There is something almost impossibly fitting about the journey of Coyote vs. Acme. A movie centered around Wile E. Coyote, a character defined by getting flattened, blown up, dropped off cliffs and somehow coming back for another try, was itself nearly erased from existence before finding a way back.

Thankfully, it did.

Coyote vs. Acme isn’t just the curiosity many expected after years of headlines surrounding its shelving. It’s a genuinely funny, surprisingly heartfelt celebration of the Looney Tunes that understands exactly why these characters have survived for generations.

Directed by Dave Green, the film takes one of the simplest running jokes in animation history and asks a question that suddenly seems completely reasonable: After decades of defective rockets, exploding bird seed, malfunctioning traps and other catastrophically unreliable products, why hasn’t Wile E. Coyote sued ACME?

That’s exactly what he does.

Wile E. teams with struggling attorney Kevin Avery, played by Will Forte, to take ACME Corporation to court over the company’s long history of products that have repeatedly exploded in his face. Standing on the other side is ACME’s powerful attorney Buddy Crane, played with exactly the kind of exaggerated confidence you’d expect from John Cena.

It’s a ridiculous premise, but the movie commits to it.

Rather than simply using the Looney Tunes characters as decoration around another live action story, Coyote vs. Acmemanages to bring their world into ours without stripping away what makes it special. Cartoon logic still applies. Explosions happen. Characters survive things no living creature possibly could. Elaborate contraptions go spectacularly wrong.

Most importantly, it actually feels like Looney Tunes.

That has been one of the biggest challenges for previous attempts to bring these characters into live action. Here, the filmmakers aren’t embarrassed by the absurdity. They embrace it.

Forte proves to be an ideal human counterpart for Wile E. Coyote. His comedic style has always worked best when playing characters who are slightly desperate, slightly defeated and somehow still convinced things might eventually work out. Pairing him with perhaps the most relentlessly unsuccessful character in animation history turns out to be a perfect match.

Cena is having even more fun. His ability to completely commit to absurd comedy has become one of his greatest strengths as an actor, and Coyote vs. Acme gives him plenty of opportunities to lean into it.

But Wile E. remains the star.

For a character who barely needs words, the movie finds an impressive amount of emotion underneath the slapstick. His endless pursuit of the Road Runner has always been funny because he refuses to quit. Here, that stubbornness becomes something unexpectedly meaningful.

The movie even manages to find a little heart inside all the falling anvils and exploding rockets.

That doesn’t mean everything lands perfectly. Some of the human material isn’t as entertaining as the animated chaos surrounding it, and there are stretches where the courtroom story slows down the manic Looney Tunes energy. Not every joke hits, either.

But the misses rarely linger because another gag is usually seconds away.

Early critical reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s easy to understand why. The Hollywood Reporter called the movie a “hilarious delight,” while praising it as one of the best combinations of live action and animation. Variety highlighted the movie’s ability to pack Road Runner style destruction, references and Looney Tunes Easter eggs into its courtroom comedy. Deadline went even further, comparing the film favorably to Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Those are lofty comparisons, and Coyote vs. Acme doesn’t quite reach the all time greatness of Roger Rabbit. But the fact that the comparison doesn’t feel completely ridiculous says plenty about how well this movie works.

John Cena, Coyote vs Acme [credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]

There’s also an unavoidable layer of irony surrounding the entire story.

Warner Bros. Discovery originally planned to shelve the completed film, turning it into one of Hollywood’s most controversial examples of finished projects being abandoned for financial reasons. After enormous backlash from filmmakers, actors and fans, the movie eventually escaped that fate and found a new home with Ketchup Entertainment.

That history makes the movie’s story about a powerless individual taking on an enormous corporation almost comically appropriate.

You couldn’t write a better marketing campaign.

More importantly, audiences now get the opportunity to decide whether the movie deserved to survive.

It did.

Coyote vs. Acme isn’t revolutionary, and it doesn’t need to be. It’s funny, charming, energetic and clearly made by people who genuinely love these characters. Instead of attempting to reinvent the Looney Tunes for modern audiences, it remembers that great characters don’t always need reinventing.

Sometimes you just need to give Wile E. Coyote another rocket, point him toward the Road Runner and get out of the way.

After everything Coyote vs. Acme went through just to reach a theater screen, perhaps there was never a more appropriate movie to prove that getting knocked down doesn’t mean you’re finished.

When The Ninth Jedi first debuted as one of the standout episodes of Star Wars: Visions, fans immediately wanted more. Thankfully, Lucasfilm and Production I.G. delivered. Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi expands that original concept into a full eight-episode adventure, and for the most part, it’s a thrilling addition to the galaxy far, far away.

Rather than relying on familiar faces or endless callbacks, The Ninth Jedi confidently tells its own story. Lah Kara continues her journey to become a Jedi while searching for her missing father, the legendary lightsaber smith Zhima. The series builds on the fascinating mythology introduced in the original short, particularly the concept of lightsabers that change color based on their wielder’s connection to the Force, giving the franchise one of its most unique Force-related ideas in years.

