It’s official: “Coyote vs. Acme” has critics firmly in its corner. The long-delayed Looney Tunes movie, once caught in a high-profile Warner Bros. controversy that threatened to keep it from ever seeing release, is now earning the kind of praise most studios dream about. Read on for more details, and be sure to check out the video above for the full story.
Even before “Coyote vs. Acme” made its theatrical debut, the film had already raced to an impressive 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. As of this writing, that number remains unchanged, suggesting reviewers are still embracing the animated-live-action comedy with the same enthusiasm it generated out of the gate. The movie follows Wile E. Coyote as he hires a lawyer, played by Will Forte, to take Acme to court over its famously defective products, while John Cena appears as the company’s legal representative. With both critics and audiences responding warmly, the individual reviews help explain why the film has struck such a chord.
Looper critic Reuben Baron praised the movie’s relentless comic energy, writing, “Measuring by sheer laughs per minute, ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ is the funniest film of 2026 so far […] even the most earnest ‘we’re taking this completely seriously’ dramatic moments in ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ are still inherently funny at the same time.” Baron added, “It’s not a perfect movie, but what it does well, it does so well that it feels like a work of super genius.” Peter Travers of The Travers Take sounded a similar note, calling the film “This merry, malicious long-delayed mix of cartoon and live action” that “breaks out of legal jail to delight us all, except the Hollywood studio that tried to kill it.” His verdict was simple: “Go Coyote!”
MORE STORY: First Look Inside the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art at LA’s Exposition Park
Keith Phipps echoed that enthusiasm in his review for The Reveal, highlighting the movie’s mix of comedy and heart. “Between jokes, the film finds room both to build a nice buddy-movie partnership between Coyote and Kevin while adding some real-world resonance via the story of a little guy going up against a corporation,” he wrote.
According to critics, Coyote vs. Acme is one of the year’s freshest, funniest, and best films
Ketchup Entertainment
“Coyote vs. Acme” is just one of a handful of movies that got resurrected after getting canceled, and critics are mighty happy about that, apparently. Famed movie critic Leonard Maltin was one of them. “A dedicated team of filmmakers and animators have rendered an ingenious and impressive feature,” Maltin wrote on his website. “Will kids who are unfamiliar respond to all of this? I have no idea. I’m just happy to see my favorite cartoon characters back on the big screen.”
Others pointed to specific highlights — like Time‘s Stephanie Zacharek, who loved Will Forte’s lead performance. “Forte makes a fabulous foil for his cartoon costars: he never tries to outdo them, preferring to bow to their lunatic majesty,” she noted. “He knows they’re what we’ve come here for.” In her review for the Los Angeles Times, Amy Nicholson praised the movie’s broader message. “Wile E. Coyote isn’t asking for a handout,” she wrote. “If anything, he’s a true believer in the American Dream, willingly and literally breaking his back to put food on his table.” Nick Schager at The Daily Beast followed that train of thought, calling the film “A clever and madcap underdog saga that, in light of real-world events, now resonates as a case of art foreshadowing life.”
At the end of the day, Frank Scheck said it best in his review for The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a pleasure to report that the film is a hilarious delight, one of the best live-action/animation films ever, and will be treasured by Looney Tunes fans (and who isn’t one?),” he declared.” Decide for yourself: “Coyote vs. Acme” is in theaters now.