FILM REVIEW: Looney Tunes The Day The Earth Blew Up (2025)

Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up - New Release Review

Director: Peter Browngardt

Starring: Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Fred Tatasciore, Carlos Alazraqui

Written by: Darrick Bachman, Peter Browngardt, Kevin Costello, Andrew Dickman, David Gemmill, ALex Kirwan, Ryan Kramer, Jason Reicher, Michael Ruocco, Johnny Ryan, Eddie Trigueros

Produced by: Peter Browngardt

Original Score by: Joshua Moshier

Synopsis:

Porky Pig and Daffy Duck are Earth's only hope when facing the threat of alien invasion

Thoughts:

Growing up in the 90’s, the 'Looney Tunes' were EVERYWHERE! Re-runs on TV, 'Space Jam' in the cinemas, odd Bugs Bunny video games on the PS1, Taz chocolate bars in the stores and giant oversized t-shirts with Tweedy Bird on them were wore by the most famous rappers in the world, unironically. They were as famous as Superman and Coca Cola; household names. Fast forward 20 years later, Warner Brothers have basically disowned the franchise, 'Space Jam 2' was a embarrassing bomb at the box office and Pepe Le Pew has been cancelled; popularity for 'Looney Tunes' is at an all-time low. Can the whole franchise be saved by a film about the 2 characters with speech impediments? Or is it “That’s all folks”?

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Going into the film, I found it odd that the focus was on Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. Usually, the duos are Daffy and Bugs, Tweedy and Sylvester or Wile E Coyote, but throughout the film I learned to love Daffy and Porky’s relationship. The film does a great job at humanising them, while also letting them be outrageous when the time calls for it. By the end, the relationship becomes genuinely emotional been Daffy and Porky, and I don’t think I’ve ever been teary eyed at a 'Looney Tunes' film before. Both characters are played by Eric Bauza, who absolutely nails the voices of these iconic characters.

The humour here is modern yet still somehow old school. This film could easily be part of the classic 'Looney Tunes' filmography, but it takes enough modern swings to keep the jokes fresh. It’s very rare to see an actual comedy in cinemas these days, so don’t miss out on this one, which will guarantee huge belly laughs for all ages. 

The director Peter Browngardt does a fantastic job with his team of writers. It feels like they didn’t want 30 seconds passing without a joke, and thanks to their great work, all of the jokes actually land. The animation is also beautifully hand drawn and has a unique style while also still being recognisable. Too many animated comedies these days fall into the same styles (cough Rick and Morty cough) but 'The Day The Earth Blew Up' exceeds expectations and delivers one of the most beautifully animated films in years. The film wears its influences on its sleeve, pulling from classic sci fi films like 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers', 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' and 'The Thing', just to name a few. The film never talks down to the audience and at 90 minutes, doesn’t outstay its welcome. 

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'The Day The Earth Blew Up' is the comeback the Looney Tunes deserved. Hilarious from beginning to end, beautifully animated and full of heart both on the screen and from the creators behind the film. Warner Brothers didn’t know they had gold on their hands with this movie, but in true Looney Tunes fashion, this movie made it through the mess and did what they do best, entertain. Run to the cinemas to see this, make some noise and hopefully we can see our favourite Daffy and Porky return for another adventure.

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

-Adam Neeson

'Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up' is in Irish /UK cinemas February 13th