(Updated 07/15/2022)
We've seen more than a few animated updates and remakes of classic martial arts and samurai movie ideas — the KUNG-FU PANDA movies are right there on your blu-ray shelf (or streaming queue) after all. And so you might think that PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK is in that same vein. The animated samurai movie looks, from a distance, like it is in that vein.
But PAWS OF FURY is something else entirely. Sure, it takes inspiration from classic martial-arts movies. But in truth, this is a remake of BLAZING SADDLES. Got your attention? Read on to check out the trailer and learn a few more details.
The Paws of Fury Release Date
PAWS OF FURY opens exclusively in movie theatres on July 15.
The Paws of Fury Trailer Slices and Dices
What are the odds that a hound would be in a position to have to protect a town full of cats? But that's the situation when Hank ends up in a village that has been targeted by a ruthless overlord. Can Hank train up enough to become the defender these cats need?
The inspiration for this movie is not known as a kid-friendly comedy, but PAWS OF FURY looks like it brings in the structure and ideas of BLAZING SADDLES without too much trouble. (In fact, this movie was once called BLAZING SAMURAI.) And the battle scenes here are truly epic.
Yes, That Is Mel Brooks in Paws of Fury
Mel Brooks, of course, co-wrote, directed, and co-starred in BLAZING SADDLES. And now he voices Shogun, a British cat who rules the land — in other words, he's more or less playing his own BLAZING SADDLES character again.
Brooks isn't the only voice at play here. Michael Cera stars as the beagle, Hank. Ricky Gervais, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, and Samuel L. Jackson all have voices as well.
Curious about the process of voicing these characters? You can watch our interview with Cera, Takei, and Mandvi.
Nodding to the Past
Expect a lot of movie references and other meta-commentary in PAWS OF FURY. Clips from the film have shown a knowing, in-jokey approach to the very idea of an animated martial-arts movie.
There's more to it than that, however. BLAZING SADDLES was a comedy primarily designed with social commentary in mind, and it's clear that the "cats hate dogs" setup of PAWS OF FURY is intended to tell a much more broad (and slightly less specific) story for a younger audience.
PAWS OF FURY opens on July 15.
All images courtesy of Paramount Pictures.