The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie

Rating 7/10

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie delivers something that, surprisingly, never existed before: the first fully animated, theatrically released Looney Tunes picture based on entirely original material. Hard to believe, right? There are some qualifications, though. It doesn’t count compilation films like 1979’s The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie, which pieced together existing cartoons. It also doesn’t include hybrids like Space Jam (1996) or its 2021 sequel, which mixed live actors with animated mayhem. And, of course, it doesn’t factor in the more than one thousand shorts that started it all. After nearly a century of anarchy, slapstick, and Acme products, the franchise finally has an all-original, all-animated feature on the big screen.

Daffy Duck and Porky Pig’s (Eric Bauza voices both) childhood home has fallen into disrepair. When a strict inspector gives them just ten days to fix their collapsing roof, they desperately seek work to earn the money for repairs. After a series of job failures, they land positions at a gum factory, where Porky falls for a charming co-worker, Petunia Pig (Candi Milo).

As they adjust to their new roles, Daffy notices a scientist pouring glowing green goo into the factory’s gum supply. Soon, the factory rolls out a new gum flavor, and anyone who chews it falls into a trance. Daffy’s attempts to warn the public backfire, resulting in both him and Porky being fired. Nevertheless, the trio continues to investigate. They are determined to stop the zombie mind control. Meanwhile, a sinister alien (Peter MacNicol) watches from the shadows, pleased that his plan is unfolding. As the gum spreads worldwide, Daffy, Porky, and Petunia race to stop an invasion before it’s too late.

The Day the Earth Blew Up is a lively expansion of that archetypal silliness we all know and love. Director Pete Browngardt cleverly stretches the manic energy throughout a feature-length film that blends in a 1950s sci-fi tale. Here, Porky is the more rational personality to Daffy’s impulsive chaos—though Porky’s lovesick distractions with Petunia don’t help. The classic episodes produced primarily between 1930 and 1969 went through a lot of different styles and directors. If you love Bob Clampett’s work in Porky in Wackyland (1938) and The Great Piggy Bank Robbery, you’ll be in heaven with this narrative.

Hand-drawn 2D animation is a rarity today, so those nostalgic for this technique will welcome the uniqueness that serves a bombastic sci-fi tale. There are a few quibbles. The cast list of iconic characters is limited to just three. Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, or even Marvin the Martian—who would have been a perfect addition—are sadly missing. Also, the story basically feels like a series of animated shorts stitched together. That opening introductory setup, where our duo holds various jobs (newspaper delivery, coffee baristas, and TikTok influencers), is perhaps the funniest part. However, the narrative wanes a bit midway through. Nevertheless, its playful mix of slapstick humor respectfully honors the past with modern touches. That’s something to celebrate for Looney Tunes fans like me. If you consider yourself one too, this is a welcome watch.

03-13-25