The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie marks the first fully animated feature-length film in the nearly 100-year-old franchise, and director Peter Browngardt proves that these characters don’t need basketball players, Brendan Fraser, or 40 different cameos to work. All they need is a solid premise and a commitment to the legacy and style that have made Looney Tunes endure for generations across the world.
The project has been in development since 2019, when Browngardt, while working on Looney Tunes Cartoons, pitched a feature inspired by classic sci-fi films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Originally slated for an HBO Max release, the film pivoted to a theatrical run after Warner Bros. underwent corporate restructurings and scaled back its original streaming content.
The movie is deeply faithful to the spirit of Looney Tunes, fully embracing 2D animation and slapstick humor, with a constantly energetic score reminiscent of Carl Stalling’s signature style. (*Mickey-mousing*, the technique of synchronizing music to every character movement, is in full effect here.) There are only minor updates to modernize it, such as a quick reference to influencers, but nothing that feels out of place. The dedication to honoring the franchise’s legacy is evident in every frame, with a clear love for its history reflected in every joke, gag, and visual flourish.
The plot is a blast and sustains the 90-minute runtime well, offering enough surprises and development despite focusing solely on Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. It seamlessly escalates from the duo simply trying to fix a roof, to working odd jobs, to, by the third act, landing on an asteroid to save the entire planet. The sci-fi setting brings a fun mystery and an engaging adventure for the pair, while the villain’s motivation turns out to be more layered than expected. By the final stretch, the obstacles the characters face create genuine tension, and it’s incredibly satisfying to watch their plans come together, only for them to hilariously fall apart, forcing them to improvise in true Looney Tunes fashion.
The humor stays firmly within the Looney Tunes playbook, physical comedy, parodies, and wildly inventive gags. The film understands what makes these characters tick, from Porky Pig’s signature stutter to Daffy Duck’s manic, bumbling energy. The jokes come at such a rapid pace that it can actually be overwhelming to keep up. If there’s one movie that might benefit from being watched on TV with commercial breaks, it’s this one.
The Day the Earth Blew Up avoids forced celebrity cameos and an overload of characters for nostalgia’s sake. Instead, it confidently delivers a compelling, tightly executed story, proving that Looney Tunes doesn’t need gimmicks or padding, trust in its characters and a steady stream of jokes.
PS: After the screening, I attended a Q&A with Eric Bauza, who voices both Daffy and Porky, and it only deepened my appreciation for the effort that goes into portraying these legendary characters. Bauza not only captures their classic mannerisms but also brings nuance, making them feel like they have their own arc in this version of the story.
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- 13. The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
- Where to watch
Crave
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- Original title
- The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
- Director
- Peter Browngardt
- Genre
- Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation, Science Fiction
- Cast
- Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Fred Tatasciore, Laraine Newman, Wayne Knight, Ruth Clampett, Andrew Kishino
- Rated
- PG
- Screenwriter
- Kevin Costello, Alex Kirwan, Andrew Dickman, Peter Browngardt, David Gemmill, Darrick Bachman, Ryan Kramer, Johnny Ryan, Michael Ruocco, Jason Reicher, Eddie Trigueros, Aaron Springer, Brianne Drouhard, Richard Gaines, Guy Bar'ely, Josie Campbell, Gilli Nissim, Katie Rice
- Composer
- Joshua Moshier
- Editor
- Nick Simotas
- Country
- Language
- English
- Budget
- $15 million
- Box office
- $15.077 million
- Streaming (CA)
- Crave
- Buy / rent (CA)
- Apple TV Store, Amazon Video