Category: Animation

Synopsis

Since childhood, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck (both voiced by Eric Bauza) have been lifelong friends through thick and thin. Unfortunately, things worsen when home inspector Mrs. Grecht (Laraine Newman) deems their house unlivable and threatens to condemn it. Porky and Daffy try getting jobs to pay for home repairs, but Daffy's antics get them fired from every job. Things seem hopeless when scientist Petunia Pig (Candi Milo) helps get them jobs at the Goodie Gum factory. Little do they know that an alien known as The Invader (Peter MacNicol) has contaminated the gum with mind-controlling goo. Daffy tries warning everyone that the gum turns people into mindless zombies, but no one believes him. Soon, the gum-chewing zombies swarm the town, and it's up to Porky, Petunia, and Daffy to stop them. Will they save the world, or will The Invader's plan come to fruition?

Review

It's shameful that Warner Bros. seems disinterested because The Day the Earth Blew Up is one of the year's best. In a time dominated by 3D animated movies, along comes a 2D animated movie that breathes life into the medium. The animation is breathtaking, fluid, and dynamic, perfectly capturing the spirit of classic Looney Tunes shorts. You can tell that the people working on this film love animation and put their hearts into the material. The style of animation combined with the 50's sci-fi premise reminded me of The Iron Giant, which is not bad. Coincidentally, both movies underperformed at the box office despite receiving critical acclaim, showing that not much has changed. There are also some great visual gags, like the intentionally stiff movement of Farmer Jim or characters crying literal waterfalls. Admittedly, some more modern gags don't land well, but they're not enough to ruin the film.

One refreshing aspect of this movie is that the cast doesn't include A-list actors shoehorned in for name recognition. Instead, you have talented voice actors like Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Fred Tatasciore, Laraine Newman, and Wayne Knight. Each of them delivers an exceptional performance, especially Bauza, who provides the voice of both Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. He's so good that you don't even notice that it's one person doing two different voices. Peter MacNicol is also fantastic as The Invader, playing an appropriately over-the-top villain while still playing it straight. Milo's demure voice helps make Petunia that much more adorable, and her scenes with Porky are cute. None of the vocal performances fell flat; everyone delivered exceptional work, bringing these characters to life. Hollywood should take some lessons about casting an animated movie from this, but sadly, they most likely won't.

Fans of old-school Looney Tunes cartoons, as well as kids not familiar with these characters, will enjoy this. Admittedly, the plot is somewhat generic and predictable, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Sometimes, you don't need complicated storylines, twists at every turn, and deep characterizations to make a good movie. Like the old shorts, this one has a simple storyline that's plenty of fun without talking down to the audience. Plus, at only 91 minutes, the movie never overstays its welcome and gets in and out quickly. Unfortunately, so many people talk about the live-action Snow White that they ignore this genuinely good film. If you're a parent deciding what to take your kids to see, please bring them to this. Overall, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is fantastic fun for all audiences, young and old.

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is in theaters.