Summer is almost over, and kids are returning to school. So why not get the whole brood together for a night out at the multiplex before homework becomes too overwhelming? Conveniently enough, there are two new PG-rated films — Coyote vs. Acme and The Magic Faraway Tree — that should fit the bill; however, one of them may be a little too sophisticated and subversive for younger offspring to grasp fully.
‘Coyote vs. Acme’
In 2022, David Zaslav, the recently installed CEO of Warner Discovery, spiked a nearly completed action movie about the DC Comics superheroine (and Batman sidekick) Batgirl to gain a tax write-off for the corporation. The purported excuse was that it didn’t fare well with test audiences. A couple of years later, Zaslav planned the same fate for two finished projects that unequivocally earned positive reactions at preview screenings: The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, a raucous feature-length cartoon with classic Warner Bros. characters Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, and Coyote vs. Acme, a clever satirical comedy starring human actors opposite animated characters from the vintage Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies.
When industry insiders and fans decried the potential demise of these two highly anticipated films that made smart use of longtime Warner Bros. intellectual property, Zaslav grudgingly put them up for auction to outside distributors. Independent production company Ketchup Entertainment eventually ponied up for both, releasing The Day the Earth Blew Up last March to favorable reviews and, after far too long in limbo, unleashing the hybrid hysteria of Coyote vs. Acme in theaters Friday, Aug. 28.
As much of a blast as The Day the Earth Blew Up was for Looney and Merrie enthusiasts, Coyote vs. Acme is in another league. Specifically, it’s the cleverest and most seamless blend of real-life actors and cartoon cast members on screen since 1998’s groundbreaking Who Shot Roger Rabbit? That alone is a pretty impressive achievement, but Coyote vs. Acme is also a consistently funny and topical takedown of corporate greed, arrogance, and overreach (blatantly tweaking the likes of Zaslav), while it honors decades of animation history, including the madcap slapstick humor that has always been a hallmark of Warner Bros. cartoons.
Samy Burch’s screenplay for Coyote vs. Acme is an effective adaptation and expansion of Ian Frazier’s witty 1990 New Yorker magazine article “Coyote v. Acme,” which drew inspiration from the Chuck Jones-directed shorts about the contentious relationship between the luckless predator Wile E. Coyote and his always-elusive target, the Road Runner. In his piece, Frazier addressed the fact that the plethora of items purchased from Acme Corporation by the Coyote to aid his pursuit of the Road Runner invariably fail. Damaged and humiliated by the malfunctioning devices, the Coyote decides to sue Acme for pain and suffering.
That is the essence of the movie as well, brought to life by director Dave Green, a crew of technical wizards, and a boisterous group of performers headed up by Will Forte as Kevin Avery, the Coyote’s initially reluctant personal injury lawyer; John Cena as Buddy Crane, the wickedly callous attorney for Acme; Lana Condor as Kevin’s niece and intern; and Luis Guzmán as the judge. On the ’toon side, the Coyote and Road Runner are major players, the latter being a star witness in the court case, if Kevin can corral him. And there are welcome cameos by stalwarts from the Warner Bros. stable of cartoon favorites, moving the story forward and providing classic trademark gags in the process. No need to name them and ruin the surprise when they show up in the middle of the fun.
Green’s most significant previous effort was directing the middling 2016 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. This is a step up for him, aided in large part by the adroit script from Burch, whose screenwriter credits have thus far been for serious fare such as Late Fame and May December. Here, she merrily parodies courtroom dramas about crusading underdogs like Erin Brockovich and Dark Waters without stinting on the ’toon lunacy. Even if the little ones don’t get the subtext, the antics of the Coyote, Road Runner, and their animated brethren will tickle them. As for the case that it took too long for Coyote vs. Acme to reach the public, the verdict is in: It was worth the wait.
Coyote vs. Acme opens in theaters Friday, Aug. 28.
‘The Magic Faraway Tree’
Truly a family-oriented adventure, The Magic Faraway Tree is based on a beloved series of novels written between 1939 and 1951 by British author Enid Blyton. In the books, a mother, father, two daughters, and a son move to a house in rural England, where the three children discover an enchanted tree, its denizens in the nearby woods, and are introduced to a series of magical lands that can only be reached from the top of the tree’s branches. The movie version updates things to modern times, as parents Tim (Andrew Garfield) and Polly (Claire Foy) decide to leave London when Polly quits her job as an inventor after the company she works for commits ethical violations. House husband/ex-musician Tim wants to grow tomatoes and become a pasta-sauce entrepreneur; Polly supports his dream and is willing to move to the boondocks to make it happen. Their kids — Beth, Joe, and Fran —are not as agreeable.
The siblings change their tune after they get to the ramshackle barn in the wilds that will be their new home, and Fran meets Silky (Nicola Coughlan of Bridgerton and Derry Girls), a sweet-natured fairy, during a walk through the woods. Silky, in turn, introduces Fran to her supernatural community in the tree: the managerial Moonface (Nonso Anozie), the laundress Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), the eccentric Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), and others. Soon, Fran brings Beth and Joe to the tree where they begin exploring the various mystical lands, some of which can make wishes real. They get into a series of predicaments — not the least of which is a run-in with villainous Dame Snap (Rebecca Ferguson of the Mission: Impossible movies and Silo). Meanwhile, Tim refurbishes the barn and begins his tomato crop with Polly’s help, although her mother (Jennifer Saunders), a well-to-do businesswoman, is appalled by their new lifestyle and tries to interfere. Of course, magical complications will impact the family’s progress, too.
Directed by Ben Gregor (Cuckoo, Black Ops) and written by actor-screenwriter Simon Farnaby (Ghosts, Paddington 2), The Magic Faraway Tree looks charmingly rustic in the countryside and appropriately sparkly and otherworldly during scenes in the enchanted tree and its adjacent lands. The grown-ups in the cast are almost over-qualified for the fantasy and whimsy on parade, with Michael Palin, Lenny Henry, and Simon Russell Beale among the renowned U.K. comedic actors in small roles, and the more youthful actors can be a bit much. The Magic Faraway Tree may not be a masterpiece, but it’s a warmhearted watch, and its implicit message of acceptance is a laudable one. No matter how different or odd the bulk of the tree-dwellers seem or how normal or conventional Beth, Joe, and Fran are, they find common ground and are kind to one another. Each excursion they take to a special land offers a valuable life lesson. Finally, there’s something to be said for the movie’s idea to embrace the magic of the world around you rather than getting lost in a digital domain.
The Magic Faraway Tree is currently in theaters.
