Growing up, watching Looney Tunes with my brothers was a tremendous bonding experience as we huddled around the living room TV exploring some of the best cartoons of all time. However, my kids have shown little to no interest in Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, or any of the other classic characters, no matter how hard I tried. That recently changed when I decided on one last-ditch effort by watching The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie with my HBO Max subscription.
I don’t know if my three kiddos will be begging for Merrie Melodies marathons in the future, but this 2025 movie had them entranced during a recent family movie night. I’ll take it as a small victory for now, but I honestly think that this could be the start of something in my house.
I Was Ready To Give Up Before The Day The Earth Blew Up Came Along
I’ve spent the better part of the past five years trying to get my kids to care about one of the best pop culture brands of all time. I haven’t gone too hard on it like a dad trying to relive his glory days by making his son play baseball every single day or forcing him to listen to The Eagles, but there have been some slight nudges and suggestions along the way. When HBO Max started removing old shorts earlier this year (the newer, Max originals are still around), I thought it was best to just give up…
That all changed when I read CinemaBlend’s The Day the Earth Blew Up review (we gave it 4 out of 5 stars). After reading heaps of praise for the movie centering on Daffy Duck and Porky Pig saving the world from an asteroid, I decided to give it one final shot before closing the door on it all. And I’m glad I did…
They Were Glued To The TV Pretty Much As Soon As Porky And Daffy Showed Up (As Well As Farmer Jim)
Though they insisted on watching A Minecraft Movie again (I’ve lost count at this point), I convinced my kids to get The Day the Earth Blew Up a chance. I basically told them that if they weren’t into it after the first five or so minutes, we’d go back to the Overworld and hang out with Steve some more.
Well, I didn’t have to grab the remote because my kids were hooked as soon as a baby Daffy Duck and Porky Pig were saved by Farmer Jim (seriously, they lost their minds whenever the heroes' adoptive father was on screen). For the next 80-plus minutes, my kids were planted on the couch watching two of the most iconic cartoon characters of all time go to great lengths to save the planet, and I was a happy dad.
My Kids Don't Like Old Cartoons, But Looney Tunes Montages In The Movie Had Them Rolling
Outside of my daughter’s love of classic Studio Ghibli movies like Kiki’s Delivery Service (still her comfort movie after all these years) and My Neighbor Totoro, my kids have never really shown an interest in watching old cartoons. Sure, there was that time on vacation where they watched The Jetsons for like two days straight, but at home, they’re more about The Amazing World of Gumball, Craig of the Creek, and Phineas and Ferb. These are great, more modern shows, but they don’t really care about the classics.
The Day the Earth Blew Up has several montages that feel like director Pete Browngardt snuck in some restored footage of never-before-seen Looney Tunes shorts, and they had my kids rolling with laughter. There’s one early on where Daffy and Porky attempt to raise money to prevent their house from being condemned, only to get fired from nearly a dozen jobs in classic Looney Tunes fashion. The physical comedy, the absurdity, and brilliant animation grabbed hold of my kids’ attention and didn’t let go.
For The First Time Ever, They Wanted To Watch More Looney Tunes
The Day the Earth Blew Up must have had some kind of impact on my kids, because for the first time ever, they wanted to watch more Looney Tunes cartoons. They wanted to see more Porky Pig, they wanted to see more Daffy Duck, and they were dying for more Farmer Jim. While there is no extra footage of that absurdly wholesome and oddly animated father figure from the new movie, there are countless shorts featuring the other two characters available to watch at their leisure.
I tried to show them old Looney Tunes cartoons on HBO Max, but the once-massive collection of shorts is no longer there. That said, this resulted in YouTube binges, even though my kids are no longer allowed to use the service after coming across an strange, dark video featuring an unofficial Mickey Mouse (a story for another time). I’m hopeful this newfound love of a classic cartoon will stick, even if it’s so I can introduce my children to the wild world of ‘90s Looney Tunes apparel.
It Also Doesn't Hurt That This Is The Best Looney Tunes Production In Years
It sounds like The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie was saved from being canned, and I’m honestly so glad that happened. Not only is it the best Looney Tunes movie in a very long time, but it also got my kids into these cartoons for the first time, which is a major accomplishment. I previously tried to get my kids into the cartoons by having them watch Space Jam: A New Legacy when it came out back in 2021, but no one in the house ended up liking that one.
Right now, The Day the Earth Blew Up is my kids' favorite Looney Tunes movie, but that could change when Coyote vs. Acme finally comes out after years of having its fate left up in the air. My son is especially obsessed with John Cena, so this seems like a match made in heaven for the whole dang family. But I’ll make sure to let you all know when that day comes.
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