Back in the old days before i was born, my parents had a fond memory of a satirical black comedy film called "Blazing Saddles" by Mel Brooks in 1974. While the movie had some controversy, this is the movie to make fun of social commentary in wild west, but it didn't matter that the film is both classic and comedy gold from our veteran comedy genius Mel Brooks, though i remember seeing Spaceballs, its a fun one that i recommend to watch. So ok, we have Blazing Saddles, social commentary comedy film that was a classic, but what about when you made a similar content of Blazing Saddles into a family friendly animated movie? Well, that's exactly what we have in today's review.
"Paws of Fury: The legend of Hank" is a 2022 animated martial arts comedy film that produced and directed by Rob Minkoff, co-directed by Mark Koetsier and Chris Bailey, co-produced by Adam Nagle, Peter Nagle, Guy Collins, Yair Landau and Susan Purcell, then written by Ed Stone, Nate Hopper, Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor and Alan Uger.
The idea of this movie had a humble beginning at 2010, where Yair Landau was overly inspired from the aforementioned Blazing Saddles, but going into the opposite, instead of taking place in the old west, this one takes place in Asia and anthropomorphic animals with cats and dog. The film was originally going to be released on 2017 and originally called "Blazing Samurai", but the movie was constantly delayed from changing people who worked on this project (while some like Yair is still credited), changing distribution and of course, the F***ing virus in 2020. They finally released the film in the summer of 2022 at Amazon Prime Video.
When this movie came out, the result as mixed, some appreciated the idea of this movie, but its nowhere good nor funny as Blazing Saddles. But the box-office isn't worth of waiting with $29.5 million that its much bellow than $45 million budget, making it a flop as a hopeless film for been developed and delayed over a decade.
So, with all that said, will this movie treated as equal for the community, or is this film is desperate to be funny as Blazing Saddles?
Well, lets find out.
The Story
For a movie is meant to be like Blazing Saddles in furry, you think the story will be similar in a harmless well for a well-meaning message with comedy, right? Well, im afraid not...!
Taking place on Feudal age in Japan with population of cats, we introduce the main villain named Ika Chu, the warmongering conniving high rank from Shogun in attempt to expanding to palace to taking over lands by invasions like invading Kakamucho multiple times to removing the villagers out for their build up of “Super Bowl” (When in reality, its a big toilet... Haha...). Ika brought out a prisoner (originally setence to death) named Hank the dog to not only let him free, but to becoming a samurai to the village Kakamucho, but when he visits and greeting to the village, he didn’t have a welcome meeting to him, because he’s a dog in cat’s feudal Japan. So he goes to the temple to meet a samurai mentor named Jimbo, which at first, he refuses to training, not only Hank is a dog for villagers’ hostile reception, but Jim is also addicted to Catnip (but in drink than a drug), despite the difficulty relation to accepting, its up to Hank to training to not only becoming a samurai of the village, but to convincing the villagers that he’s not a bad dog.
Now, i gotta say, even though i haven’t seen Blazing Saddles (yet), i find the story is not bad for say the least, since this movie is about a foreign outsider for learn how to become a hero, whereas Blazing Saddles is about teaching to become a sheriff, here, its about training to become a samurai, it would’ve work... If the writing makes more sense...!
Yes i know, the writing is harmless unlike Blazing Saddles that has a some lines that are not suitable for kids, since its all about social commentary how white people are none too please to a black cowboy to coming a sheriff, here, its as if they tried to be like Saddles in harless way, but its just it fell flat very bad when it comes to the writing and even “the jokes”, its just way too safe that Mel Brooks didn’t do back then (since back then we all know he’s a comedic genius), rather than dealing with racism issue between cats and dog, the message is tossed out to more focus of “Be a hero” or a good’ol “be yourself” cliche, making it a lackluster message what this movie is meant to be the furry version of Blazing Saddles.
Now, what about the joke in this movie? Well, again, its extremely tone down what Saddles has, but sadly, this one is Barely funny, even though i had some chuckles to some moment, but everything else is also fall flat that i barely laugh, instead, i felt bored with all those same jokes that you’ve heard from 2000s, not an animated movie in 2020 with pop-culture references, fourth-wall breaking and the stupid gross gag...! Again, barely make more than one chuckle, but i was nothing but bored to watching when they trying to be “Funny”.
While i get the changing direction as a loose remake of Blazing Saddles, but the writing of the story, the message and the humor are barely trying to give us what’s about...!
The Animation
Despite the writing is terrible and too safe, you think the animation could save, despite a bunch of changing studios in their crunch time? Well, i find it pretty average at best.
For starter, the background are not bad, but rather generic, you got a feudal Japanese themed village and the big palace, as well with bamboo forest and others, they’re generic and ok at best for for its design.
As for the designs, the character designs are obviously made for what they portrayed, but i find them also ok for say the least, whether they made big and muscular (minus Jimbo for looking like in bad shape former samurai), skinny to be neutral (like Hank the dog or Ika Chu the villain) or obviously a small one for the purpose of being cute.
Then there’s the effect and the quality, which they’re surprisingly not bad for the effect of the actions as well as the quality types, whether being the opening in hand-drawn or a comic filter-like in Jimbo’s flashback, which i will give a credit what they did.
