Shadows on the Wall | The Day the Earth Blew Up

The Day the Earth Blew Up

dir Peter Browngardt; prd Bonnie Arnold
scr Kevin Costello, Alex Kirwan, Peter Browngardt, Darrick Bachman, Andrew Dickman, Eddie Trigueros, David Gemmill, Ryan Kramer, Johnny Ryan, Jason Reicher, Michael Ruocco
voices Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Fred Tatasciore, Laraine Newman, Wayne Knight, Carlos Alazraqui, Kimberly Brooks, Peter Browngardt, Rachel Butera, Ruth Clampett, Keith Ferguson
release US 28.Feb.25
24/US Warners 1h31

ANNECY FILM FEST

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While this Looney Tunes feature overflows with loopy mayhem, it also feels very random. Humour is silly and broad, lacking the sharply focussed character-based gags that made the shorts such classics. This may have something to do with having 11 credited screenwriters with no clear central vision. Even so, the colourful, kinetic animation impressively mixes styles and has several eye-catching moments. If only it didn't feel so pointless.

Raised as siblings, Porky Pig and Daffy Dick (both voiced by Bauza) are irresponsible goofballs who need cash to repair their farm. Working in a chewing gum factory, Porky is smitten by Petunia (Milo), while Daffy becomes suspicious of a scientist (Tatasciore) who, indeed, has been infected by green goo from an alien spacecraft. He's adding this mind-control goo to a new flavour of gum that's about to launch worldwide, all orchestrated by a maniacal alien overlord (MacNicol) as part of a nefarious plan. If Porky and Daffy are Earth's only hope, everyone's in trouble.

All of this is thoroughly childish. The premise and the generally chaotic tone are amusing, but many of the gags strangely strain to be unnecessarily rude, as if teen boys wrote this. Despite so many hands on deck, the script feels oddly unfinished, with strangely dangling plot threads, characters who are frustratingly difficult to engage with, and jokes that feel undercooked. But even with the messy, overwrought slapstick, there are some enjoyably bonkers sequences, such as a gum monster on the attack.

Against painterly backgrounds, the classic characters have a nice hand-drawn feel to them. With too much fidgety energy for their own good, Porky and Daffy have been cranked up to 11, but they manage to remain likeable, as does Petunia. Meanwhile, the nutty alien invader nearly steals the show with his silly outbursts and Mars Attacks aesthetic. Side figures are more digitally rendered, and some of them look very odd indeed.

Despite the frenetic pace and a twisty plot, the film never manages to surprise us, even when the narrative takes some very big turns. The madcap energy and juvenile humour will definitely find a fanbase, but for those who loved the sublime silliness of the vintage films, this doesn't even come close. And it serves as a reminder that bigger and wackier is rarely better.

themes, violence 20.Dec.24

R E A D E R R E V I E W S

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