The Day the Earth Blew Up – A Looney Tunes Movie

2 reviews for The Day the Earth Blew Up – A Looney Tunes Movie

1. 

   AnimatedMadness – April 2, 2025

   “And me? Well, I’m just plain Looney.”
   If you are a Looney Tunes fan, chances are, even with you reading this, you may have already seen this genuinely funny modern masterclass of 2D animation.
   Eric Bauza shines as both Porky and Daffy. Between Porky’s classic stutter, and Daffy’s hysterical woo-hoo’s, Eric’s performance is flawless. Candi Milo does a great job as Petunia, nailing the positive nerdy side of her character. Peter MacNichol fits very well in this looney world with his role as The Invader. I’d be remiss to not mention Fred Tatasciore as Farmer Jim, stealing every scene he’s in.
   The story is a fairly simple one, but as complex as life is these days, we need movies like this. Daffy and Porky need to fix a hole in their roof, mayhem ensues with them trying to find a job. They uncover an alien invasion plot. You get the idea.
   The humor in this is top-notch. Lots of jokes for the kids, and some for the adults too. I dare not spoil any of it here.
   Did yall know Porky Pig is 90 years old right now? I’m sure when this movie began production, they knew it was because it’d be a great birthday present for the pig. It really shows, as you can see the love and care poured into every frame from start to finish. Bob Clampett, Robert McKimson, Tex Avery and all the old animators of Termite Terrace are looking down on the folks that made this and smiling from ear to ear. The animators really did their work to make this look like the like good ol’ fashioned Looney Tunes shorts of the 40’s and 50’s.
   As you’re reading this, if this is still in theatres, by all means, GO SEE IT IN THEATRES! After that, THEN order this bluray! This absolutely deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible!

2. 

