Coyote vs. Acme

Director: Dave Green
Starring: Will Forte, Lana Condor, John Cena, Tone Bell, Martha Kelly, Luis Guzmán, P.J. Byrne, John Early, Nancy Linehan Charles, Kenneth Choi, Ernie Vigil
Running Time: 103 min.
Rating: PG

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)   

Sometimes an idea is so clever you wish you were in the room when they pitched it. Coyote vs. Acme has such a premise, putting a fresh spin on a property many have appreciated for decades, but with a surprisingly subversive and timely twist. And whether it's adults who grew up watching Looney Tunes on Saturday mornings or kids first getting introduced to this wacky universe, the impact is the same, as director Dave Green delivers a moving and universally relatable underdog tale. But more importantly, it shines a new light on animation's most famous feud, resulting in a zany adventure, conspiracy thriller and uproarious courtroom drama all rolled into one. And now after after actually seeing it, Warner Bros.' decision to kill and bury their own film (before Ketchup Entertainment swooped in for the save) somehow seems even worse in retrospect. 

By unintentionally creating a groundswell of support for a movie they sold off, Warner Bros. shot themselves in the foot, a cruel irony considering how its plot revolves around a greedy corporation obsessed with the bottom line. But as crazy as it sounds, the project's been kicking around since Ian Frazier 1990 New Yorker article first introduced the concept of Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation for damages. Since the 1940's, Wile E. and Road Runner's feud has been defined by a single reoccurring gag as the former constantly causes himself bodily harm in his many failed attempts to catch his nemesis. Now screenwriter Samy Burch brilliantly adapts Frazier's premise to paint on a larger canvas, pushing past an already successful formula and ensuring those classic cartoons will play even better than they did before.  

It's 1992 when Acme Corporation scientist Dr. Lorre makes a shocking discovery about a company cover-up, leaking the covert information to an unknown source before being captured and disappeared by agents. Flash forward thirty years to Albuquerque, New Mexico and Wile E. Coyote is still trying to catch and eat the Road Runner when he sees a TV ad for Avery, Jones and Maltese, a personal injury law firm who specialize in cartoon injuries from Acme products. After meeting with senior partner Kevin Avery (Will Forte) Wile E. informs him he wants to sue the company for all the defective devices that foiled his attempts at capturing Road Runner over the years. Unfortunately, Kevin's penchant for settling every case that comes across his desk makes that proposal a tough sell. 

While Kevin's niece and intern Paige (Lana Condor) tries convincing her uncle to overcome his fear of failure and go to trial, a paperwork snafu forces Kevin into a showdown with Acme's feared chief legal counsel and former Harvard Law School classmate Buddy Crane (John Cena). Though Buddy assumes his old pal will fold as usual, Wile E. has other plans, tricking Kevin into taking a case more important than any of them suspected. And after Kevin starts receiving tips from a mysterious whistleblower about Acme's crimes, both sides begin to realize Road Runner could be the most important witness of all. But only if they can somehow get him to testify. 

Right away we're presented with the notion that Wile E. lives this lonely, miserable existence, a fact rarely touched upon or explored at length in the cartoons. And while "predator" is listed as his primary occupation, he certainly isn't an accomplished one, yet after experiencing Acme's latest product failure and seeing that commercial, he assumes his prayers have been answered. The only problem is an apathetic lawyer who's a lot less motivated than him, making for a mismatched, contentious pairing. 

Despite his faults, no one ever accused the obsessively persistent Wile E. of being a quitter, which can't be said for the disheveled Kevin, who's just going through the motions, settling his cases much like he's settled at life. Though the idealistic Paige is understandably perturbed by her uncle's attitude, she hopes the suit will reignite a fire inside him and she'll gain some legal experience beyond pushing papers. But as Kevin's dragged kicking and screaming into this by the duplicitous Wile E., a David vs. Goliath dynamic develops when monopolistic behemoth Acme looks to crush him in court.

Forte's played goofy characters before, but putting aside his impressive feat of acting alongside an animated co-star in every scene, the role also works as a witty nod to Jimmy Stewart's title turn in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. In other words, Kevin's in way over his head, but insulted enough by this injustice to put up a fight, recognizing the suit has consequences that extend farther than a single plaintiff, even one as desperate as Wile E. 

As Kevin and Paige gradually uncover a giant conspiracy that could destroy Acme if exposed, Wile E. has his own plans for how things should go at trial. But he also doesn't speak, leading to some really funny, chaotic scenes of him trying to get his point across in a myriad of attention grabbing ways, with Forte displaying impressive physical comedy chops as his slapstick foil. And as the cool, confident Buddy Crane, Cena perfectly projects his character's arrogant aura with an imposing presence that nearly intimidates Kevin into quitting, especially when he sees how skillfully Buddy pours a glass of water. 

The trailers have been coy about it, but nearly every Looney Tunes character imaginable appears, including Tweety, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tasmanian Devil, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, and the very memorable Bugs Bunny as a Deep Throat-inspired informant. But all of them meaningfully service the plot, especially a scene stealing Foghorn Leghorn as Acme's blowhard of a CEO.  

It couldn't have been easy to come up with an explanation for why Acme's products have been failing for decades, but the filmmakers go a step further, taking the company's greed and negligence to a level that carries harsh echoes of current corporate malfeasance. But the most shocking part of the trial isn't what Acme's done, but how proud and willing they are to admit this in front of a self serving public who wildly applaud it. As long as they reap the benefits and someone else gets hurt then everything's fine, especially if a charismatic storyteller is there to tell them it's for the greater good. 

The realization that no one gives a second thought about Wile E. makes the film's closing minutes hit that much harder. Should he testify, Road Runner is the only potential witness who knows what his predator's been through, making it understandable both legal teams would want him on the stand, albeit for completely different reasons. But what unfolds is a moment between the pair that audiences have waited over a half a century for, though few guessed it would happen in such a setting. When Wile E. discovers his arch nemesis has a far different perception of their relationship than he does, an unexpected legal outcome leads to the ending these two iconic characters deserve, reminding us how neither could exist without the other.

Beyond the chases, face flattening falls and crashes, this is the most development Wile E. and his adversary have ever gotten, using the cartoons as a launching pad into uncharted territory. It also repositions Looney Tunes' most deviously scheming villain as a victim of possible sabotage. And while that isn't something typically associated with the character, he still has his usual motives, providing the story valid enough reason to bring him and other major players into the "real world." 

As the best live action/animation blend since Who Framed Roger Rabbit, this feels like the sequel we didn't get, putting a unique spin on many of the elements that made the 1988 classic such a groundbreaking achievement. Great ideas are a dime a dozen but successfully executing on them is rarer, as this sends these beloved characters on an entertaining adventure its opening title card humorously claims to be "based on a true story." And considering how the film's tumultuous road to the big screen so closely parallels its own themes, that notion may not be such a stretch after all.            

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Director: Eric Appel
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Evan Rachel Wood, Rainn Wilson, Toby Huss, Julianne Nicholson, Spencer Treat Clark, Jack Lancaster, Tommy O' Brien, Thomas Lennon, Arturo Castro, Quinta Brunson, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Will Forte, Jack Black, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Scott Auckerman 
Running Time: 108 min.
Rating: TV-14 

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Maybe not surprisingly, Roku Channel's parody biopic Weird proves to be the ideal representation of iconic satirist Al Yankovic's career. You almost couldn't envision any other approach, as the Funny or Die fake trailer that provided the inspiration for this project is expanded into a full blown spoof befitting an artist who specializes in them. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story may have covered similar territory, but this never feels like a retread since Al's long been the trailblazer for this brand of performance comedy. Co-writer and first-time director Eric Appel gets that, turning what could have been a one-joke sketch into a full-length feature that's just as subversive as the parodies Yankovic's been successfully churning out for decades. 

This movie is Weird Al through and through, with certain portions of truth lifted from his life, but twisted and exaggerated to the extreme. It also happens to be very funny in a gut busting kind of way, boasting an impressive number of jokes and gags that really hit their mark. Even his most casual fans will still appreciate the script's smaller details and its unironic commitment in presenting him as the biggest superstar on the planet.

While being popular enough to have major artists clamoring to be spoofed by him, the film takes the same digs at fame and celebrity as his songs, filled to the brim with cameos and off-the-wall gags. Al's fingerprints are all over this meta parody, placing special emphasis on how complaints about originality have followed him throughout his career. Of course, they haven't, but that only makes this funnier, as does the depiction of one of the friendliest, most straight-laced performers as an out of control trainwreck. 

As a child, Alfred Yankovic (Richard Aaron Anderson) is strongly discouraged by his disciplinarian father Nick (Toby Huss) from pursuing his musical interests and playing the accordian. But when Al's mom Mary (Julianne Nicholson) purchases him one and he's caught sneaking out to a polka party as a teen, his dad snaps, smashing "the devil's squeeze box" into pieces, along with Al's dreams. But when rooming with friends Steve (Spencer Treat Clark), Jim (Jack Lancaster) and Bermuda (Tommy O' Brien), inspiration strikes in the form of a bologna sandwich, as Al (Daniel Radcliffe) suddenly alters the lyrics of The Knack's "My Sharona."   

After an unexpectedly confrontational meeting with music executives Tony (Al Yankovic) and Ben (Will Forte) Scotti lead to Al securing a record deal, he enlists the services of his childhood idol, Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson) as his manager. Enjoying a career explosion in the 1980's, Al becomes romantically involved with vapid opportunist Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood), who would do anything to get the career bump of Al parodying one of her hits, leading him down a dangerous path of alcohol abuse. Desperate to be taken seriously as an original artist, Weird Al must overcome his inner demons to regain control of his life so he can continue making music that entertains fans across the globe.

A scene where young Al sits at the dinner table with his parents sets the tone for what the film will continuously deliver for the remainder of its running time, as the boy's hysterically told to abandon everything that makes him who he is. With Al's dad taking out all his pent up frustration and disappointment on a hapless accordian salesman, he envisions a more respectable future for his boy working at the "factory." Al's form of rebellion is escaping to illicit polka parties, which sends his father even further off the deep end, unintentionally pushing the singer on his path to superstardom.

With an early, uproarious section that invokes musical biopics like The Doors, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Rocketman (though it may remind some more of Howard Stern's Private Parts) the movie really starts having fun when Al's career takes off and we're privy to the "inspiration" behind some of his highest charting hits. Even when only a tiny fraction of what's shown is true, the screenplay's clever in how it incorporates all these Easter eggs and real details from his actual career into a biopic that couldn't be more fantastical. Much of this comes from the origins of "Eat It," "Like a Surgeon," and "Amish Paradise," which are presented as stories in and of itself rather than just parodies.  

In his quest for musical respectability, Al's many brushes with celebrities include a pool party featuring a who's who of comedic actors playing the likes of Andy Warhol, Pee Wee Herman, Wolfman Jack, Divine, Alice Cooper and Tiny Tim. And that's not even including the other appearances sprinkled throughout, like Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey, Arturo Castro as Pablo Escobar and even Weird Al himself in a bigger, more consequential role than you'd expect, playing it straight as record executive Tony Scotti. 

Rainn Wilson leaves an impression as the quirky Dr. Demento while Evan Rachel Wood is a flawless 80's era Madonna, nailing all the pops star's mannerism and expressions as she seduces Al down a dark, destructive path. But it's Radcliffe's film, delivering a delightfully wacky performance that teeters between wide-eyed innocence and unhinged comedic madness, putting an ingenious spin on the title character that justifies seemingly odd casting. The anchor around which all the chaos revolves, it's easily his craziest role since Swiss Army Man, and having Yankovic's voice dubbed over the performance and concert scenes is only fitting given the genre this is sending up.

The action-packed last act should seem like a wild departure, but given Yankovic's sensibilities, it instead feels completely on brand. A prankster until the end, he very literally goes out in a blaze of glory, while still finding time in the film's original song to remind the Academy to nominate him for original song Oscar. But at the very least he can claim to be the only musician to receive a biopic that's intentionally embarrassing, hilarious and inaccurate. Likely bound for cult status, Weird captures a one-of-a-kind entertainer the best and only way it can.        

MacGruber

Director: Jorma Taccone
Starring: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Val Kilmer, Maya Rudolph
Running Time: 90 min.
Rating: Unrated

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Ever watch a comedy you just know is stupid (and I mean insanely stupid) but find yourself laughing uncontrollably through every minute of it anyway, possibly against your better judgment? Such is the case of my viewing of MacGruber, which could barely hold its own as a comedic premise for 90 seconds as a Saturday Night Live skit, yet somehow, someway works better as a 90-minute feature film. It's unlikely the audience who will get the most laughs out of this have even heard of the '80's action television drama MacGyver and that hardly makes a difference because this isn't really a spoof of that (Richard Dean Anderson surprisingly doesn't even appear). The skits on SNL are and it would be hard to sustain a full length feature comedy spoofing a retro cult show built around one joke. Luckily, this has many jokes, most of which are vulgar disgusting gross-outs that almost always hit their mark. Many will hate this with a passion and find it humorless, which is understandable because what anyone finds funny is so specific to that viewer. Basically, if you liked Hot Rod you'll like this, and if you didn't, then you'll hate it. That makes perfect sense since the same uncredited writer on that film (SNL writer Jorma Taccone) directed this one and it features the same dry but perverse sense of humor. If nothing else, everyone can maybe at least agree on one thing: Val Kilmer is the man.

If not for the hilarious opening credit theme song it would be difficult to tell within first few minutes that this is a comedy because the unusually detailed (at least for type of a film) plot is presented so straight it could easily be mistaken for an actual episode of MacGyver.  Believed to be dead but really retired special ops agent MacGruber (Will Forte) is called back into action by his boss, Col. James Faith (Powers Boothe) when it's discovered his arch-nemesis Dieter Von Cunth (Kilmer) has recently gained possession of a nuclear warhead. The two have a bitter history revolving around MacGruber's deceased girlfriend Casey (Maya Rudolph), depicted in some pretty memorable flashback sequences. To thwart Cunth's plan and stop him from obtaining the pass codes needed to launch the rocket, he assembles a crack team of WWE wrestlers who he accidentally kills with his own supply of C-4 explosives. This ends up being a blessing in disguise since it spares us from seeing these guys attempt to act past a single scene or two and sets up a couple of good jokes later about the ridiculous circumstances surrounding their deaths.  In their place he recruits longtime friend Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig) and more reluctantly stoic newbie Lt. Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe), and leads them into battle against Cunth with a variety of silly strategies that make sense to only him.

The laughs don't fully pick up steam until St. Elmo and Piper are officially added to the team, at which point the script goes on a hot streak of clever jokes and sight gags that don't subside for over an hour straight. Most center around MacGruber's delusional strategy for successfully executing the mission, which includes proudly letting Cunth know he's actually alive, sending St. Elmo into a death trap disguised as himself and using Dixon as a human shield. Just about the only commonality the plot shares with its TV influence is MacGruber's penchant for executing escape plans with common household items since he doesn't carry a gun, though I doubt MacGyver would have ever come up with a use for a celery stick that's as creative or disgusting, not that he'd want to. Phillipe somehow finds a way to keep a straight face through this entire thing while Wiig, the only actress not named Tina Fey or Anna Faris who's legitimately funny, plays St. Elmo with the perfect mix of gullibility and cluelessness.

But with his dry, droll line delivery and deadpan reactions to MacGruber's schemes, it's Val Kilmer who owns the movie, which shouldn't surprise anyone, but will anyway, since no actor has done more and gotten less credit than he has throughout his legendary career. Whether he's American rock idol Nick Rivers in the cult comedy Top Secret!, punching out Tom Cruise on the set of Top Gun (if it's okay with him I'd like to retroactively insert the phrase, "And THAT'S for Katie" after he lands the blow), playing Madmartigan in the '80's fantasy classic Willow, embodying Jim Morrison in The Doors, Doc Holiday in Tombstone, surviving Batman Forever, more than holding his own with Pacino and DeNiro in Heat, trying to outcrazy Marlon Brando in The Island of Dr. Moreau, taking on the role of Simon Templar in The Saint, believably playing a blind man in At First Sight, a tattooed meth addict in The Salton Sea, porn star and alleged murderer John Holmes in Wonderland, protecting the President's daughter in Spartan or playing a gay private investigator opposite Robert Downey, Jr. in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Kilmer has never phoned anything in and even this silly role is no exception. Just his presence as the heavy (in more ways than one) is hilarious enough, but as usual he doesn't stop there. Many actors probably would have just cluelessly hammed it up, but not the brilliant Kilmer, who approaches this dead seriously as if he were really a dangerous mercenary in a hardcore action thriller. Because of him, everything Forte does as MacGruber (and he has this goofy character down pat) becomes that much funnier.  This wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining with anyone else as the villain, as the hilarious climactic showdown proves. Here's hoping he soon gets a part (not this) that launches a Mickey Rourke-like comeback because no one's more overdue for respect. He'll be unfairly mocked and criticized for taking this but no one can say he didn't go all out like he always does.

Having seen the unrated cut, not the R rated theatrical one, I couldn't tell you exactly how much further this version goes but it really paid off for them to go as far as possible because nothing would have hurt the film more than holding back on the vulgar humor. Also, bonus points for the very appropriate '80's soft rock soundtrack featuring Toto and Mr. Mister, as well as the year's best graveyard ghost sex scene. Maybe it's faint praise to call this one of the stronger SNL big screen adaptations when it's competition includes Superstar, Stuart Saves His Family, A Night at the Roxbury, The Ladies' Man and It's Pat (which I still say had POTENTIAL as a movie idea), so we'll just call it Lorne Michaels' best effort since Wayne's World, even if it's dumb but clever humor more closely resembles Airplane! MacGruber is the rare TV-to-film spoof that wears out its welcome in smaller doses but benefits from a larger platform for its stupidity to run wild.