‘Coyote vs. Acme’ gives us a reason to ‘toon in

Every time he was thwarted by the Road Runner, he blamed himself and moved on. But in “Coyote vs. Acme,” he discovers the culprit — the company that manufactured those exploding skates, wonky anvils and dissolving boulders.

Directed by Dave Green, the cartoon-live-action hybrid takes familiar Looney Tunes characters and plops them in the middle of a courtroom drama. It’s a brilliant idea — and one that finds Elmer Fudd as a senator and Foghorn Leghorn as an Acme executive.

To press his case, Wile E. hires a sketchy lawyer, Kevin Avery (Will Forte), to investigate and destroy. Avery, however, isn’t used to squaring off with corporate giants. He does a bit of digging and finds all sorts of ‘toons working behind the scenes.

His nemesis, Buddy Crane (John Cena), is a former rival who thinks nothing of pressing the most vulnerable. Cena gets his best moments interrogating familiar faces and learning what they knew and, in Tweety Bird’s case, “what he taw.”

“Coyote vs. Acme” is a smart approach to a two-dimensional world and, like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” a great way to expand its reach. While young children might be confused by the adult situations, they still get those visual buttons that often bring big laughs.

Forte has a toon-like quality that works in this arena and makes the premise plausible. Cena takes it to another level, suggesting this could be a dandy way to revive cartoon favorites.

Based on a New Yorker magazine article, “Coyote vs. Acme” had its own Wile E. way to screens. Warner Bros. shelved the film three years ago, then reversed its decision following backlash. Now in theaters, it could prompt more and show how animation’s cast of characters can enjoy Streep-level work lives.

“Coyote vs. Acme” takes relationships to another level and makes you reconsider the push-pull chase between Wile. E. and the Road Runner. With more cases in the hopper, this could just be the start, not “that’s all, folks.”