Will Forte as Coyote's lawyer is a great co-lead and is uniquely positioned to execute the tricky tone, a weird mix of oddball comedy, heart, and commentary. He's able to play off the cartoons with a sincerity and commitment the movie absolutely requires in order to succeed. And it's so wonderful to see the Looney Toons characters again and within this context, the most successful combination since Space Jam and here the themes are much more complex. The supporting human cast is all solid, notably John Cena as the heavy, and although the only 'big' names are Forte and Cena the cast, human and cartoon, is rich and committed, it all comes together in a surprising emotional harmony.
Visually the film is surprisingly clean, the integration of and interaction with the characters is relatively seamless. Some sets, some on location, and some greenscreen shots all woven together cohesively. The soundtrack is simple and effective, but they triumph is really just the story(both within and about the film). Funny and goofy enough for kids, proving the Looney Toons still have juice for any generation, satisfying character arcs, and a pretty timely message about the dangers of unfettered corporations and monopolies. Not to mention the extra-textual of it all, the fact this film was originally slated to be shelved by WB in it's effort to make it's balance sheet more attractive for acquisition then sold after public outcry. It's amazing we get to see this movie, it's a really good movie, and one has to wonder part of the decision to shelve it is that one of it's minor themes is criticizing the kind of corporate merger WB is currently going through.
A delightful, family friendly comedy with heart and something worthwhile to say.
Currently in theaters.
See It.
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