Hello everybody and welcome back to a brand new review! For this one, I’m going to be taking a look at a movie that has had quite the journey to the big screen. Originally intended for Max, The Day the Earth Blew Up was a victim of the immense re structuring that was going on over at Warner Bros. when David Zaslav was taking over as CEO. This lead to multiple projects getting written off for tax purposes or canceled altogether. This one was instead shopped around to other distributors with Ketchup Entertainment eventually getting the domestic distribution rights to release the movie in theaters, making it the first fully animated Looney Tunes movie to hit the big screen. I myself am a massive fan of the Tunes and have been wanting there to be more major stuff related to them released. I haven’t been too thrilled with how WB has been treating them lately, so I thought this was a nice opportunity for someone else to at least give them some sort of spotlight. So was this one worth showing off on the silver screen? Let’s jump right in and see how well this tale of looniness unfolded!
After a prologue showcasing a mysterious UFO hurtling towards Earth and landing on it, we are introduced to Daffy Duck and Porky Pig who have spent their entire live together and are now on their own after their caretaker, Farmer Jim, lives them to their own devices. One day they are faced with a house inspection and fail once they realize something has destroyed part of their roof. Not left with much in the way of income, the duo decide to find a job in order to get the needed amount of money to fix the house. The end up finding one in the form of bubble-gum factory workers, with the help of a scientist named Petunia Pig. However, they then soon uncover an alien’s plan to mind control the population of Earth. With them being the only ones who know about this, they now have to take on this threat and save the world before it is too late!
Mainly inspired by Bob Clampetts’s style and humor, director, Peter Browngardt (who as heavily involved in the newer Looney Tunes cartoon shorts) and the many writers attached, are clearly trying to pay homage to old school alien invasion movies, with Invasion of the Body Snatchers being a clear inspiration, while also injecting in that Looney Tunes charm. I thought they succeeded in spades here, as this is an absolute riot from beginning to end that never lets up. The comedy is consistently hilarious throughout, with plenty of moments where I found myself laughing out loud to a variety of jokes whether it is the silly moments of slapstick, the clever dialogue that stays true to the spirit of the Looney Tunes, or the more absurdist stuff where things just get wild. The comedic timing is just so on point and I really love how certain jokes are utilized where they work well as a one off gag, but then they end up coming back later on to actually play an important role. Even the use of modern references I thought were actually really well done and lead to some really solid punchlines.
This is also a very well structured film where Daffy and Porky’s situation is set up efficiently and effectively and the way in which their storyline comes to connect with the alien invasion plot line is nicely handled. While this is indeed a very wacky comedy, there is still urgency present when it comes to this scenario and I still did care about what was going to happen with there being some genuine surprises as to where the plot went that made for some really fun storytelling. Not only that, but I was also really fond of a lot of the anti corporation mentality messaging present here which resonates even harder when one knows the behind the scenes stuff regarding this feature. Very fitting of the Tunes, this is a work that celebrates the risktakers and those willing to think outside the box as more often than not, they are the ones who are likely to leave a huge impact. It adds another layer to the movie that makes it all the more satisfying and makes one more willing to embrace their “looney” side.
Another aspect that makes this film notable is that it is a rare 2D animated feature to be released theatrically, which is very nice to see. That it looks fantastic is also a nice bonus of course! It maintains the look of the Max Looney Tunes cartoons shorts which I really dig as I find them to be solid updates of the classic character designs. Their features are more exaggerated which only adds to the comedy in many places. This is one of those films where one can tell the animators must’ve had a ball making them as there is just so much life in frame with movements showcasing so much fluidity and expression. It always felt like something fun was going on in each shot the fast paced editing only added to the various sequences present. The various backgrounds also look very pretty and the film is just full of colors throughout that just pop. I also feel the crew did a great job evoking classic alien invasion movies at times with some of the lighting and framing choices which only add to the overall feel.
The action scenes also go really hard with a lot of creativity going into the various situations the characters find themselves in. The way the gum creatures that infect the human populace are portrayed and handled are visually really neat and make for some nice use of stretchy animation and it leads to some really exciting scenes. The random use of objects and environments is also very fun to watch and in line with Looney Tunes logic. There are even times, where visual styles are changed completely with one scene involving Daffy and Porky at the gum factory having a trippy feel to it that just goes so hard. Adding to everything is Joshua Moshier’s score, which has that Looney melody that is recognizable while still working on its own terms fitting the vibe of the film very well and can do a good job in evoking those 50s sci fi feels. I even found some of the needle drops to be really fun and well incorporated with one scene involving R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I feel Fine)” putting a huge grin on my face.
When it comes to the core duo of the feature, I found Daffy and Porky to be a really great pairing of two very different characters that nonetheless manages to work wonderfully. Porky works as the straight man of the duo, being more reserved and concerning of things while still not without his moments of bumbling around. Meanwhile, Daffy is great as the loose canon part of the duo, unleashing his looniness whenever possible and having his moments of stubbornness that leads to some great laughs. They have their issues with one another, but still care for each other deeply and that friendship is what makes the heart of the film beat as hard as it does. I also thought the way the film explore their flaws to be really thoughtful and nuanced, and them coming to acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses was just nice to see. It helps that Eric Bauza does a fantastic job voicing both of them capturing their personalities extremely well while adding so much energy to both roles. He especially does a strong job with Porky’s stuttering. One could also argue that there’s really a main trio here with Petunia Pig (Candi Milo) rounding things out nicely, serving as a really fun character in her own right. She’s funny, has a strong, quirky personality, and I think her and Porky also had some really sweet interactions that made their relationship a nicely developed one.
The rest of the supporting players are also a lot of fun in their own way. Peter MacNiol does a fantastic job as The Invader, who is the one responsible for all the mayhem going down on Earth. He is able to convey him as an intelligent threat whose constant frustrations when things don’t go exactly his way, being a highlight of the feature. Where things go with his character I won’t say, but let’s just say I really enjoyed the direction things went with him as it felt in line with Looney Tunes story telling sensibilities. I thought Fred Tatasciore was very good as the scientists who gets involved with this whole situation. He mostly exists to drive the plot along, but he becomes a fun presence and I like how his role got bigger as the movie goes along. Other notable members here include Laraine Newman who is great as the harsh and stuffy house inspector, Mrs. Grecht, and Wayne Knight who is always a welcome presence as the Mayor. The stand out for me though is actually Farmer Jim (also voiced by Tatasciore). He isn’t in the movie that much but for the limited time he is on screen, it was some of the funniest stuff here. Its a combination of Tatasciore’ booming voice, how he just remains static most of the time, and his funny facial expression that make him memorable and I found his relation to to Daffy and Porky sweet. I can see why they looked up to him so highly.
Overall, I had an absolute blast with The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, as it is such a fun time that never ceased to put a smile on my face! It has hilarious jokes that had me cackling, a really well done story, great themes at play, wonderful animation, so much infectious energy, strong voice acting, and a great use of two iconic cartoon characters. This reminded me of classic Looney Tunes as it just gives one that same sense of amusement that made me love these characters growing up. Longtime fans are bound to be entertained and I’m sure families are going to enjoy this a lot as well. It is a shame that this isn’t breaking out to that wide of an audience due to the small distributor, but still I’m just so happy that this got made in the first place and was even released theatrically. It is a film that is more than worthy of the Looney Tunes name and I would watch ten more like it in a heartbeat! To end off this review, gotta make Porky proud… that’s all folks!
Rating: A+
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