Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank isn’t exactly a children’s movie. Though, of course, the action-packed animated feature has the capacity to delight younger audiences, there are plenty of moments in the film, which is purportedly a loose spiritual successor to Mel Brooks’ 1974 Western comedy classic Blazing Saddles, that are catered exclusively to adult audiences.
However, regardless of age, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank has many essential lessons within its silly samurai storyline. This is not a new phenomenon. Almost every animated picture released in recent years has readily apparent moral underpinnings. If one can look past the oftentimes adult humor, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank has multiple moments that tug at the heartstrings. The film tackles the notion of heroism, the importance of sticking to one’s training despite initial success, and the ways in which brains and brawn can be utilized to complement one another. Often, much like the swift attacks of the film’s various martial arts masters, the morality of the film seemingly comes out of nowhere and can feel to viewers like a firm punch to the gut.
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Here are some important lessons audiences can learn from Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.
Anyone Can Be a Hero
The main character in Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is, of course, Hank, an awkward beagle voiced by Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). The character is very literally an underdog. Hank is slated to be executed before he is appointed to be a samurai by Ricky Gervais’ (The Office, After Life) Ika Chu, who selects the obviously underqualified Hank as a slight to the city’s harried citizenry.
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Hank is an excellent hero precisely because of his humble origins. There is nowhere for the beleaguered beagle to go but up, and though he is constantly doubted by the characters who surround him, castigated for his clumsiness and unintimidating, tiny frame, Hank never gives up, and proves to audiences that anyone can be a hero.
Never Let Fame and Success Go to Your Head
In Paws of Fury: The Legend Hank, the titular Hank actually finds a fair bit of success early on in the film’s runtime. Almost immediately after beginning his samurai training, Hank winds up in a battle with Sumo, a massive tabby cat voiced by Djimon Hounsou (How to Train Your Dragon 2, Guardians of the Galaxy). Despite initially being the subject of a brutal beatdown, Hank manages to subdue the monstrous cat, and he becomes an overnight celebrity.
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Unfortunately, Hank allows this success to go to his head, and he abandons his samurai training. He goes to a nightclub with the film’s antagonist, Ika Chu, to “celebrate” his success. While Hank is otherwise engaged, the city is destroyed by a roving band of thugs. A heartbroken Hank is forced to humble himself, and accept that despite his immediate success, he still has a long way to go before he becomes a full-fledged samurai.
Sometimes, Brains are Better Than Brawn (But Brawn Sure Doesn’t Hurt)
Obviously, for a character to be a formidable protagonist in a martial arts movie, they need to have a certain level of brawn. However, Hank, a physically unimposing beagle, is often tasked with fighting bad guys who are much larger than himself, and as such, needs to employ all manner of clever tactics.
Martial arts is, as the name suggests, not simply an exercise in strength. It is an art form and, as such, necessitates an incredible amount of creativity. Near the conclusion of the film, Hank, alongside the sympathetic townsfolk, constructs an exact replica of the town out of paper, employing the origami folding technique that had been referenced throughout the film (the replica town being a direct reference to the film’s inspiration, Blazing Saddles). The fake town is rigged with dynamite, which detonates on Ika Chu’s roving band of sword-wielding thugs. This scene demonstrates how, despite being outgunned and overpowered, creativity can help win any battle.
All in all, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank was an epic martial arts movie with a lot of heart. The film is fun for the whole family, and it equally provides important life lessons for folks of all ages. The titular Hank is the perfect everyman, and the character has a moral journey that is almost as intense as his skill set transformation as he tries to become a samurai. Though the film has not exactly packed a punch at the box office as of yet, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank undoubtedly has the chops to become a classic martial arts movie.
