By Michael McKee
Correspondent
The Looney Tunes has been Warner Bros. flagship property for over 90 years, however it is only receiving its first theatrical movie release this year. The relationship between Warner Bros. and the Looney Tunes brand was rocky in recent years due to the fact that Warner Bros. canceled the “Coyote vs. ACME” Looney Tunes movie in 2023. All of this made a new Looney Tunes movie even getting released an uphill battle in its own right.
Despite all of these factors “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” is a loving tribute to the history of the Looney Tunes, 1950s sci-fi movies and the golden age of animation. While it is a kids movie with a simple premise and a short run time, it also has a surprising amount of intelligent writing, beautiful animation and laugh-out-loud hilarity.
The movie is centered around Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, who must find a job in order to keep their family home, all while a covert alien invasion is slowly taking over their hometown. On top of that, Porky and Daffy’s brotherhood is tested and pushed to its limits while Porky starts developing a relationship with the flavor scientist Petunia Pig.
There is a lot to gush about the film. It is honestly refreshing to see 2D animation back in big screen theatres after years of being relegated to small screen television by CGI animation. Another important thing to note is that there are only six major characters, which seems small but allows each character to be more memorable and likable.
One might expect Petunia Pig to be a one-note love interest as many female characters in kids cartoons are, however, Petunia is an essential part of the main trio, being characterized by her remarkable intelligence, her total contempt for Super Strongberry Gum and her passion for creating the perfect gum flavor.
One of the best parts of the film is the memorable scenes and sequences. At the beginning is a hilarious sequence showing Porky and Daffy’s childhood under their adopted father Farmer Jim. Farmer Jim is animated in a completely different style, leading to a hilarious juxtaposition and excellently done faces and moments. To top it off, there is also a hilariously dark joke that Porky’s signature stutter was caused by brain damage after Daffy Duck accidentally pushed a vase on his head.
Another great sequence is the scene where Daffy and Porky get a job at the gum factory. They get into a groove, as for once they are competent at a job, it leads to an excellently animated wordless sequence filled with creative visuals and colors that pop. In another great scene, Petunia and Porky go around town freeing the brainwashed townsfolk, to the comedic frustration of the alien invader, all while being set to the fitting and incredibly catchy “It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M. A final point of praise for the animation is the inclusion of an alien gum monster which is creatively designed and smoothly animated.
The film also has several other comedic highlights, being filled with incredibly self-aware jokes that break the fourth wall and jokes that adults are more likely to understand than kids. There is the fact that Daffy is a conspiracy theorist, even going so far as to have posters that reference various theories and at one point Daffy hands Petunia the film’s script to catch her up on the plot.
A final point of praise are the voice performances. Eric Bauza does an excellent job at voicing the film’s leads, Daffy and Porky, with no noticeable similarities between their voices. Candi Milo gives Petunia Pig a level of intelligence and energy, and Peter MacNicol brings both intimidation and comedy to the alien simply known as the Invader. Fred Tatasciore is affable in his performance as Farmer Jim and hilarious in his performance as the brainwashed scientist who works for the Invader.
“The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” is a great film that is well worth watching for its animation, comedy and writing. If you're a fan of animation, the Looney Tunes or just need a cartoon to show a younger relative, this is the movie for you.
