Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up (dir. Pete Browngardt)
Certificate: PG
Running Time: 91 mins
UK Distributor: Vertigo Releasing
UK Release Date: 13 February 2026
WHO’S IN LOONEY TUNES: THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP?
Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Fred Tatasciore, Laraine Newman, Wayne Knight, Ruth Clampett, Andrew Kishino, Kimberly Brooks, Keith Ferguson, Carlos Alazraqui, Rachel Butera, Pete Browngardt, Nick Simotas
WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?
Pete Browngardt (director, writer, producer), Darrick Bachman, Kevin Costello, Andrew Dickman, David Gemmill, Alex Kirwan, Ryan Kramer, Jason Reicher, Michael Ruocco, Johnny Ryan and Eddie Trugueros (writers), Sam Register (producer), Joshua Moshier (composer), Nick Simotas (editor)
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Daffy Duck and Porky Pig (both Bauza) must save the world from an alien threat…
WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON LOONEY TUNES: THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP?
It’s hard to know what exactly the Looney Tunes did to current Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav for him to bury the studio’s most iconic cartoon characters as deep as he possibly can, but regardless they do not seem to be welcome under his regime – and nobody is happy about it. Zaslav became public enemy number one amongst animation enthusiasts as well as the filmmaking community in general for his (since-reversed) scrapping of Coyote vs. Acme for a tax write-off, while the cancellation of other planned projects such as a Bugs Bunny musical did little to convince the wider world that Zaslav has some kind of agenda against them.
Even The Day the Earth Blew Up, the first fully animated and non-compilation theatrical feature film to star Looney Tunes characters (you’d think there’d be more, but alas), was a victim of the wrath of Zaslav. Originally developed for the studio’s streaming platform HBO Max, the film was quietly shipped around to other distributors before landing at Ketchup Entertainment – which are also releasing Coyote vs. Acme later this year – which gave it the dignity of a theatrical release. And wouldn’t you know it, people actually went to see the film: not only did it just about break even with its $15 million budget (and that’s even before its UK release) but reviews were solid with most if not all critics praising the return to classic off-the-rails Looney Tunes fun.
I am very much inclined to agree with those critics, for Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up is a real delight that serves as both a passionate love letter to the anarchic spirit of the original cartoons, and as a genuinely funny and wacky – dare I say it, looney – animated caper that everyone can enjoy.
The stars are none other than Porky Pig and Daffy Duck (both voiced by Eric Bauza), who in this film’s continuity were raised together on the same farm by the kindly and hilariously animated Farmer Jim (Fred Tatasciore), but in the present are facing eviction from their home when they fail a routine inspection due to a massive hole in their roof. To raise the money needed to fix the roof within ten days, Porky and Daffy try to find jobs that can’t be sabotaged by their (and by “their”, I mean mostly Daffy’s) wacky nature, but eventually they settle at a local bubble-gum factory working alongside scientist Petunia Pig (Candi Milo). Soon, though, the three are drawn into a diabolical plot from outer space, as an alien invader (Peter MacNicol) sabotages the factory’s gum supply with mysterious goo that transforms anyone who chews on it into a mindless zombie, leaving Porky, Daffy and Petunia to desperately find a solution before the whole world succumbs to the alien’s wrath.
There’s little point going into whether or not the plot makes any sense because, well, it’s a Looney Tunes movie. It is a cartoon by nature, wherein anything is possible and never even needs to make sense, so long as there’s enough fun to be had with the characters and their environments to where it hardly matters about the plot. Director and co-writer Pete Browngardt clearly recognises this about the classic Looney Tunes cartoons, and as a result The Day the Earth Blew Up maintains their anything-goes nature while serving as a worthwhile tribute to their timeless and universal appeal. The hand-drawn animation style is certainly sticking close to the original designs of certain characters and backgrounds, while the rate of gags is so quick and endless, piling on top of one another as though the world will explode if there’s not a trace of slapstick, that it’s very easy to lose oneself in fits of giggles just from the pure silliness of it all.
It’s a very funny movie, with more gags that work than those which don’t, and like many of the most cherished Looney Tunes cartoons so much of the humour arises from the comically contrasting personalities of these characters. Porky Pig’s reserved and timid approach has always made him a suitable foil for Daffy Duck’s free-wheeling and just plain crazy attitude, but in The Day the Earth Blew Up they work well as a comedic duo who can be funny either together or individually, all while remaining endearing in their own unique ways. From an emotional perspective, you can also identify with their fraternal connection to a point where, even in scenes where they’re clearly at odds with one another, you can tell that they do still clearly care for one another, which gives a lot of their shared gags a neat extra layer of heart since you’re always aware of their rather sweet bond.
Elsewhere, the film isn’t afraid to sometimes get surprisingly intense, particularly in a few scenes that may be a bit frightening for very young children, particularly when the zombies and other alien creatures come into the mix. However, the animation is quite excellent in how it all flows so smoothly and with such elastic rubberiness in that classic cartoon manner that you’re still at the very least impressed by how it all looks. Plus, you’re laughing right along with Porky and Daffy as their infectiously silly nature lands them into scrape after scrape, which again offsets some of that intensity.
In the best way, this feels like an animated film you would have gotten in the 80s or 90s, where the intent wasn’t as much about delivering an impactful message but rather just about giving the viewer a fun time, and Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up is very much a fun and delightful homecoming for cartoon icons that, in a sense, never truly went away.
SO, TO SUM UP…
Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up gives long-time fans and general audiences plenty of funny and visually appealing gags to keep them thoroughly entertained, in a suitably wacky love letter to the classic cartoons and characters that many of us grew up with.
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