By Nick Nitkowski 

We all know the Looney Tunes, right? If you don’t, I greatly question the validity and enjoyment of your childhood. The Looney Tunes are iconic and have been for a very long time. They continue to be relevant to this very day. Although, I will say that over time, they have greatly lost the spark that made them so iconic. I never got around to watching the new Looney Tunes show on Cartoon Network and we all remember what a disaster “Space Jam: A New Legacy” was. It seems that matters only got worse when the studio pulled the plug on the now-highly sought-after “Coyote vs. ACME” movie. But despite all of that, we now have a new Looney Tunes movie releasing, “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” soon about an alien invasion that focuses solely on Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, both voiced by Eric Bauza. I was very fortunate to be able to see this film ahead of release. So how was this new Looney Tunes movie?

Now, I’m not saying this for the mere sake of saying it in the hopes that it does well so that the studio will realize its folly and release “Coyote vs ACME” as intended. If this movie is bad, I will say so because I strive to give my honest opinion on every movie I see. Thankfully, there is nothing to worry about here because I thought this movie was excellent! From the very second that this movie started, I knew that the team behind it truly understood who the Looney Tunes are and what made each individual character special. They gave them back their missing spark. Or at least they did for Porky and Daffy since they are the only two original Looney Tunes in this film. Sorry, Bugs Bunny fans. 

The comedy in this film was top-notch. I was laughing hysterically throughout while watching it. There were also a few moments where I found myself laughing awkwardly due to certain imagery. It was so refreshing to see a Looney Tunes movie that provided the same level of humor as the original series while also appealing to the modern age without compromising itself. When you see it, you’ll notice that Porky Pig acts like Porky Pig, and Daffy Duck is very much Daffy throughout this movie. 

One of the other Looney Tunes characters that are featured in this movie, who I hadn’t seen a lot even in the older Looney Tunes cartoons, is Petunia Pig, voiced by Candi Milo. For those who probably didn’t know or couldn’t have guessed, Petunia Pig is Porky Pig’s love interest in the film, and in general, I suppose, and their chemistry together can only be described as “adorkable” in the best way. It was great seeing them together while also allowing time for Petunia to shine on her own. 

I want to be vague on the details of this movie because a lot of the story was a pleasant surprise. All you really need to know about this movie is that it’s Looney Tunes. For me, that was the only thing I needed to know to sell me on this movie. Much like how the title “Deadpool & Wolverine” sells itself, nothing else matters.

Overall, I had a blast with “The Day the Earth Blew Up”! It very much felt like a Looney Tunes movie. So much so that my initial thought as it was playing was; “Now, these are the Looney Tunes I remember!” This movie is just riddled with color, personality, charm, and humor. It’s practically oozing out of every frame. The filmmakers understood their assignment and they passed with flying colors. I’m glad that this movie will be getting a theatrical release in February and I do hope that word of mouth for it Blows Up in the best Looney way.

5 stars