For the animations, well, they’re either alright to boring. Mainly whenever we’re in normal, a montage or even a comedy, it didn’t mesh due to the limitations for kinda going slow or trying too hard, making some of slapsticks and such are barely trying to be “funny” as i said before. But it doesn’t mean the animation is so bad its unwatchable, they have some good ones, mainly the action sequences, they’re surprisingly good at some part, especially with either a duel, fighting against bad guys or even on war against the palace men, Again, it doesn’t mean the animation is “all bad” that you gotta look away, the action scenes are good to watch, which again, il give a credit what they’re trying.
The animation of this movie is average at best, while some qualities, the effects and the action sequences are good to see, but everything else are either boring or fell flat what they’re trying, for the most part.
The Characters
I think the most focus of the budget, are picking the A-list celebs in this movie. You think these characters will be likeable for saving grace with familiar cele-- (burst of laugh) Oh who am i kidding? Its not gonna work in order to liking the characters...!
Lets start with our titular protagonist Hank the dog (voiced by Michael Cera), a bumbling and “unlikely hero” to becoming a samurai, but failed miserably in order to... You know, he’s a dog and learning samurai is pretty difficult to learn. Now you think he sould’ve act like the Sheriff Bart from Saddles in order to be a smart trickster to dealing with and learning, right? Nope, instead, Hank is trying so hard to be both funny and being a hero, but he’s almost barely do anything for being a samurai’s village, but rather getting himself into punishment or other times, being an idiot. Even though Cera did an ok work of his role, but i find it pretty unlikely to having Michael Cera as a main protagonist in animated movie, which it only works if he’s in live action comedy with fellows like Seth Rogen, James Franco or many others, but not like this.
Next up is Jimbo (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson), a former samurai and sensei of our main protagonist. I find him ok, while he could has some good humor, but, once again, with too safe and badly writing, its unlikely that we like him in this with some “joke” he can pulled. I appreciated for Jackson’s fun performance, but he’s nowhere safe from this movie, sorry Sam.
Then we have the main villain Ika Chu (voiced by Ricky Gervais), a warmongering for expanding his palace to put down the village. We expected that some villains has some comedic gimmick, but when it comes to Ika, for Hades from Disney’s Hercules, he’s not. He feels like he’s trying too hard to be less menacing with his monotone joke, but it feels Ricky got bored and didn’t like to be involved while reading the script of voice acting, look, I’ve nothing against Ricky Gervais, he’s a fine British comedian, but its just he doesn’t belong in this movie with his villain role.
After that, we have Sumo (voiced by Djimon Hounsou) a gigantic... Well, sumo with his strength and somewhat of being dim-wit, but later get some respect. Out of characters in this movie, i think Sumo is probably the most memorable which he actually made some comedy that he made me chuckle at the time. I think he’s more likeable that many other characters in this movie, and Djimon did a nice work of his role.
Then we have Emiko (played by young Kylie Kuioka) a young girl who’s confident to give plot convenience to Hank. I find her ok, but irritating that she would’ve been a main protagonist since she likes to learn or save the village, more than Hank, rather than being a minor character to just showing up to tell Hank to do something. Like before, I’ve nothing against Kylie, she did good work her role, but its just that the way she’s written just didn’t work to make her either out of place, or annoying. But i kinda give a credit that unlike most character that are based on Saddles, she’s a completely original.
And what better way to have a movie based on Blazing Saddles, why not having Mel Brooks in it too. This time we have Toshi (played by Brooks himself) is an understandable Shogun of Kakamucho, while its nice to have him, but his Toshi role isn’t as good as his governor role in Saddles.
As for the rest of the characters, they didn’t sit well comparing to Saddles, there’s Ohga (voiced by George Tekai, aka Hikaru Sulu from Star Trek) who’s the muscle and leader of Ika Chu’s army, Chuck (voiced by Gabriel Iglesia) who’s a dumb clumsy tabby cat and Ichiro (voiced by Aasif Madvi( who’s a slim tuxedo cat.
While some casts did a nice work of their role and Sumo is likeable, but they’re nowhere safe giving us all the bad characters in this movie in order to make something “Funny”.
And now for my final opinion of this movie
Overall, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is the worst animated movie I’ve ever watched, its is so bad that its downright boring to see.
While the animation are ok and one character that i liked, but the rest is pretty much a water ship down of Blazing Saddles with bad writing, a bad tiresome jokes, story with lack of identity from the original and the characters are forgettable, and pretty much lack of action before the final act.
Like i cannot believe that this movie took one decade to finishing and this is how we got here?! Talk about a hopeless movie that its no worth of waiting. I mean seriously, this is not worth of our time to recommended this movie, otherwise we might as well stick to Blazing Saddles, which at least it has class, but Paws of Fury is anything but unfunny and classless. But i will give a credit that its not the film that its “So bad its Unwatchable” like TTG’s movie, but this is the movie is just boringly bad and yet, no reason to cashing in over Mel Brooks’s classic.
And for those reason, im giving it a 3.5/10 and this movie might as well earning a “Dumpster fire of Failure”.
So this ends of my movie review (Good riddance...!), if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
hanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
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