The Day the Earth Blew Up
An animated science-fiction feature film review
by Aaron Barrocas



The visionary animated science-fiction feature film The Day the Earth Blew Up had a long road to its streaming home. The movie had theatrical releases in Germany and Switzerland in August 2024, a limited US theatrical release that December, and a much wider US release in February 2025. Since mid-2025, it has been streaming on HBO Max (and Apple TV and Amazon Prime and Fandango At Home and if you have enough internet access to read this article you can find a place to watch the movie). After a few different releases over the course of two years, you’d be forgiven for missing its streaming availability when it happened. Or maybe you saw the title, and assumed it to be a documentary about literally tomorrow - which is fair. But this prescient cautionary tale demands eyes. And rewards them.



This genre-bender of an animated feature opens with a bang - an astronomer in the mostly quaint town of Grandview watches in horror as a UFO crashes to the earth. He chases the UFO to its landing site, peeks into the newly formed crater, and his blood-curdling scream makes it clear that we are in for a frightening adventure. The sequence recalls numerous 1950s films like The Blob, It Came from Outer Space, Invaders from Mars, and of course, The Day the Earth Stood Still (this being another movie where something happens to Earth on a day).



But not only is this film a science-fiction adventure, it is also an unblinking hero's journey. The story takes us back in time a few years, and we are introduced to two young, mischievous animals, a rather cute pig and a duck. Farmer Jim, a tall, broad-shouldered, thick-bearded, salt-of-the-earth inspiration of a human being, finds the animals and raises them as his own. He names the duck Daffy, and the pig Porky - perhaps an uncharacteristically insensitive moniker from such a gentle man as Farmer Jim, as it reminds one of the fate of so many other pigs, hinting at a darker side of Farmer Jim that we never fully get the chance to explore.



As the unlikely pair of animals grow, they tend to find themselves in dangerous, outrageous situations due to Daffy’s impulsivity and aversion to forethought. His enthusiasm and overall lack of physical coordination are often his own undoing, and this frustrates the milder-mannered, more prudent Porky, as his efforts towards success in life are undermined by Daffy’s regrettable actions.



Porky suffers from a speech disorder that hampers his attempts to voice his disapproval of Daffy’s reckless decision-making. Yet the two are brothers for all intents and purposes, and Farmer Jim regularly reminds them that if they stick together, they can tackle anything.

Jim wills them his home with a final note of warning to take care of it, and walks off into the sunset to die, despite appearing to be in the prime of his life and strong as all hell.



As the years move on, the toeless pair lets their house fall into disarray, and their Karenific HOA inspector finally has a reason to condemn the eyesore - mainly because of a massive hole in the roof caused by the aforementioned UFO. So we’ve come full circle in the story. The UFO that opened the movie knocked part of their roof off, and now they need jobs to pay for the damage, or lose their home, and with it, Farmer Jim’s legacy.

The problem is that Daffy is unemployable, and since the pair do everything together, including find jobs, Porky’s income suffers from Daffy’s incompetence. This thread will continue throughout the film, and the movie in some ways serves as a referendum on toxic familial relationships.



However, Porky is soon distracted from his financial woes by a head-turning, chestnut-haired flavor scientist, Petunia Pig, who takes an immediate liking to Porky and Daffy, and offers them a job at the Goodie Gum factory. In the film’s greatest departure from reality, the pair are to report to work the next morning, with no application process, retyping of an AI-optimized resume into the company’s website, or competition from the hiring manager’s childhood best friend.



The two farmyard animals quickly find themselves in a comfortable factory position, pushing buttons and pulling cranks. Porky certainly doesn’t mind spending more time in Petunia’s pleasant presence. Before long, Petunia and Porky learn they both suffer from a similar speech impediment, and a fiery romance ignites, as the two stuttering swines swoon through tangled tongues. Their budding love serves as a truly heartwarming subplot. Although, once again, undertones of mystery and scandal are present, as Petunia and Porky both share the last name Pig, but much like an askew detail in a Ken Kesey novel, it remains unremarked upon. Perhaps Pig is a common surname in the town of Grandview. Another option, and one that personally thrills this reviewer, is a Star Wars Luke and Leia style twist - which would place Daffy firmly in the Han Solo role. Only time and sequels will tell.



Meanwhile, Goodie Gum’s new Super StrongBerry flavor hits shelves. Daffy learns that Goodie Gum’s latest offering has sinister side effects - the gum turns unsuspecting fresh-breath hopefuls into zombified information transmitters for a mysterious alien invader with lofty, potentially nefarious plans!



Like most prophets, Daffy is berated as a fool and persecuted. Thankfully, Petunia agrees to help the pair get to the bottom of the malicious masticatory. But sadly, the three small animals are no match for the alien invader who is poisoning Goodie Gum’s newest flavor, and before anybody can even ask a doctor what’s up, sore-jawed zombies have taken over the whole town. Somehow, the idea of a commonly used product robbing us of all independent thought is not nearly as shocking as one would expect.



Porky, Petunia, and Daffy find themselves in a post-apocalyptic hellscape, and they are the only hope for the future of the planet. Unfortunately, these zombies both chew gum and kick ass, and the trio find themselves in a universe of trouble.



Director Peter Browngardt made numerous bold choices in this film, not the least of which was casting Eric Bauza to perform the voices of both Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, despite his obvious difficulty enunciating words. Candi Milo charms as the brilliant, resourceful Petunia Pig, and Peter MacNicol chills as the Invader. Careful ears may also notice cameo voice roles by Wayne Knight and Laraine Newman, as well as veteran voice talent Carlos Alazraqui and Fred Tatasciore.



The importance of music in an animated feature cannot be overstated, and Joshua Moshier composes and conducts rich, fun-filled melodies that perfectly accompany this wild tale. But in addition to the score is a soundtrack that includes tracks ranging from REM and Bryan Adams to Sha Na Na. With choices so unexpected and eclectic, there’s no proper adjective for the tunes in this animated adventure.



In a pessimistic age marked by cynicism, the Day the Earth Blew Up conveys a message of hope. And not just hope that the Earth might blow up. With lovable leads filled with innocence, empathy, and vulnerability, a third act twist worthy of M. Night Shyamalan, and one of the most powerful Chekhov’s gun moments in the past decade of cinema, this film will transport you to Grandview, and you will root for the pluckiest of heroes.



This thrilling science-fiction adventure has tremendous franchise potential, and I believe we’ll see more from the exciting, charismatic trio that is Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and Petunia Pig. If you have a child who you think can handle a little cartoony violence, you should watch this with them. And if you are an adult in sore need of a laugh, as you almost definitely are, you should also watch this movie. That’s all, folks.

Aaron Barrocas is an award-winning screenwriter, filmmaker, and editor living in Los Angeles. He has spent the past 25 years as an active part of the entertainment industry. AaronBarrocas.com