Visually, the series is stunning. Production I.G. delivers fluid action sequences, cinematic camera work, and expressive character animation that often rivals theatrical anime. Lightsaber duels feel fast, impactful, and beautifully choreographed, while the environments help create a galaxy that feels both familiar and refreshingly original.

The biggest strength, however, is its sense of adventure. Kara is an easy protagonist to root for, and the supporting cast develops naturally throughout the season. The series embraces classic Star Wars themes of hope, mentorship, and choosing one’s own path without becoming weighed down by decades of continuity.

Star Wars Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi

Not everything lands perfectly. A few middle episodes slow the pacing, and some supporting characters could have benefited from additional development. The story occasionally feels like it’s setting up future installments rather than fully resolving every thread by the finale.

Still, those are relatively minor complaints in what is one of the franchise’s strongest animated offerings in recent years. Critics have similarly praised the series for bringing fresh energy to Star Wars, with outlets like The A.V. Club calling it “a breath of fresh air” and early reviews earning it an 84 Metascore with universal positive reception.

Final Verdict

Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi succeeds because it remembers what made the original short so compelling while expanding its world in meaningful ways. It’s imaginative, beautifully animated, and confident enough to tell a Star Wars story that stands on its own.

If this is the future of the Visions Presents banner, it’s a direction Lucasfilm should continue exploring.

There are great movies, there are unforgettable movies, and then there are films that redefine what blockbuster filmmaking can be. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey firmly belongs in the latter category. With breathtaking visuals, career-defining performances, and an emotional core that never loses sight of Homer’s timeless story, The Odyssey isn’t simply one of the year’s best films. It stands among the finest achievements of Nolan’s extraordinary career.

Rather than treating Homer’s epic as nothing more than an excuse for massive action sequences and mythical creatures, Nolan crafts a deeply human story about perseverance, family, identity, and the emotional cost of war. Every impossible obstacle Odysseus faces feels meaningful because the journey has always been about one thing: finding his way home.

The Odyssey [credit: Universal Pictures]

Matt Damon delivers one of the most restrained performances of his career. His Odysseus isn’t portrayed as an invincible action hero, but as a weathered man carrying years of physical and emotional scars. The performance perfectly complements Nolan’s vision, showing a legendary warrior whose greatest battle is simply surviving long enough to return to the people he loves.

Anne Hathaway shines as Penelope, bringing remarkable strength and quiet resilience to every scene. Tom Holland delivers one of his strongest dramatic performances as Telemachus, whose own journey becomes just as compelling as his father’s. Robert Pattinson nearly steals every scene he’s in with an unforgettable performance that provides just enough unpredictability to keep audiences on edge.

Visually, The Odyssey is simply astonishing.

Shot entirely for IMAX, Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema create images that demand to be experienced on the biggest screen possible. From towering cliffs and endless oceans to mythical encounters that feel both terrifying and beautiful, every frame reminds viewers why practical filmmaking still matters. There is a tangible scale and realism here that computer-generated spectacle rarely achieves.

Ludwig Göransson’s score deserves equal praise. The music elevates every triumph, every loss, and every quiet moment of reflection, becoming the emotional heartbeat of the entire film.

Perhaps Nolan’s greatest accomplishment is balancing spectacle with intimacy. While audiences will undoubtedly remember the Cyclops, the Sirens, and the film’s massive action sequences, it’s the quieter moments between family members that leave the deepest impression. The relationship between Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus gives the film genuine emotional weight that continues long after the credits roll.

The Odyssey [credit: Universal Pictures]

The film’s nearly three-hour runtime never feels excessive. Every chapter serves a purpose, allowing the audience to fully experience the trials that shaped one of literature’s greatest heroes. Nolan’s signature nonlinear storytelling is present but never distracting, adding depth without sacrificing clarity.

If there’s any criticism to be made, it’s only that some supporting characters deserved more time to breathe. With a cast this talented, a few memorable performances inevitably disappear sooner than audiences might hope. Yet even this feels less like a flaw and more like the unavoidable reality of adapting one of history’s greatest epics into a single film.

Critics have been nearly unanimous in their praise. The New York Times named it a Critic’s Pick, calling it “a classic in every sense” and “a transporting affirmation of the art and a work of pure cinema.” The Associated Press similarly praised the film’s emotional depth and breathtaking spectacle, while early reactions have hailed it as one of Nolan’s most ambitious accomplishments.

Christopher Nolan has spent decades pushing the boundaries of blockbuster filmmaking with films like Memento, The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Oppenheimer. Somehow, The Odyssey feels like the culmination of everything he has learned along the way. It is visually magnificent, emotionally resonant, intellectually engaging, and endlessly cinematic.

This is exactly why people go to the movies.

Final Verdict

The Odyssey is an extraordinary achievement that honors one of history’s greatest stories while firmly establishing itself as one of the defining films of modern cinema. It is epic in scale, intimate in emotion, and unforgettable from beginning to end. Christopher Nolan has once again reminded audiences why he remains one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation.