Daffy Duck’s and Porky Pig’s quest to save their beloved home has them reluctantly landing a job at the Local Bubble gum factory. Their first day on the job, they find themselves entangled in an intergalactic plot for world domination via bubble gum.
A looney, loving send-up of classic sci-fi films like The Blob, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Thing (Armageddon and Night of the Living Dead even make it in there, oddly enough). The animation is 2D/hand-drawn (with the exception of the spaceship), but tends to have a digital look to it. That said, there are plenty of inspired moments of animation that impress and delight.
The score is gorgeous, featuring plenty of riffs on “The Merry Go Round Broke Down” (aka the classic Looney Tunes theme song). It sounds similar to the types of music we’d get in a classic Looney Tunes short. The voice-acting is perfection. Our leads and even the background characters nail the classic Looney Tunes spirit.
Eric Bauza plays both Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. You won’t be able to tell it’s the same voice actor doing both characters, and Bauza excels at each. Peter MacNicol (aka Dr. Janosz Poha/Vigo’s henchman in Ghostbusters 2) voices The Invader and is highly entertaining and perfect as well. Apparently even Wayne Knight lent his voice, though I can’t seem to find exactly who he played. There are plenty of classic Looney Tunes gags that make it into the film as well (much to my delight).
Full disclosure: I am an unabashed Looney Tunes fan for life. I grew up with those nutty characters, and I’ve waited my whole life to see a proper adaptation on the big screen. However, every attempt seemed destined for failure from Space Jam, to Looney Tunes: Back in Action, all the way to *gulp* Space Jam 2: A New Legacy (Nooooooo!!!!). It felt like we were never going to get a true faithful adaptation of those Looney Toons on the big screen. Well, now we do. There are no live-action actors, it’s almost all hand-drawn 2D animation, and they chose two of the regular supporting cast to star: Daffy Duck and Porky Pig (and I know for a fact that Daffy has always yearned to headline a movie. This is literally his dream).
If you are looking for other classic Looney Tunes characters, you’ve come to the wrong place. They don’t even make cameos or background appearances. The only other Looney Tunes character that’s featured is Petunia Pig. Luckily, all that’s small potatoes when the entire film does such a perfect job of capturing the tone, style, spirit, and insanity of our beloved childhood friends.
So yes, I am INCREDIBLY biased, and I’m sure most likely won’t be as over-the-moon about this film as I am, but I’m not going to apologize for my enthusiasm. This flick is a low-key miracle. If you are a fan of the Looney Tunes, a film nerd (especially so if you’re a sci-fi film nerd), or a lover of classic 2D hand-drawn animation, then The Day the Earth Blew Up is a gift meant for you. Buy a ticket, and enjoy the chaos.
5 STARS
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