The Looney Tunes are a massive part of pop culture history but have a complicated history in movies. The Warner Bros. characters debuted in 1930, appearing in shorts engineered to sell the studio's music. In the mid-30s, directors such as Chuck Jones and Tex Avery would help transform the characters into the iconic figures audiences know and love today. These are the creators of the long-suffering Daffy Duck, the stuttering Porky Pig, the single-minded Elmer Fudd, hungry Sylvester, adorable Tweety Bird, and of course the smart-aleck ringleader of them all, Bugs Bunny.

As many Looney Tunes shorts as there have been since the 1930s, somehow the characters didn't transition to the big screen until 1996's Space Jam. Since then, there have been only three other Looney Tunes theatrical adventures and their current place in Warner Bros. remains a mixed bag. While Max has removed many of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons and Coyote vs. Acme, the latest Looney Tunes movie, The Day the Earth Blew Up, has received solid reviews. While it is a strange history of cinema for these iconic characters, the Looney Tunes movies are worth revisiting.

4 Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

Directed By Malcolm D. Lee

The crass commercialism of Space Jam: A New Legacy isn't exactly a new thing, and it indeed exists in the original Space Jam. However, while that film was a shrewd bit of marketing that mashed up the phenomenon of Michael Jordan with an effort to revitalize the Looney Tunes for '90s kids, this long-delayed sequel takes brand management to a hitherto unseen level of ridiculousness.

The story concerns LeBron James having to team up with the Looney Tunes to save his son from a rogue artificial intelligence program crudely named Al G. Rhythm and played by Don Cheadle. Said character resides in the Warner Bros. Serververse, an interconnected galaxy of planets that serves as both a setting for much of the film and a not-so-gentle reminder of all the properties the studio has in its library. James zooms past the Wicked Witch of the West, through Game of Thrones Land, and past Harry Potter World on his journey to meet Bugs Bunny.

Particularly in light of the Warner Bros. and HBO Max deal, it's hard to see this film as anything other than an extended commercial for that service's library. It's a halfhearted story about a son trying to prove himself to his dad, drowned out by loud attempts at brand recognition. In the end, its main offense is being a Looney Tunes movie that doesn't trust the Looney Tunes characters to be fun enough to carry their own adventure.

3 Space Jam (1996)

Directed By Joe Pytka

Space Jam marked the first theatrical adventure for the Looney Tunes and it makes for a strange approach to their big-screen debut in retrospect. The movie follows Bugs Bunny and the gang as they face enslavement by some alien enemies unless they defeat the extraterrestrial villains in a game of basketball. This serves as a somewhat forced excuse to recruit real-life NBA superstar Michael Jordan to help the Looney Tunes win the game.

Space Jam is an example of a beloved nostalgic gem that doesn't really hold up as well as you might . The premise makes for a fairly fun sports adventure for the Looney Tunes characters, but many of the beloved characters are pushed to the side in favor of putting Jordan front and center. While his iconic stature serves the movie well, there is a reason why Space Jam did not launch Jordan's movie career since he is simply not the strongest actor.

There are also some great cameos from basketball legends like Charles Barkley and Larry Bird as well as a scene-stealing turn from Bill Murray.

However, the movie has a lot of fun humor, including Jordan gamely poking fun at his lackluster baseball career. There are also some great cameos from basketball legends like Charles Barkley and Larry Bird as well as a scene-stealing turn from Bill Murray. In the end, it is a fairly ideal family-friendly movie and one that a lot of people look back fondly on. However, those fond memories might fade a bit if fans actually rewatch the movie.

2 Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)

Directed By Joe Dante

Originally developed as a sequel to Space Jam, this 2003 flop killed the big-screen prospects of the Looney Tunes for nearly two decades. However, it was also the best movie featuring these iconic characters at the time, mainly because it allowed them to lead the movie. It certainly helps that it's directed by Joe Dante, who brought the zany grab-bag style of Warner Bros. cartoons to Gremlins. The filmmaker obviously has great affection and respect for the characters which elevates the movie.

[T]here are some inspired sequences that feel in line with the old cartoons while also giving fans something completely fresh

The plot, such as it is, concerns Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck as they team up with an aspiring stuntman (played by Brendan Fraser) and a studio executive (played by Jenna Elfman) to rescue the stuntman's father (Timothy Dalton) and find the "Blue Monkey" diamond before it falls into the hands of the evil Mr. Chairman (Steve Martin). The spy genre fits the Tunes more aptly than the basketball mashup of Space Jam ever has, but this is all mostly used as a clothesline for Dante and screenwriter Larry Doyle to hang as many gags as possible.

The movie is somewhat uneven as it features elements of the Space Jam movies, attempting to conform the Looney Tunes to modern humor rather than simply letting their classic style speak for itself. However, there are some inspired sequences that feel in line with the old cartoons while also giving fans something completely fresh, such as Elmer Fudd chasing Bugs and Daffy through the paintings of the Louvre. While not perfect, it was a movie that gave these characters a chance to shine.

1 The Day The Earth Blew Up (2025)

Directed By Peter Browngardt

The latest Looney Tunes movie has surprised critics and audiences by delivering the kind of big-screen adventure fans of the franchise have been waiting for. Interestingly, instead of other Looney Tunes films that have crammed in nearly every character in the canon, this one keeps the ensemble very small while also being the first movie in the franchise not to include Bugs Bunny. However, it is also the film that best captures the feel of those old cartoons, perhaps because it is their first fully animated movie.

The humor is in keeping with the old cartoons, yet also feels updated to show how these characters remain pop culture staples after so many years.

The Day the Earth Blew Up follows hapless pals Daffy Duck and Porky Pig as their simple life is interrupted by the arrival of an alien threat on Earth. Ultimately, the two friends find themselves as the only ones who stand in the way of the total destruction of the planet. Of course, they are not as up to the task as humanity would hope.

Even without the rest of the characters to back them up, Daffy and Porky wonderfully showcase the humor, fun, and nostalgic qualities of the Looney Tunes cartoons. The humor is in keeping with the old cartoons, yet also feels updated to show how these characters remain pop culture staples after so many years. It is by far the funniest of the Looney Tune movies, but perhaps most surprising is the genuine heart the film has in its depiction of the central friendship. It proves the Looney Tunes are more than just wacky gags and can deliver an animated movie with layers.