Introduction
Hey hey, fellow adventures! Blaziker is back for an animation adventure and today, we are finally getting started on our first full adventure of the year, and this is something special because today, we are venturing to the first fully animated Looney Tunes movie in theatres, and that is The Day the Earth Blew Up!
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, is the first ever theatrical Looney Tunes animated movie as beloved Looney Tunes stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig must defend the world against an alien species on the cusp of taking over the world.
If you know who Warner Brothers CEO is, then chances, you would chance upon David Zaslav, that CEO, hellbent on destroying anything animation related, even Warner Brothers’ beloved Looney Tunes, which was why it was a miracle this not only got its time to shine at last year’s Annecy Film Festival, but it also got released globally. Will this be worth going through multiple hoops for?
Well, let’s get onto our first full animated movie adventure of 2025… In space!
Key Information
- Director: Peter Browngardt
- Animation Studio: Warner Bros Animation
- Country of Origin: United States, Canada, United Kingdom
- Rating: PG
- Release date: 13 March 2025 (in Singapore)
Trailer
The Review
Story and Characters
I got to be honest, while I had covered a lot of Looney Tunes during my childhood, I am not sure whether I am the most qualified person to talk about it. After all, this is regarding one of the most well-loved cartoons of all time, and it boggled my mind that David Zaslav, the evil CEO of Warner Bros, is hell-bent on destroying anything animated. We saw his atrocities first hand with him destroying Coyote vs ACME, but it was a relief he had no right to destroy this, considering GFM Animation, the same animation studio and sales agent who had helped in other animated movies such as Paws of Fury and 10 Lives, got the rights to the movie.
Thankfully, The Day the Earth Blew Up did not disappoint, because this is as Looney as it gets!
Regarding the big issue about this movie first off, this is not a very deep story, but that is not needed. This movie does not have as much depth compared to other top-tier animated movies, but it’s clear the writers knew that is not the main purpose of this movie. This is, after all, a Looney Tunes first movie, meaning the focus is more on the jokes, the comedy and the characters, so I do not mind the lack of depth.
With that said, however, this movie delivers in the gags! Given this is a Looney Tunes movie, the writers put more focus on the gags, the set-up and the jokes and thankfully, the comedy is top-notch! Every gag had me laughing throughout the entire screening, but what matters is the level of chemistry between the main characters of Daffy Duck (the legendary Eric Bauza), Porky Pig (Eric Bauza again) and Petunia (Candi Milo). Having distinct personalities and quirks allow the chemistry to shine through, so by the end, there is a level of emotional depth in the main characters by the end. That is also not to mention the movie having top-tier voice acting performances, but that is inevitable when Eric Bauza, the unofficial face of the Looney Tunes series since he voice acted in so many Looney Tunes characters in the modern era, so his contributions will stand out.
If there is one big gripe I have about the writing, it is that the gags do not go far enough, as I felt they could stretch some gags to their limits which is what Looney Tunes had been about. Still, for the first ever fully animated Looney Tunes theatrical animated movie, I am very happy with the writing overall.
Animation
In terms of animation, it’s very rare we see proper hand-drawn animation in a big mainstream animated movie from Hollywood, but that is what The Day the Earth Blew Up is for, to show that hand-drawn animation can still be a profit-taking venture in the box office. I am thrilled to report that the animation did not disappoint.
The animation is easily one of the most dynamic and fun animation styles of the year, ditching photorealistic looks in exchange of fun and energetic hand-drawn animation that is reminiscent of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons. There is also a lot of colour, but the colour usage felt more professional and restrained which is a great thing, considering some animated movies rely too much on terrible colour usage that makes the animation more terrible looking (looking at you, Marmaduke).
Additionally, animation movements are delightfully frantic and the character and background designs pair very well together. It also helps that the movie switches up their animation styles, but still kept those different styles as fun as possible. It’s honestly an animation style that is pleasing to the eyes and at the same time a lot of fun.
Sure, the style is not revolutionary, and it is not the most out-there hand-drawn animation style in the world. However, this is not the type of movie for that; The Day the Earth Blew Up is meant to be fun and the style definitely feels like it.
Soundtrack, Other Elements and Level of Enjoyment
Moving on to the small elements, beginning with the soundtrack, and man, some of the needle drops are expertly crafted, particularly the usage of R.E.M.’s iconic hit “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” during the second act, and as someone that likes this song, the usage of it is just fantastic and I actually sang on to it in my mind. The music score is also great, but I feel it needs to be much bolder, but personal preference, I guess.
However, the sound editing is clear Looney Tunes coded, because the sound effects made every gag hilarious, and that is exactly what I hope to see from the sound editing in a Looney Tunes based movie.
The marketing, while shallow, helps to pique my interest in this movie as well. The trailers and posters do not spoil much of the movie, and clearly capture the zaniness this movie will have, and I appreciate a marketing campaign that does its job well.
As for my level of enjoyment, I was having a fantastic time with my screening. Even if there were not many people that were in my screening, it did not matter if I am having a blast, and a blast I did! This is why we need more movies like these in theatres, because not every movie needs to be thought-provoking. You can have the fun movies to fit in with the other award contenders as a palette cleanser, and I am peace with that.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is only one thing left to say about The Day the Earth Blew Up, and it’s this: Screw you, David Zaslav!
While the movie is not perfect in terms of its writing and animation, its few faults do not take away the high enjoyment I had with this Looney Tunes movie! The characters have depth and great voice acting performances, the gags and comedy are classic Looney Tunes, the animation is fun and reminiscent of the golden age of Looney Tunes and the soundtrack somehow outshines the movie’s already fun writing and animation with top-tier sound editing to boot.
It’s rare to see a mainstream hand-drawn animated movie, but this is one of those rare moments, and that already makes it a fun animated movie to catch up with the Looney Tunes if you had missed out on it for so long.
Thank you so much for joining me on this adventure. We still got one more animated movie in March to cover, and this time, it is time to explore the wonderful world of a half-man, half-dog cop on a chase for an evil cat. Until next time, see you on the next adventure!
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
