Debapriya Bhattacharya
The animated film ‘Paws of Fury’ is set in a world of anthropomorphic animals and tells the story of Hank, a lonely dog in a town filled with cats in feudal Japan. When a corrupt government official, Ika Chu, seeks to raze the town to the ground to expand his palace, Hank is appointed its samurai and charged with its protection. However, after being bullied all his life, Hank has no idea how to defend himself, let alone others who depend on him. He seeks out Jimbo, an old retired samurai who reluctantly trains him for the job. As Ika Chu attacks with his army, it falls upon Hank and his ragtag team of felines to save the day.
‘Paws of Fury’ marks the feature directorial debut of Mark Koetsier and Chris Bailey, who were accompanied by Rob Minkoff. It is a loose remake of Mel Brooks’ 1974 live-action satire, ‘Blazing Saddles.’ Starring Michael Cera as Hank, Samuel L. Jackson as Jimbo, and Ricky Gervais as Ika Chu, the film presents the classic trope of a Samurai seeking the help of a master to protect his village in a fun and entertaining way. If you adore the film, here are some more movies similar to ‘Paws of Fury’ for your entertainment.
7. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)
Based on the ‘Guardians of Ga’Hoole’ book series by Kathryn Lasky, ‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole’ centers around a young barn owl, Soren, who enjoys listening to his father’s stories about the Guardians, a group of brave warriors who fought against the evil order of owls known as the Pure Ones. Soon, Soren and his brother Kludd get kidnapped by the Pure Ones and trained in their ways. While the latter eagerly joins them, Soren escapes with the help of his newfound friends and seeks out the Guardians for help. Directed by Zack Snyder, the film highlights the bravery of one bird and his allies, and brings to mind the same mettle that Hank displays in ‘Paws of Fury.’
6. Ferdinand (2017)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha, ‘Ferdinand’ tells the story of a young bull who lives in a bullfighting training camp, but is a pacifist at heart who loves flowers. Mocked by his peers, Ferdinand escapes from the place after his father goes away with a matador and does not return. He is adopted by Nina, a farmer’s daughter, and spends his days in bliss. However, the authorities soon discover him and prepare to have him returned to his former home. Aided by his new friends on the farm, Ferdinand plans to escape again before facing El Primero, the bullfighter who never loses. Inspired by the children’s book ‘The Story of Ferdinand’ by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson, the film depicts the courage of the farm animal against all odds, much like Hank in ‘Paws of Fury.’
5. The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
Directed by Chris Renaud, ‘The Secret Life of Pets’ revolves around Max, a Jack Russell Terrier who lives in a New York City apartment with his owner Katie. When she is away at work, Max meets up with the other pets in the building. His life changes with the arrival of Duke, a Newfoundland that Katie adopts. When they are out on the street, Max and Duke get attacked by a group of ferocious alley cats and almost get taken to the pound. However, they are rescued by a ferocious bunny, Snowball, who wishes them to join his fight against humans. As in ‘Paws of Fury,’ the animals get divided into two groups, but this time the difference is in their opinion of humans.
4. DC League of Super-Pets (2022)
‘DC League of Super-Pets’ by Jared Stern follows the adventures of Krypto the Super Dog, based on the character in DC Comics. The pet and best friend of Superman, Krypto, shares the same powers and fights for truth and justice side by side in Metropolis. When Superman gets kidnapped along with the rest of the Justice League, Krypto leads a ragtag team of animals from the shelter, who have all received powers from a piece of orange kryptonite, to save superheroes and the world at large. Although they have their superpowers working for them, Krypto becomes comparable to Hank as he leads his team against the villain who seeks to hurt his friends.
3. The Angry Birds Movie (2016)
Inspired by the mobile video game created by Rovio Entertainment, Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly’s ‘The Angry Birds Movie’ is set around Red, a short-tempered outcast on Bird Island. Unlike the other anthropomorphic, flightless birds in the place, Red is unhappy with his daily life and is forced to participate in anger management classes, where he meets Chuck and Bomb. When the birds welcome green pigs on the island, Red gets further displeased. The guests soon get on his nerves, and he decides to investigate the reason for the arrival of the pigs with Chuck and Bomb. Similar to ‘Paws of Fury,’ the birds soon begin to band together with Red as their leader in the face of a new threat.
2. Rumble (2021)
Loosely based on Rob Harrell’s graphic novel ‘Monster on the Hill,’ ‘Rumble’ takes place in a world where monsters coexist with humans and participate in popular wrestling. Every city has its own professional wrestler, but the small town of Stroker loses theirs after he becomes the new world champion. Without a wrestler, the town is set to lose its stadium. To prevent that, Winnie Coyle sets off in search of a monster and discovers Steve, an underground fighter who throws fights for money. Convincing him that he can make money by winning professional fights the right way, Winnie gets Steve to start training for real. As it turns out, much like Hank in ‘Paws of Fury,’ Steve was in need of it.
1. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, ‘Kung Fu Panda’ tells the story of Po, a panda who dreams of becoming a kung fu fighter. In reality, he stays with his adoptive father, Mr Ping the goose, and helps him run his noodle shop in the Valley of Peace. At the same time, atop a hill in the Jade Palace, a team of highly skilled warriors known as the Furious Five trains under the guidance of Master Shifu, a red panda. The palace is also the home to Shifu’s legendary mentor, Master Oogway, the tortoise. When the day comes for Oogway to choose the Dragon Warrior who would be the protector of the valley, he stuns everyone by choosing Po. With the villainous Tai Lung on the loose, Po has little time to master kung fu and carry out his duty as the Dragon Warrior.
Many parallels can be drawn between ‘Paws of Fury’ and ‘Kung Fu Panda,’ with both films focusing on a character who unsuspectingly becomes the protector of their towns. As the clock runs out for their homes to be under attack, they learn martial arts with the help of aged mentors and rise up to their respective challenges. While dismissed by all at first, their determination to persist through everything thrown their way and not quit makes them revered in the end.
