Blu-ray Review: PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK

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Oct 10, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Hank (Michael Cera) is a little dog with big dreams of becoming a samurai, who makes his way to the small village of Kakamucho, populated by 248 dog-hating cats. There he meets Jimbo (Samuel L. Jackson), a once great samurai, who’s now grizzled and out of shape. Jimbo is not interested in being Hank’s mentor and teacher, however, the oath he pledged to the samurai code requires him to help those in need, and so he reluctantly agrees. Hank may not be the most talented swordsman, but he has a dogged determination and eternal optimism. Hank slowly starts to win over the town’s residents, including brave young kitten Emiko (Kylie Kuioka) and her disapproving mother Yuki (Michelle Yeoh), and constant hecklers Chuck (Gabriel Iglesias) & Ichiro (Aasif Mandvi). But nearby, the villainous Ika Chu (Ricky Gervais) is preparing his castle for a visit by the Shogun (Mel Brooks), who will soon announce his successor, so Ika Chu wants everything to be perfect for the visit. However, the town of Kakamucho is blocking the castle’s view, and so Ika Chu tries to clear out the village, sending various waves of men to do so, including the beastly orange tabby, Sumo (Djimon Hounsou), and his dim but enormous right hand man, Ohga (George Takei). But this small town and its new samurai-in-training prove to be resilient and resourceful. Can Hank become the samurai that Kakamucho needs, and can they stop Ika Chu before he wipes out the village?!

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is a fun animated comedy that the whole family can enjoy together. The film never takes itself seriously, often breaking the fourth wall, with characters making comments about the fact that this is a movie. The film is fast paced, with lots of quick sight gags, puns and wordplay. There are also lots of pop culture references, with some of the voice actors even referring to their own past projects—such as Samuel Jackson’s Jimbo making a statement similar to a famous Star Wars quote, or George Takei’s Ohga delivering the actor’s signature “Oh My!”.

The film features an amazing voice cast, and the humor is perfectly tailored for each character to match the voice talent behind them. The characters all look so cute and fun, and add to that the hilarious banter (some of which has been improvised), and it results in a really entertaining time. While most of the humor is smart and witty, the film does resort to some literal toilet humor, as well as some fart jokes about 70 min in. The first time I saw this in the theater, it felt like it was more geared towards young viewers, but watching it again on this Blu-ray, it felt more universal and something the whole family can fully enjoy.

The film plays out in a pretty standard hero story format, with the first act setting things up, the second act following Hank’s training, hubris and initial failure, and the final act being the big showdown and redemption. I really enjoyed the film’s 3D animation style, which captures all of these fun, lovable characters in great detail and really brings them and their world to life. There are also a few flashback scenes that deploy a heavily stylized 2D colorized pop comic look to differentiate them from the scenes that take place in the present. Overall, I had a great time watching this movie, even more-so the second time around. It has an entertaining and action-packed story, with lots of humor and really fun characters. I would definitely watch a sequel if they ever made one.

Paramount’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, with a clean, detailed picture that captures all of colorful beauty and detail of the animation. The Atmos audio track is incredibly immersive, bringing the on-screen action to life in your living room. This was especially noticeable during the action sequences, such as when the town comes under attack and galloping can be heard all around you. Even though there is no 4K disc release, the film is available to purchase digitally in 4K, and the digital copy included with the Blu-ray will give 4K if redeemed in Apple TV. The Blu-ray disc comes packed in an eco-cutout HD keepcase, with a cardboard slipcover, and an insert with redemption instructions for a digital copy of the film. The disc contains over 35 minutes of bonus material, including 2 behind-the-scenes featurettes and a 19-minute drawing lesson.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:37:55)

Blu-ray:

1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Audio Description, Spanish (Spain) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin America) 5.1 Dolby Digital, French (Canada) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese (Brazil) 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), French (Canada), Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Thai

Digital (Code subject to expiration, may not be valid after 10/18/2024):

Digital Copy redeemable via Apple TV or Vudu (redeems in 4K on Apple, not Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:

Cool Cats and One Hot Dog! (9:02)
The cast and filmmakers discuss the characters, the premise of the film, and whether they are a cat or a dog person. Includes recording booth footage, and interviews with director/producer Rob Minkoff, director Mark Koetsier, director Chris Bailey, executive producer Alex Schwartz, and stars Michael Cera (“Hank”), Samuel L. Jackson (“Jimbo”), Gabriel Iglesias (“Chuck”), Aasif Mandvi (“Ichiro”), George Takei (“Ohga”) & Mel Brooks (“Shogun”).
In the Drawing Room with Director Rob Minkoff (19:02)
Star Michael Cera introduces director/producer Rob Minkoff, who shows viewers how to draw Hank the dog, and Jimbo the grizzled samurai.
Giving Voice to “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” (8:07)
The cast and filmmakers discuss the recording process, both in the same room and via Zoom, ad-libbing, and more. Includes recording booth footage, and interviews with director/producer Rob Minkoff, director Chris Bailey, executive producer Alex Schwartz, and stars Michael Cera (“Hank”), Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Cera, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Gabriel Iglesias & Aasif Mandvi.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Recommended

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is a fun animated adventure/comedy the whole family can enjoy, featuring lovable, and sometimes over-the-top characters, an incredible voice cast, beautiful animation, and witty dialogue and humor. Paramount’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, featuring stellar picture and immersive sound. The disc includes over 35 minutes of bonus material, though more than half of this is a drawing lesson. I find this release to be an easy recommendation based on the entertainment value of the film itself, but for those still on the fence, it is currently still available to subscribers of Paramount+.