Based on evidence over the last few years, it seems pretty clear that Warner Bros. Discovery Entertainment CEO David Zaslav either hates being a success, doesn’t understand the industry he’s involved in, or merely wants to ensure he gets a golden parachute while the studio he operates flounders. One can understand the release of Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) as it’s a sequel to a billion-dollar award-winning film — film A makes money, making a sequel seems like a slam-dunk. But not only was Batgirl get sent to the vault for a tax write-off (directed by the widely successful Bad Boys for Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah), but what is reported as one of the best mixed-media Looney Tunes stories in Coyote Vs. Acme was, too. At the very least, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie was saved by being sold to Ketchup Entertainment, who have a bonafide hit on their hands for Q1 2025 with this straight-up atomic age adventure comedy that will enchant Looney Tunes fans and young adults with a sci-fi story that delights in the daffy.
L-R: Daffy Duck (voiced by Eric Bauza), Porky Pig (voiced by Eric Bauza), and Petunia Pig (voiced by Candi Milo) in THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE. Photo courtesy of GFM Animation.
Raised as siblings since their baby days, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck (both voiced by Eric Bouza) remain ever faithful to each other, getting into all manner of hijinks day and night. Now, as adults, the two find themselves in perilous danger of losing their home as their annual HOA inspection goes horribly wrong when they realize that their roof is missing. Luckily, they meet flavor scientist Petunia Pig (voiced by Candi Milo) who helps them get a job at the town’s local Goodie Gum Factory and salvation appears to be theirs. That is, until Daffy spots something suspicious and accidentally tumbles into an alien conspiracy that involves the fate of the world. Can the world’s daffiest duck and cowardliest pig save the day or is it curtains for us all?
Directed by Peter Browngardt of Looney Tunes shorts The Curse of the Monkeybird (2019) and Hole Lotta Trouble (2021) and co-written by Browngardt and 10 others (Darrick Bachman (The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular), Kevin Costello (Brigsby Bear), Andrew Dickman (On a Roll), David Gemmill (Dynamite Dance), Alex Kirwan (Bugs Bunny’s Howl-O-Skreem Spooktacular), Ryan Kramer (Bugs Bunny’s Howl-O-Skreem Spooktacular), Jason Reicher (The Wonderful Autumn of Mickey Mouse), Michael Ruocco (Bugs Bunny’s Howl-O-Skreem Spooktacular), Johnny Ryan (The Curse of the Monkey Bird), Eddie Trigueros (The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular)), The Day the Earth Blew Up utilizes modern animation sensibilities while also existing as an homage to alien invasion films like It Came from Outer Space (1953), The War of the Worlds (1953), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), and, of course, The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). This number of writers typically sets off alarm bells as that many cooks in the kitchen doesn’t always result in a properly developed or organized meal. In this case, one can understand why so many writers were utilized as certain parts of the film come off as vignettes, the introduction sequence and a later montage being in a slightly different art style and structure than the bulk of the film, for instance; yet the whole does come across as a fully-constructed and thoughtfully designed narrative. At its heart, this is a story of an odd couple (set up here as siblings) who need to learn to see things from their counter-part’s perspective. It’s Looney Tunes, so don’t expect a whole lot of subterfuge or metaphor as the two navigate their interpersonal issues, which may make a few elements of the narrative come off as rote or unimaginative. Luckily, the execution is so full of homages, references, and outright silliness that one can buckle in for a wild ride and just have a ball. A ride that does, at its end, deliver a satisfying conclusion.
Bearing a very significant portion of the success of the film is the animation style. If you’ve been watching this new generation of Looney Tunes cartoons since Monkeybird, it’s going to look fairly consistent. It contains the same markers of the original shorts and the Merrie Melodies film series while including a somewhat elastic style reminiscent of ‘90s program Ren & Stimpy. Thankfully, the art direction from Nick Cross (Over the Garden Wall; Infinity Train) revels in the cinematic period that this film borrows from, leaning into neons for its purples, reds, and greens (providing an other-worldly effect), while keeping the character and location designs grounded in their color temperature and depiction. This translates to Daffy and Porky blending in nicely whether with other anthropomorphized characters (like Petunia) or humans, whereas anything extraterrestrial-related is given a bolder look. The sole clip released by Ketchup Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation shows off the clean lines of the characters and the beautiful background work that give the film a warm and welcoming sensation, but ends with a look at the catalyst for why the duo must find work — a look that includes the goopy neon glow of something unnatural. The neon shifts to the forefront in a particularly exciting sequence that’s of massive import to Porky’s arc, enveloping the world so that what was once safe and silly earns a more apocalyptic personage.
On that note, be advised that some of the visuals of The Day the Earth Blew Up may not be appropriate for younger or sensitive viewers. There’s no listed rating, but at the height of the drama, the visual presentation of the challenges Porky and Daffy face may unsettle those who struggle with recognizing the non-threat of this animated adventure while adults will absolutely enjoy the ride.
The Day the Earth Blew Up is by no means perfect. Daffy is, perhaps, just a little *too* daffy for the story’s own good, creating problems frequently enough to make one ponder if they should just get on with moving to the next scene. There’s also a comment made about Porky’s stutter which feels slightly offensive within the negative connotation the dialogue creates. Looney Tunes aren’t exactly saints with the characters frequently pushing the bounds of what is and is not transgressive (see: Bugs Bunny, queer icon), but they do tend to be inoffensive at their core. To that end, the first is mere annoyance and respective to personal taste while the second can be explained (though not excused) within the context of the scene and what Daffy is trying to articulate. This version of Daffy is so well-intentioned that his stupidity and resulting damage is not charming exactly, but forgivable. If there’s a favorite moment for this reviewer, it’s one that comes very late and breaks the fourth wall in a manner that harkens to another atomic age homage, Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988), as Daffy acknowledges that they’re in a movie. It’s a choice that works as a gag in the moment, but also throws a great deal of complaints about inconsistency or preference for the depiction of Porky and Daffy out the window — this isn’t *them*, they’re playing characters just like Duck Dodgers and Space Cadet — therefore allowing a bit more leeway in how the writers of this film play the characters.
L-R: Daffy Duck (voiced by Eric Bauza), Porky Pig (voiced by Eric Bauza), and Petunia Pig (voiced by Candi Milo) in THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE. Photo courtesy of Ketchup Entertainment.
To that end, it looks like Zaslav mucked things up for WB once more as there’s a solid chance for this first full-length completely animated Looney Tunes adventure in some years to be a theatrical success. Heck, if it had stuck to Max as a streaming release, it may have bumped their subscriber numbers — that’s how much fun the film is. Heck, if it had released in October, this may have been the kind of family-friendly entertainment that so many audiences hunger for that it may have provided a nice Q4 bump, which it seems they need. Never doubt the Looney Tunes and their power, folks. They’ve been around longer than most of us and it’s near-guaranteed they’ll outlast us because they’re too daffy not to.
Screened during Annecy International Film Festival 2024.
In theaters March 14th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official GFM Animation The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, In Theaters, Recommendation, Reviews
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