Porky Pig and Daffy Duck are Earth’s only hope when facing the threat of alien invasion.
Directed by Peter Browngardt, with Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, and Peter MacNicol providing the voices, The Day the Earth Blew up is a brand new feature-length film produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Breaking my own personal rule of not covering anything that isn’t horror or sci-fi related, I decided to give this one a review for Nevermore Horror, considering the fact that I am a sucker for animation and that this is technically filled with tonnes of sci-fi and horror tropes with homages to terrific genre classics. I really just wanted to give it a watch.
While expecting little more than some slapstick Looney Tunes comic relief and a mindless, semi-plotless romp of giant mallets and exploding bubblegum, I got far more than I bargained for. There is an actual movie tucked away in here; one that was a surprisingly good watch. The balanced humour is clearly meant to be for both kids and adults, with the dry, tongue-in-cheek one-liners there specifically to keep parents entertained while sharing a box of popcorn with their spawn. The thing that really spoke to me as a parent was the mishmash of classic Hollywood sci-fi flicks thrown in, like Invaders from Mars, The Thing, a huge nod to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, obviously The Day the Earth Stood Still, and zombie lore as a whole. There were abundant Easter eggs hidden within the film that I had genuine fun searching for.
On the technical aspects, the film succeeds as well. The animation is gorgeous if you can look past the zany antics, and the budget, script, and voice acting are all of a decent quality. The film follows the typical three-act approach with an unexpected twist and is fun enough for the whole family—if you like this kind of thing. My son and I grinned throughout our watch, but my wife lasted perhaps ten minutes before wandering off to do something more productive. So, while it may be for the whole family…some of that family may find it a bit too daffy, if you catch my drift.
I found it definitely worth my time, though, as someone who grew up with these characters and then grew into horror and sci-fi, getting to watch this with my pre-adolescent son gave me tremendous amounts of joy. It is a film for a niche audience but I’m pretty sure you know if you are going to be within that demographic or not from a quick glance at the trailer. If you are teetering on the edge, teeter not. Open that wallet and treat yourself to the looniest fun coupled with wonderful sci-fi horror elements suitable for kids and caretakers alike. Thanks for reading, and as always, stay sordid. The Day the Earth Blew Up will be available in UK & Irish cinemas from the 13th of February 2026. The trailer and artwork are below.
