​That’s not all, folks: Porky and Daffy rescue us from ‘The Day the Earth Blew Up’

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Some of the conversations surrounding the theatrical release of “The Day the Earth Blew Up” (tagged offscreen in promotional material with the subtitle “A Looney Tunes Movie”) address the hard-to-believe fact that director Peter Browngardt’s film is the first entirely original animated feature using the legendary Warner Bros. cartoon characters. The designation disqualifies Joe Pytka’s 1996 “Space Jam,” Joe Dante’s 2003 “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” and Malcolm D. Lee’s 2021 “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” all of which incorporated live action. Nerds will also recall several anthologies, including the Orson Welles-narrated documentary curiosity “Bugs Bunny: Superstar,” which arrived in 1975 to plenty of controversy over the dominant presence of Bob Clampett, who exaggerated the extent of his original Looney Tunes contributions to the dismay of many, including Chuck Jones.

Starring the stable’s second and third most durable players, Porky Pig (who debuted in “I Haven’t Got a Hat,” the 100th short in the series, released in 1935!) and Daffy Duck (who arrived in 1937’s “Porky’s Duck Hunt”), “The Day the Earth Blew Up” strikes the tricky balance of edgy, oddball irreverence and family friendliness necessary for a contemporary outing. The screenplay, credited to a large group of writers led by Darrick Bachman, sets up a 1950s-style science fiction threat in the shape of an alien creature called the Invader (nicely voiced by Peter MacNicol). Porky and Daffy will eventually be assisted by Petunia Pig (Candi Milo), a flavor scientist working at the Goodie Gum factory where the boys take jobs that will allow them to repair their home following a failed inspection.

The rest of the plot centers on what at first appears to be an “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”-esque threat that sees unassuming citizens turned to mindless zombies as a result of space goo-infused chewing gum. Browngardt’s direction is consistently engaging and the pace finds a good rhythm pitched between the calmer, more personal business (including the terrific expository origin story featuring the towering, paternal weirdo Farmer Jim) and the frenzied mania that follows Daffy wherever he goes. The blossoming romance between Porky and Petunia works fine, although she occasionally gets short shrift in the bromantic shadow of her more popular companions.

Longtime WB animation fans have debated the decision to eschew cameo appearances from Bugs Bunny and other popular characters, but minus the absence of a desperately desired Marvin the Martian, I admire and appreciate the way that Browngardt stays true to the Looney Tunes ethos without bowing to any pressure that would load up the cast and dilute the film’s focus on the Porky/Daffy relationship. Eric Bauza voices both leads and he is as good as it gets in a world without Mel Blanc. It is also great fun to see our intrepid barnyard buddies interact with more humans than typical in the classic shorts. The design of the people exudes a very distinct Spümcø influence that triggers plenty of laughs. The godlike otherworldliness of Farmer Jim and the officious mean-spiritedness of municipal housing authority Mrs. Grecht are especially satisfying.

“The Day the Earth Blew Up” is not perfect but it is very good. Alongside fresh expansions like Max Winston’s stop-motion sensation “Daffy in Wackyland” (another Looney Tunes first), the dedication of the current creative class serving the legacy and tradition of what Winston accurately calls “ … some of the best American art ever made, in any genre” points toward a very bright future. Even as recent reports announced the utterly baffling possibility that Warner might sell the Looney Tunes brand, the potential Ketchup Entertainment reprieve from David Zaslav’s disastrous mishandling of “Coyote vs. Acme” offers hope that our Looney Tunes dreams will continue.