   Jonathon Turner – April 2, 2025

   “Do you have any idea how hard it is for male ducks to lay eggs?”
   Despite their superstar status in the cartoon world, the Looney Tunes have had a difficult time crossing over into theatrical features. Not counting their cameos in WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT or even the compilation movies from the 80s, the closest Bugs and company came to the big screen were the SPACE JAM movies and BACK IN ACTION. None of those three movies were particularly successful (although the first SPACE JAM was a smash), but in all fairness, they were WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT wannabes. Considering all that, it’s a surprise that THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP, an original movie starring Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, of all things, exists at all. But it does, believe it or not. Originally planned as a direct-to-streaming release on HBO Max, this one went to theaters instead (following an uphill battle of whether it would happen or not). While the idea of a Daffy and Porky feature sounds baffling (and it certainly could very well be), the resulting 91-minute film is outrageous, wildly manic, laugh out loud fun. As mentioned, there was a lot of potential for this picture to just be another soulless cash grab, but director Peter Browngardt and his team are fans of the Looney Tunes, and this picture was a labor of love for everyone involved. It’s almost criminal that this film received a limited theatrical release from Ketchup Entertainment without a major marketing push, because it’s arguably the best Looney Tunes movie I’ve seen in a long time.
   The picture casts Daffy and Porky (both voiced by Eric Bauza) as a sort of “odd couple” duo who constantly drive each other, well, daffy. During the creative opening credits we see the two “adopted” and named by Farmer Jim (and learn how Porky got his trademark stutter), grow into their current “selves”, and become owners of the farmhouse they live in. The film’s action really starts when a meteor shoots down from outer space and crash-lands, but not before making a hole in Porky and Daffy’s roof. This causes the duo’s home to be threatened for demolition if the damage is not repaired within ten days time. After trying (and failing) to land any kind of successful job, Daffy and Porky eventually get hired to work at a bubble gum factory, thanks to a chance meeting with nerdy Petunia Pig (voiced by Candy Milo). (Predictably, she becomes Porky’s sweetheart and stutters whenever she gets nervous.) But soon Daffy discovers that there is a strange conspiracy going on. You see, the meteor from the beginning is actually a UFO from an alien spaceship who brainwashes a scientist (Fred Tatasciore) and causes the latter to pour some sort of mind control goo into the ingredients for the gum. Despite Daffy’s attempts to foil the scheme, the end result is the entire population zombified from eating the corrupted gum, and now the duck, Porky, and Petunia have to find a way to save their town. Of course, there’s an alien invader (voiced by Peter MacNicol) to deal with, too.
   The plot, as you would expect from a Looney Tunes cartoon, is decidedly silly, but that’s par for the course with this kind of film. What makes THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP work so well is the relationship between Daffy and Porky. While audiences are accustomed to Daffy being a more sarcastic, greedy, self-absorbed egomaniac, here he’s portrayed as his earlier loony self with almost none of his negative qualities. In fact, Daffy comes across as a well-meaning and caring foster brother to Porky, but his disaster-prone, nutty tendencies only make things worse (he comes to acknowledge this later on). Porky, of course, is his usual stuttering self, but surprisingly, he gets to have some antagonistic qualities, too. He’s constantly frustrated with Daffy’s clumsiness and consistently mistrusts him throughout the film. (No wonder: Daffy, for all his good intentions, DOES come across as annoying sometimes.) At one point, Porky deceives Daffy into staying put on account of concern for his craziness causing problems, but that only causes more harm. The film’s resolution concerning the two is surprisingly touching and heartfelt, although of course, a good majority of their banter and interactions are played for laughs. (Even a very emotionally touching scene where they admit each other’s faults is amplified to comedy territory when they literally stream currents of water out of their eyes as they weep.) That they somehow manage to earn our sympathy throughout the movie and hold our interest is one of the film’s greatest strengths.
   But it’s the direction and especially the animation that are of interest. Done in classic hand drawn style (with a little bit of digital coloring), the colorful, richly detailed backgrounds are simply a joy to watch, especially on the big screen, and of course, the characters are full of life and soul. The film is also packed with oodles of humor, including references to sci-fi classics such as INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, THE THING, and THE WAR OF THE WORLDS for good measure. (Considering this is essentially is a spoof of those movies, it’s only fitting.) At one point, the animation style shifts to Art Deco style drawings while Porky and Daffy do a sort of “push the button and pull the crank” kind of job, set to a jazzy Powerhouse tune. The jokes come fast and furious throughout, but perhaps the funniest is at one point where we see the shadow of a live action person literally interrupt the movie and walks off saying, “Who greenlit THIS garbage?” This kind of breaking-the-fourth-wall comedy has been done before, but here it’s done as a loving tribute, and not for the sake of pandering or cheap laughs. The film zips at a fast pace, including a thrilling edge of your seat finale which is as hilarious as it is clever. (There’s also a surprise plot twist which I won’t spoil.)
   If there are any criticisms to be had about THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP, it might be the decisions to include pop songs on the soundtrack at various points (including a classic Brian Adams song from ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES). Although meant to be funny, I did find them to be very distracting and unnecessary. The actual music score by Joshua Moshier is well suited to the picture, to the point where it is jarring to have it interrupted by said songs.
   Unlike most animated features of today, this one doesn’t feature any major big name stars, and instead provides traditional voiceovers. The closest this film gets to big names are MacNicol (SOPHIE’S CHOICE, DRAGONSLAYER), Wayne Knight, and Laraine Newman. Otherwise, the bulk of the voicing goes to Bauza and Milo, both who bring their respective characters to life with heart and energy. The one drawback for some viewers might be Bauza’s voicing for Porky and Daffy. In all fairness, it is difficult to successfully replace Mel Blanc, for he was one of a kind when it come to providing distinctive voices for characters. But anyone used to his characterizations might cause Bauza’s interpretations to be somewhat jarring. However, even this minor annoyance disappears because as mentioned, he still does a fantastic job as these iconic characters.
   The Looney Tunes have faced tough times lately, with a lot of recent projects getting cancelled left and right, and/or shelved. Most of this was on account of restructuring at Warner Bros., where a lot of cost cutting measurements were made. (I’m not going to go into them because that’s not the point of this review.) It’s almost a miracle that THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP didn’t meet the same fate. Made with an obvious passion from artists who wanted to make this movie, there’s no reason that this picture shouldn’t find an audience, much less become a favorite for animation fans. In a glut of overreaching, broad computer animated comedies, it’s refreshing to see a movie such as this exist. Enthusiasts of hand drawn animation and Looney Tunes are highly encouraged to check it out.