Movie Review

The Peanut Butter Falcon is grounded by earnest but inept filmmaking

Zack Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf in The Peanut Butter Falcon.

Photo by Seth Johnson; courtesy of Roadside Attractions and Armory Films

The Peanut Butter Falcon is a unique film in that its star, Zack Gottsagen, has Down syndrome, and because the two directors/writers, Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz, made the movie specifically for their friend to be given an opportunity that would otherwise be unlikely. You’d have to be one hard-hearted person not to be moved just by those circumstances.

Gottsagen plays Zak, a ward of the state of North Carolina who’s forced to live in a retirement home because it can provide the best care for him. He longs to escape, though, specifically to a wrestling school farther south run by The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). Aided by his roommate Carl (Bruce Dern), he makes a break for it, soon running into Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), who’s on the lam for a completely different reason.

Tyler agrees to help Zak get to the wrestling school, and the two are soon trekking their way through fields and on rivers to make their way there. On their trail is Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), who looks after Zak at the retirement home, and Duncan (John Hawkes), a fisherman who has a beef with Tyler.

The biggest reason the film works to any degree is the performances of and chemistry between Gottsagen and LaBeouf. Gottsagen has an affability and charm that is immediately apparent, and it becomes even more so after he teams up with LaBeouf. Unlike most other characters, Tyler treats Zak with respect, and LaBeouf’s performance is the lynchpin for making the character and relationship believable.

What becomes very clear as the film goes along, however, is the lack of experience of the filmmakers. The journey of Zak and Tyler is haphazard at best, giving them no clear direction. As a consequence, they meet up with other characters at random, with little or no connection between how any of them got to that particular place. It’s a shortcut way of filmmaking that’s big on significant moments but very light on narrative coherence.

For a film led by first-time feature filmmakers, it’s absolutely bonkers how many well-known people are in it. In addition to the five actors in the main cast, veteran wrestlers Mick Foley and Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and rapper Yelawolf all make appearances. Jon Bernthal, who’s arguably the best actor in the cast, was somehow convinced to show up for a non-speaking role as Tyler’s brother, Mark, a move that makes zero sense for either the filmmakers or Bernthal.

There’s never a point in The Peanut Butter Falcon where you’re not rooting for Zak to succeed, but the film as a whole doesn’t come close to delivering the emotional release it needs.

Movie Review

Revived Coyote vs. Acme shows Looney Tunes’ enduring appeal

Wile E. Coyote in Coyote vs. Acme

Photo courtesy of Ketchup Entertainment

Wile E. Coyote in Coyote vs. Acme.

No movie studio has gone through more ups and downs in the past few years than Warner Bros. In 2022, they oddly shelved two mostly-completed movies, Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt. But the next few years brought major movies like Barbie, Dune Part Two, Sinners, Superman, Weapons, and One Battle After Another, giving them a huge boost. Strangely, that led directly into a proposed sale to Paramount that is now going through legal battles.

Another previously-shelved Warner Bros. movie, Coyote vs. Acme, is now seeing the light of day thanks to a deal with a small company called Ketchup Entertainment. Taking its cue from the classic Looney Tunes cartoons, the film creates a world in which Wile E. Coyote - sick of constantly being thwarted in his pursuit of Road Runner by faulty Acme products - decides to sue the company.

To do so, he approaches the law firm of Avery, Jones & Maltese, led by Kevin Avery (Will Forte). The firm typically takes on small cases that are easy to settle, but - with a little subterfuge from Wile E. Coyote - they are soon presenting Acme and its lead attorney, Buddy Crane (John Cena), with a lawsuit that could be worth millions of dollars. Naturally, the big corporation won’t give in without a fight, leading to all sorts of shenanigans on both sides.

Directed by Dave Green and written by Samy Burch from a story by Burch, James Gunn, and Jeremy Slater, the film is a fun mixture of nostalgia and clever storytelling. Most of Looney Tunes’ classic characters make an appearance in the film, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, and Sylvester. The two, other than Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, who get the most play are Tweety, who appears in some of the movie’s funniest scenes, and Foghorn Leghorn, reimagined as the CEO of Acme.

The blend of live action and animation is not quite on the level of something like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but it is still effective. It also affords the film plenty of opportunities to employ Looney Tunes’ signature brand of cartoon violence that doesn’t actually leave lasting damage. The gags are very familiar for those who grew up on the studio’s short films, but combined with the inventive ways in which they’re used and the pointed jabs at corporate culture, they become somewhat fresh again.

Naturally, there are plenty of references in the film, starting with the name of the law firm, which pays homage to legendary directors Chuck Avery and Chuck Jones, as well as writer/animator Michael Maltese. Sly jokes that could turn the film from PG to PG-13 sneak their way in, although they steer clear of elements that haven’t aged well (documented in a recent viral comedy clip). But the film is at its best when it leans into the well-earned traits of its favorite characters and just lets them cook.

Forte is a great scene partner for Wile E. Coyote, as he can turn even minor slights into comedy gold. His deadpan reactions are the ideal way to counter the insanity going on around him. Cena has proven in other films that he has great comic timing, and he demonstrates that skill well here, too, especially in a fantastic scene opposite Tweety. The voice talent does a good job with the iconic characters, although the legendary Mel Blanc remains the gold standard.

Coyote vs. Acme is not a world-changing movie by any means, but it is a fun twist on the characters many know and love that deserved to be seen by moviegoers. Wile E. Coyote may never actually catch Road Runner, but this movie shows that his unceasing attempts remain entertaining after all these years.

---

Coyote vs. Acme is now playing in theaters.

Loading...