samy Burch |
| Produced by | Christopher DeFaria, James Gunn |
| Cast | Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, Tone Bell, Luis Guzmán, Martha Kelly, P.J. Byrne; Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Jeff Bergman and Jim Cummings (voices) |
| Cinematography | Brandon Trost |
| Music by | Steven Price |
| Production Companies | Warner Animation Group, Troll Court Entertainment, Keylight Pictures |
| Release Date | 28 August 2026 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Comedy, Adventure, Animation, Family |
| Censor Rating | PG (cartoon violence, some language) |
Coyote vs. Acme reached theatres on 28 August 2026 after a long and messy journey. The film was finished years ago, then nearly locked away, before an independent distributor finally put it on the big screen. That backstory is already part of how people are talking about it.
It is a live-action and animation comedy built around Wile E. Coyote, the Road Runner, and a long list of Looney Tunes faces. Will Forte plays a struggling lawyer. John Cena plays the polished attorney working for Acme. Lana Condor plays Forte’s niece, who pushes the case forward. Early audience talk has been largely warm.
Many viewers walked out smiling. A smaller group said they had a good time without calling it a classic. That split feels honest. The story stays simple. After years of failed gadgets, explosions, and desert disasters, Wile E. Coyote decides the problem is not only the bird. It is the company that sold him every broken product.
He finds a small law firm and takes Acme to court. Kevin Avery, played by Forte, is not a hero at first. He is tired, broke, and used to cheap settlements. His niece Paige wants a real fight. Across the courtroom stands Buddy Crane, Cena’s sharp and imposing Acme lawyer. Along the way, familiar cartoon characters show up as witnesses, bosses, and courtroom surprises.
The film does not give Wile E. or the Road Runner long speeches. That choice matters to longtime fans. On X, the loudest praise is for the gags. People keep mentioning the slapstick, the painted-tunnel jokes, and how well the silent coyote still works on a modern screen.
Several posts say the animation-and-live-action blend is the closest this kind of film has come to the old Who Framed Roger Rabbit feeling in years. Will Forte is getting credit for playing it straight instead of overacting. John Cena is getting laughs as the corporate bully in a bolo tie.
Voice work from Eric Bauza and the rest of the Looney Tunes cast is another common compliment. The complaints are milder but consistent. Some viewers say the human scenes drag when the cartoons leave the frame. A few found the jokes repetitive after a while.
Others noted that very young children may get restless, because the film mixes cartoon violence with legal talk and corporate satire. A handful of posts also pointed out that the movie is not being advertised as widely as a studio family film usually is, so some people only found it through word of mouth. Overall sentiment is still positive.
Verified audience scores have landed in the low-to-mid 90s on major review sites, and early theatre talk includes an A CinemaScore. That matches what most people are writing after weekend shows: they liked it, they laughed, and they were glad it was not buried. This is best for Looney Tunes fans, older kids, and adults who grew up with those shorts.
Families looking for pure toddler chaos may find it a little talky. People who enjoy underdog courtroom stories will get more out of it than viewers who only want nonstop chases. The strengths are clear. The cartoon timing is sharp. The coyote still looks hungry, stubborn, and a little tragic. The film has a soft heart under the explosions.
The weakness is the human plot, which sometimes feels like a standard legal comedy sitting next to a better cartoon. If you can catch it in a theatre, the mix of live action and animation is easier to enjoy on a big screen.
The film is still in its theatrical window in the United States and some other markets. Waiting for streaming is fine if you only want a casual watch. If you care about these characters, the theatre trip is the better first look.
Disclaimer: This review is based on publicly available audience reactions and discussions on X at the time of writing. Individual opinions may vary.
