Directed By Peter Browngardt

Starring – Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol

The Plot – Porky (Bauza) and Daffy (Also Bauza), the classic animated odd couple, turn into unlikely heroes when their antics at the local bubble gum factory uncover a secret alien mind control plot. Against all odds, the two are determined to save their town (and the world!)…that is if they don’t drive each other crazy in the process.

Rated PG for cartoon violence/action and rude/suggestive humor.

Let’s Get Looney! | The Day The Earth Blew Up | TRAILER | @wbkids​

POSITIVES

The first Looney Tunes theatrical movie in 22 years surprises as a cinematic achievement for Warner Bros., whose recent animated efforts have floundered prestigious properties with updated looks and concepts that have alienated longtime fans of the franchise. This is a film that is comfortable in its own skin, both in the animated department, with what is easily the studio’s most breathtaking presentation since “The Iron Giant”, and in the episodic structure of its chaos, which seamlessly feels like an extensive 86-minute episode of the original television show. On the former, the animation not only expressively articulates the manic imaginative essence of this world where anything is possible, but also colorfully connects itself to a wide range of beautifully bulbous designs that takes every opportunity of every square inch to solidify this as a major presentation that deserves to be seen on the biggest stage imaginable. Considering so many animated properties use three-dimensional animation anymore, alongside the Pixar and Dreamworks variety, it’s refreshing to see a film that comfortably and confidently stands its ground, and the timeless designs of this fantastical world permeate breathlessly, even in 2025. As for the themes of the movie, the film is a fitting throwback to 60’s sci-fi invasion films, with more than a few creative callbacks to references of those films that makes this such a love-letter to the genre, on top of already being a chaotic frolic into world domination. For the occasion, I truly don’t feel that there were any two characters in the Looney Tunes lore that work as perfectly as Porky and Daffy do, with Porky here serving as the straight man to Daffy’s comedic relief, with the two of them essentially being raised as brothers throughout the narrative. This gives the script a little bit of heart to compliment and balance the comedic dependency, but beyond that proves how seamlessly the two characters work off of each, particularly in catastrophic instances where their lunacy and conflicting efforts from one another clash and conjure an ominous cloud of foreboding doom that could condemn Earth, and the film is never less entertaining for this sternly salacious threat. Eric Bauza is undoubtedly the film’s Most Valuable Performance, in emulating a distinct versatility and range of vocal cadence between the two deliveries as the main protagonists that never feels like the same guy portraying them, all the while stepping effortlessly into the shoes of Mel Blanc’s iconic portrayals in such, without ever missing a beat. While Daffy has always been my favorite Looney Tunes character, it’s nice to see Bauza supplant some shine to Porky, as his portrayal brandishes heart and bravery in ways that we rarely see from the bumbling pig, and with the addition of Petunia Pig, a newly created love interest for Porky, Bauza exhibits meaning into the constant stuttering that has defined his character for nearly a hundred years, giving us perhaps the most relatable insight into the character that we’ve experienced in quite a long time. Aside from Bauza, Peter Macnicol also does an exceptional job as The Invader, with eccentric deliveries conveying the maniacal intentions in his efforts for world domination. While the character at least in surface level is your typical antagonist for these kind of Looney Tunes cartoons, Macnicol’s portrayal makes the most of the opportunity to make him memorable, and between his own bumbling clumsiness that elicited quite a few laughs in breaking the mystique of the character’s imposing nature, and channeled panic with being constantly outsmarted by two bumbling buffoons, Peter’s presence enhances the appeal of the picture each time he moves back into frame, nearly matching Bauza’s herculean efforts with a single depiction of his own. The pop culture favorites of the song selections are also a nice touch to compliment Joshua Moshier’s orchestral score, with R.E.M’s “The End of the World” and hilariously Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I do) I do it For You” included in audio gags, to give further inclination into the big screen luster that the film reaches so heavily towards. Moshier’s work often feels like a character of its own that instrumentally responds to the crazy shenanigans taking shape, but there’s something about comfort and familiarity in the usage of songs that takes the fun freneticism factor of the sequence and montage to new heights, particularly when the ironies of lyrics echo events of the screen transpiring before us, in order for the audience to see the song in new lights.

NEGATIVES

While there’s tons about “The Day the Earth Blew Up” for fans of the Looney Tunes franchise to indulge in their own nostalgic experiences, the script does have some issues with inconsistent humor and pacing that takes its quality down a noticeable step, primarily during the film’s second half, where it strains even an 86-minute run time to feeling nearly two hours. Part of the issue definitely stems from the build-up of the conflict, with the actions of this Invader feeling repetitious enough in multiple sequences that made me wonder why they didn’t just submerge them into one, but the bigger issue for me was in this unforeseen twist at the beginning of the third act that not only reshaped the conflict in ways that weren’t as unique to this particular plot outline, but also created some plot holes with the set-up that makes it feel like all of this could’ve been resolved with a quick ten minute conversation about awareness. I certainly don’t measure logic when it comes to a Looney Tunes movie, but the shift proves how little thought process was put into this concept for adult audiences with even ten seconds of thinking to their mental capacities, and as a result the movie’s momentum isn’t as prominent within the final forty minutes, where it once worked as a machine that continuously fired on all cylinders. As for the movie’s comedy, I was definitely provided with enough laughter throughout the film to recommend it on entertainment value alone, however once the primary conflict moves into focus, it doesn’t feel as effectively prominent as it once was, especially with one re-occurring gag with the word “Chew” that got old by the 37th time the dialogue used it. This is not to say that comedy is abandoned all-together, as this is a Porky and Daffy movie, at the end of the day, it’s just that creativity starts to wear thin with annoyance, and soon enough you start to understand why Looney Tunes is great in small doses. If this is all done with the intention to promote some heart within the narrative, particularly in the brotherly bond between these characters, then I’m all for it, but as those unique qualities start to fade for more conventional means of storytelling, resulting in a climax that doesn’t ascend or even equal the heights of such a highly entertaining first half, leaving its conflict as both the most important and biggest flaw to the movie’s appeal.

OVERALL
“Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up” is every bit the manically charged frolic into frenzy that longtime fans of the franchise grew up adoring, but with an elevated appeal to animated renderings and surrounding production values that transfers seamlessly to the big screen. While the film is threatened by inconsistent humor and one contrived twist that nearly robs it of its originality towards homaging 60’s science-fiction invasion films, Porky and Daffy make it out on the other side unscathed, making this mostly harmless nostalgic nourishment that audiences can escape into for an hour and a half.

My Grade: 7.8 or B