For three generations, my family has enjoyed Road Runner and Coyote shorts more than most Looney Tunes outings. It didn't take much to convince my mom, sister, and nephew to come to a theater with me. I was a little worried that a live-action setting would spell less family-friendliness, but hey, I'd seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit many times by my nephew's age.
Wile E. Coyote, mute as usual, finally decides to hire toon-focused Albuquerque human attorney Kevin Avery (Will Forte) to sue Acme for all the dangerously defective products he's used to try to catch the Road Runner (Eric Bauza, who voices most of the male toons). Kevin balks at the idea of covering lots of products in a single lawsuit, but avid intern Paige (Lana Condor) thinks it's just what the struggling firm of Avery, Jones, and Maltese (no doubt named for Tex, Chuck, and Michael) needs. Of course, a megacorporation has a tough lawyer, namely Kevin's ex-classmate Buddy Crane (John Cena). And it's not brutal only in the courtroom.
Wile E. is still something of a villain protagonist, unruly and eager to devour by any means necessary, but I've never felt more sympathy for him. He's not living in the moment anymore; he's reviewing countless agonizing failures over the years. It helps that he's cuter when surrounded by humans.
Besides, the more we learn about Acme, the darker it gets. Just having a monopoly on pretty much all manufacturing is bad enough, and bribing lawmakers is worse. Even if you agree that Acme's doing more good than harm, it's not aboveboard. In fact, it goes to scary lengths to keep secrets.
Unlike in WFRR, real humans and toons are integrated. Toons can live in the same areas and hold high positions, such as Acme CEO Foghorn Leghorn, an antagonist for once. After all, this is mostly set in the 2020s, not the 1940s. Nor are they famous Hollywood stars; regular people don't recognize Bugs Bunny. That said, humans typically don't place much weight on toons' suffering, given their apparent indestructibility. And nonhuman-shaped toons occupy an odd space in society, regarded as somewhere between person and beast.
The humans are often exaggerated as in so many comedies, but they can't hope to steal the show. You'll see quite a few familiar drawn faces from the old days, some of whom you probably don't know by name. And no, you don't have to be immersed in the lore to get the bulk of the gags, as my nephew's titters confirmed.
CvA is the most fun I've had with anything LT-related since Tiny Toon Adventures. Nice to know that indie Ketchup Entertainment could land a big success. And that writer James Gunn can do well outside the superhero genre.
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