Truth be told, I didn’t even know this film existed until I showed up at the theater. But I am so glad I took a shot in the dark because “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” is a shot of pure animated joy. You remember joy, right? That thing the rest of the crumbling world keeps trying kill every time you open any social media app? Looney Tunes to the rescue once again, folks! There’s a reason they’ve stood the test of time, and a reason they still work in their purest form.
This is classic Looney Tunes, complete with gorgeous 2-D animation and a nostalgic longing without pandering or removing the heart and soul from its origins. Porky Pig and Daffy Duck are exactly how you remember them, and their hijinks never get old and had me laughing out loud for the entire 90 minutes.
And it shockingly arrives in theaters right the entire Looney Tunes catalog gets removed from MAX. It is simply astounding at how much Warner Bros. hates their own IP, particularly one that has proven time and time again that there is always water in the well when needed. “The Day the Earth Blew Up” is a testament to its longstanding effectiveness, and packs itself to the brim with true adventure and excitement for the whole family. Parents who grew up with the lovable cartoons will feel like a kid again and the kids new to the Toons will fall in love with the characters for the first time.
Yes, “The Day the Earth Blew Up” has something for everyone without ever favoring one over the other. It is a beautifully balanced animated adventure, one that keeps the nostalgia in tack while delivering a fun, contained story worthy of the big screen.
Directed by Peter Browngardt and more writers than I can list here, “The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” is a 1950s style sci-fi B movie that sees Porky Pig and Daffy Duck (both voiced by the incredible Eric Bauza) tasked with saving the world from an alien invasion. The duo set out to save their childhood home from being condemned and are force to get real jobs. After a chance encounter with Petunia Pig (Candi Milo) they get jobs at a gum factory as the company sets out launch their new, stronger gum flavor around the world. But they soon discover that there is a foul, alien plot afoot that may be using the gum to execute their plans, and its up to the unlikely trio to save the world. The voice work also includes Peter MacNicol, Fred Tatasciore, Laraine Newman (“Saturday Night Live“), and Wayne Knight (“Jurassic Park“).
My ire for CEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav has never been more justified for not only locking up “Coyote vs Acme” in a vault for tax write offs, but for his blatant disregard and disdain for cinema.
The fact that Ketchup entertainment is distributing a Warners. Bros IP staple is all the more telling, and when you add to all of that the fact that “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” is excellent and a genuinely great time at the movies, their rejection of one of their strongest and most reliable properties is why he should be removed. The best way to get back at him and content takeover of cinema is to go see “The Day The Earth Blew Up” in theaters. Spend money to see it and show them all we need films like this; Loony Tunes films like this in their purest form. It made me feel like a kid again, sitting in front of a TV screen with giant bowl of cereal on a Saturday morning watching my favorite characters get into adventurous shenanigans.
Consider this your notice. Take your whole family to see “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.” Gorgeously rendered and packed with heart and humor of best kind, the film will transport you back to a simpler time as you settle in with these beloved characters. It’ll leave you with a smile ear to ear that stays with you the whole time, and I can’t think of a more relevant time than now to do that.
It’s the best animated film of the year and the best thing Warner Bros has but won’t get behind. We the people can get behind it, and we can show them that we DO support these characters. Looney Tunes needs your money, and “The Day Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” is a great way to put your money where your mouth is and save the toons from their greedy, corporate overlords. The more money the film makes, the more Zaslav loses. That’s a cause I think we can all get behind.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” is now playing in theaters. You can watch the trailer below.
