Introducing “Lights, Camera, Action!” with Dallas Jones.
Have you ever wanted to head to the movie theater but weren’t quite sure what to see? Or found yourself scrolling through streaming services looking for something worth watching? Well, Dallas Jones has you covered.
Jones is a lifelong movie fan who watches five to seven films a week. A fan of everything from science fiction and horror to comedy and action, his favorite film is “Clue,” which he estimates he’s seen more than 300 times.
When he’s not watching movies, Jones is a full-time musician and farmer. He joins KSMU as a new contributor with “Lights, Camera, Action,” offering occasional movie reviews on the air, online and in The Green Room arts newsletter.
For his first review, Jones takes a look at the long-awaited “Coyote vs. Acme” from Ketchup Entertainment.
Dallas Jones reviews “Coyote vs. Acme”
It is nearly impossible to overstate the importance of the Looney Tunes cartoon characters, not only to society in general, but to the development of myself as an individual. It is, without question, my favorite cartoon series of all time. In fact, it’s some of the most timeless art that has ever been created.
You could throw it on right now for a room full of people ages 8 to 80, and all would be right with the world for at least six to eight minutes. And even though they probably won’t admit it, I guarantee you Bugs Bunny is responsible for turning more people on to classical music than any other single entity in our society.
And while Bugs himself has rightfully always been the de facto leader of the group, I think that, short for short, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner have always been my favorite. You know, it’s crazy how so much can exist and transpire without a single word ever being spoken. It’s just music and mayhem, folks.
Yeah, it’s the same gag over and over, but it never gets old. Coyote tries to catch Road Runner. Coyote uses some sort of Acme product. The product malfunctions, and Coyote is nearly fatally thwarted. Road Runner escapes, typically unaware he was ever in danger in the first place. I never get tired of watching it.
And thus begins the premise of the movie “Coyote vs. Acme.” After years of product defects and malfunctions at the hands of Acme, Coyote finally decides to hold a massive corporation accountable for all the pain and suffering he has been subjected to at the hands of its poorly designed and dangerous products.
He sneakily enlists the help of a struggling strip mall lawyer, played perfectly by Will Forte, to sue the company and take on the finest lawyers in the land at Acme, led by the incorrigible John Cena.
Folks, I can’t even begin to tell you how hilarious, heartfelt and perfectly executed this movie is. I smiled from start to finish and, on more than one occasion, found myself tearing up at the plight of our unsung antihero, Mr. Coyote.
And after one of the most tumultuous and emotional weeks in recent memory with regard to the loss of childhood heroes, this movie was just the feel-good medicine I needed.
It is a perfect blend of live action and animation. Not since “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” has it been done so perfectly.
Also, the movie itself has had quite a tumultuous history. It was greenlit in 2018, filmed in 2022, but was then shelved by Warner Bros. After a massive backlash in Hollywood and online, the movie was sold to another distributor and is now finally seeing the light of day.
So, much like Wile E. Coyote himself, you could say this movie has been a struggle.
