Out of the many decisions Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav has made since taking leadership of the studio, his seemingly apparent disdain for the Looney Tunes might be the most infuriating. One only needs to look at his cancellation of the already-completed Coyote vs. Acme as a tax write-off despite heavy praise from the few people in the world who’ve seen it.
Originally created as a direct-to-streaming film for Max, The Day The Earth Blew Up—the first full-length, completely 2D-animated movie in the franchise’s 95-year history—almost shared the same fate until it was thankfully salvaged by indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment and bumped up to a theatrical release. As irritated as I am that such a landmark event has been so easily cast aside on WB’s part, their loss is Ketchup’s gain, as the movie is absolutely hilarious.
The Day The Earth Blew Up centers on Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, foster siblings who were raised as kids by the benevolent Farmer Jim and eventually inherit his farmhouse years later. During a house inspection, the pair discover a massive hole in the roof and have to get it fixed before they get evicted. They end up getting jobs at a local gum factory, where Porky falls for coworker Petunia Pig and Daffy uncovers a massive conspiracy: An alien invader has secretly infected the company’s new Super Strongberry gum with alien goo, turning the population into zombies. It’s up to the trio to stop the invasion and save their home and the rest of the world in the process.
“The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is stunningly animated and is a 2D breath of fresh air in a CG-dominated landscape.”
The film is a clear labour of love from everyone involved, and it shows in every frame of it. Many of the cast and crew, including co-writer/director Pete Browngardt, worked on 2020’s Looney Tunes Cartoons reboot and, just like in that show, have managed to retain and update the wacky, chaotic spirit that’s made the franchise a staple for generations. The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is stunningly animated and is a 2D breath of fresh air in a CG-dominated landscape.
Equally impressive is the vocal performance by Eric Bauza (who voices about a dozen other characters in Cartoons, including Bugs and Tweety), carrying nearly the film on his back as both Daffy and Porky. That’s not to say the rest of the voice cast doesn’t hold their own; veteran voice actress Candi Milo is a great foil as Petunia Pig, and Peter MacNicol nearly steals the show in his own right as the Invader. But Daffy and Porky are on the screen for nearly every frame of the film and I had to remind myself it’s one guy going against himself the whole time. Mel Blanc would be proud.
The film takes a decidedly old-school approach, taking inspiration from classic ‘50s sci-fi like (naturally) The Day The Earth Stood Still, alongside a heavy dose of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and John Carpenter’s The Thing. I was surprised at how effective the slight horror element was, as there’s a point where I felt legitimate tension thanks to the creepiness of a particular creature’s design. That being said, the jokes are still firing at an absolutely relentless pace.
Even if a joke missed there would always be three more within the next 30 seconds that land right on target, like Farmer Jim’s constantly shifting animation. Daffy as a complete beacon of chaos and Porky as his naive, stuttering straight-man of a sidekick is a dynamic that simply works. There’s a mid-movie montage early in the film showing Daffy and Porky’s job hunt framed like a classic Looney Tunes cartoon (intro and all) that had me in tears from laughing.
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is a perfect way to re-introduce the Looney Tunes to a modern audience, giving it a fresh coat of paint without constantly resorting to modern animation trends. In fact, outside of a handful of jokes (and an unfortunate instance of Daffy twerking), the film avoids trying to completely modernize itself and sticks to the timeless dynamics without constantly revelling in nostalgia. All I can hope is that it’s not the last time we hear Porky Pig stutter, “T-t-t-That’s All, Folks!”
