Film reviews: Coyote vs Acme is laugh-out-loud funny and a rare modern film fit for the whole family

Wile E. Coyote in Coyote vs Acme; Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Michelle Buteau, Anna Faris, in Spa Weekend; RuPaul as President Judy Gagwell in 'Stop! That! Train!'

Coyote vs Acme

★★★★☆

First introduced in the 1930s, Looney Tunes became a staple of family entertainment, delighting generations of viewers around the world. The Road Runner and Wile E Coyote first appeared on screen together in the 1949 cartoon Fast and Furry-ous, and they have been best frenemies ever since.

If anyone is a little confused about who — or what — the Road Runner and Wile E Coyote are, well, one is a roadrunner, the other is a coyote, and they have spent decades chasing each other. Wile E has used increasingly elaborate gadgets and schemes to catch the speedy bird, but ironically, it’s these very gadgets that have proven to be the coyote’s biggest nemesis.

Now, after years of frustration, Coyote finally takes action, as we see in Coyote vs Acme (PG). The gadgets have all been made by the Acme Corporation, which, like the Road Runner and Wile E Coyote, is animated. However, in the world of Looney Tunes, these animated characters live alongside humans.

Kevin Avery, played by a perfectly cast Will Forte, is a personal injury lawyer with a poor track record. Acme’s gadgets have been injuring cartoon characters for years, but rather than fighting for his clients, he routinely settles their cases out of court for minimal amounts. That all changes when Wile E Coyote finally decides he has had enough and takes Acme to court.

Wile E. Coyote always has eyes on the Road Runner

There is a terrific montage of previous cartoons involving Wile E Coyote and the Road Runner, each showing the calamities the coyote has faced while using Acme’s products. He has plenty of evidence, so it should be a clear-cut case. However, Kevin is too daft to deal with it and hopes the case will disappear, suggesting Wile E accept a small amount of money and move on. But Wile E isn’t going anywhere.

Kevin’s niece and intern, Paige (Lana Condor), is conscientious and determined to help. However, no one is prepared for Acme’s lawyer, Buddy Crane (John Cena), a ruthless bulldog of a man who will stop at nothing to protect Acme.

In many ways, the film is a bog-standard courtroom drama, with Wile E unintentionally becoming the Erin Brockovich of the cartoon world. His grit and determination help expose how Acme and its powerful boss, Foghorn Leghorn, have knowingly sent out faulty gadgets without caring about the consequences for the cartoon characters who use them.

But as we know, even the most straightforward courtroom dramas face hurdles. Acme has the wealth to fight dirty, but Kevin also faces another problem: He needs the Road Runner to testify as a witness for his client. But why would he help? After all, Wile E has spent decades trying to catch him.

If you are under a certain age, you might not get quite how beloved Looney Tunes once was or how good it could be. You might overlook this film or write it off as a silly cartoon — I hope you don’t.

Coyote vs Acme is an absolute delight: Laugh-out-loud funny with a surprising amount of heart and a rare example of a modern-day film fit for the whole family.

Stop! That! Train!

★★★★☆

RuPaul’s Drag Race debuted in 2009 as a unique drag competition. Today, it has expanded to over 20 international versions and featured 600+ contestants. Now Drag Race is taking another step, this time onto the cinema with Stop! That! Train! (15a).

Minj and Jujubee, two Drag Race stalwarts, play Tess and DeeDee, best friends who work as stewards aboard the battered Stank Rail. Their ambition is to join the Glamazonian Express, a train so lavish and extravagant that glamour and gaudiness are virtually indistinguishable.

When Glamazonian Express finds itself short-staffed, Tess and DeeDee seize their chance and pose as replacements. Their arrival puts them on the wrong side of Chief Amber (Brooke Lynn Hytes), who banishes them to the train’s lower-class carriage.

DeeDee (Jujubee) and Tess (Ginger Minj) in 'Stop! That! Train!'

The Glamazonian Express is heading straight into a storm so extreme that it has been given its own classification: A Stormaganza. When disaster strikes the train drivers, Tess and DeeDee must save the day with the help of Donna Dusk (Rachel Bloom), a nerdy traffic controller, and president Judy Gagwell (RuPaul).

Packed with cameos, Stop! That! Train! is an absolute blast. Its humour follows in the tradition of Airplane! and The Naked Gun, piling up the gags, absurdity, and wonderfully silly set pieces.

Drag Race fans and LGBT+ audiences will undoubtedly get the biggest kick out of it, but there is plenty here for everyone else too. The jokes are so fabulously daft and gloriously screwball that you don’t need to be part of the queer community to enjoy the ride.

Spa Weekend

★★★☆☆

In Spa Weekend (15a) Leslie Mann plays Jane, a harassed single mother balancing her work as a lawyer with caring for her children and her ailing father. Coco (Michelle Buteau) is going through a separation from Roger (Dominic Ona-Ariki). He was fed up with Coco’s angry outbursts.

To be fair, she is angry, but you would definitely want her in your corner if something went wrong. Then there is Sophie (Anna Faris), who works for a demanding billionaire who has less cop-on than the average toddler.

It is Jane’s birthday, and the group decides to book a spa weekend. They agree not to bring, or even tell, their fourth member, Mel (Isla Fisher). They need a relaxing weekend at a spa, but with Mel there, it would be more like Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

L to R: Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Michelle Buteau, Anna Faris, in Spa Weekend

They arrive at the luxurious hotel. It is absolute bliss until Mel arrives, and the chaos begins.

As they find themselves caught up in a series of Mel-led calamities, Jane has a fling with a hot Australian yoga teacher (Adam Demos) and Coco has to deal with the unexpected arrival of Roger. Will they ever get to enjoy a massage in peace?

Beneath the outrageous situations and ridiculous antics, Spa Weekend captures something relatable: Friendships may be tested and strained, though beneath all the chaos, bad decisions, and questionable behaviour, there is something we can all recognise — the best memories are often made with the people who make us laugh, even when everything goes completely off the rails.

Silly but definitely super fun, Spa Weekend might just be the friends’ trip you need.

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