The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie captures the manic energy of the original Looney Tunes for a modern audience.
Director: Peter Browngardt
Genre: Animated, Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
Run Time: 91′
Rating: PG
U.S. & Canada Release Date: March 14, 2025
U.K. & Ireland Release Date: TBA
Where to Watch: In theaters in the US, Canada, and select countries worldwide
The Looney Tunes are among the most iconic characters in American cinema. With their masterful use of comedy, unique cast, and perfect wit and timing, they have never gone out of style. After thousands of shorts and nearly a century in film, The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is the first Looney Tunes feature film to be fully animated and not a compilation of shorts. The popularity of the Looney Tunes has waned a little over the last decade or so since Cartoon Network pulled the shorts from reruns, but this movie shows how timeless and enjoyable they can still be. The creators of the film are true fans, and it shows in every scene.
Pork Pig (Eric Bauza) and Daffy Duck (also Bauza) are roommates in The Day The Earth Blew Up. When their roof is melted by alien slime, they are given ten days to replace it or their home will be condemned. After taking a job at a gum factory, Porky takes a liking to the factory’s flavor scientist Petunia Pig (Candi Milo) as she searches for the perfect new flavor. All the while, an alien invasion occurs from the goo being mixed into a chewing gum formula, turning everyone into zombies. It is now up to the ultimate losers Porky and Daffy to save the day.
Director Peter Browngardt understood the assignment when adapting the Looney Tunes for a modern audience. He draws heavy influence from the earliest Looney Tunes in particular, as in the shorts directed by Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. These shorts are more outlandish with exaggerated scenarios, focused more on visual gags than dialogue. The Day The Earth Blew Up sticks true to that, with great visual timing and a combination of slapstick and dialogue based humor.
With a shorter runtime, every second counts, so each joke needs to land at just the right time. Daffy Duck is the wackiest character in the film, with his manic energy and tendency to mess things up coming from Bob Clampett’s version of the character. Some fans who are more used to the snarky and stubborn Daffy created by Chuck Jones may be disappointed, but this modern Daffy does a good job at balancing the wacky Daffy with a more silly but loyal version.
Many modern cartoon adaptations, including the Looney Tunes-centric Space Jam movies, have a human subplot that slows the pacing and drags the movie down with it. Such is not the case here. Porky and Daffy are the protagonists and remain the central characters for the whole runtime. These two are one of the most iconic and longest lasting comic duos in the Looney Tunes, ranging from shorts like “Porky Pig’s Feat” to “Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century”, so their partnership can endure and carry the film. The two have different outlooks on life and contrasting personalities, but they do look out for each other and their friendship feels genuine. The heart of the film is in their bond, and this is what makes it worthwhile.
Not all of the jokes land, though. Some of the more “modern” humor can feel grating at times. One scene where they try to become influencers is short, but induces more groans than laughs. While the Looney Tunes have always made cultural references for their own time, those jokes still held up because they were funny even out of context. These jokes do not feel the same.
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is what Looney Tunes fans have been waiting their whole lives for. The comedy and characters prove Looney Tunes has enough material to carry a feature length adventure with all their trademarks intact. There is life in these characters yet, and this movie is the best way to keep them going in the modern day.
Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up – Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
Porky Pig and Daffy Duck have to work together to stop an alien invasion despite their tendencies to mess everything up.
Pros:
- Recaptures the spirit of the original cartoons
- Builds character and tells a compelling story
- Keeps the focus on the Looney Tunes
Cons:
- Some of the more “modern jokes” do not land
- If you are used to a certain version of these characters, you may not appreciate the changes
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is now available to watch in theaters in the US and Canada and in several countries worldwide. The UK & Ireland release date is TBA.
