THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP : A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE -- Porky Pig and Daffy Duck Bring Laughter in a Simple and Occasionally-Thin Comedy

Review by Camden Ferrell

After the long and illustrious history of Looney Tunes, it’s quite surprising that they had previously never had a fully animated film released theatrically until this year. The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie was released last year in order to meet 2024 awards eligibility criteria but is now getting a proper wide release in theaters across the country. This animated movie is a fun story full of enjoyable animation and visual gags even if it doesn’t feel particularly inventive or always worthy of a feature-length runtime.
 
Porky Pig and Daffy Duck are in dire need of money to fix their roof to prevent their property from being condemned. On top of this, they find themselves faced with the threat of an alien invasion. What ensues are wacky hijinks that aim to revitalize these timeless characters while staying true to the charm that made them successes in the first place. As mentioned before, even though it sounds like a fun premise, it doesn’t feel like it’s one that needs to be fleshed out in a full-length movie.
 
This film serves as the feature-film debut of writer/director Peter Browngardt who wrote this alongside Kevin Costello and Alex Kirwan. The script has some great moments of comedy sprinkled steadily throughout the film, but the narrative does feel like it can drag at times. One can celebrate its attempts at meta humor and its attempts at comedy aimed at a newer generation even if it doesn’t always land the way it wants to. The jokes can miss, but when they land, they land greatly.

One thing that I can completely commend is Eric Bauza’s voice performance as both Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. He brings so much life and energy to these characters, and his comedic timing and delivery truly elevate the funny moments in this film. Candi Milo also lends her voice very well as Petunia Pig.
 
When compared to previous Looney Tunes works, I can testify that this newest movie features some of the best animation the franchise has had to date. It feels very traditional while refreshingly innovative in its execution. Even when the script can feel a bit thin at times, the animation never fails to feel cinematic without losing the old-school charm the characters naturally bring.
 
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie may be far from perfect, but it’s entirely adequate as an animated film based on beloved characters. I think that longtime fans and new viewers alike will find something to enjoy about this movie. Even if it has flaws and shortcomings, at the very least, it’s good for its fair share of laughs. And while I wouldn’t call this a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen, I will always advocate for that experience, and it’s not every day we get to see a true fully animated celebration of these characters in theaters.
 
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is in theaters March 14.
 
Rating: 3/5