What Was the Deal with Those Top Cat Movies?

 There's been a whole lot of theatrical Hanna-Barbera movies over the years, but out of them all, I think the weirdest releases have to be the two Top Cat films. For those who do not know, this past decade, Warner Brothers released two animated Top Cat movies primarily for Mexico, as the show has an extremely dedicated following there. The first of these was Top Cat: The Movie in 2011, and a second installment, Top Cat Begins, released in 2015.

Most are aware of these films, but it doesn't seem like many have seen these for themselves. So for our final day of Top Cat June, I thought I'd do a review of both movies. Are these a worthwhile addition to the original Top Cat, or are they little more than attempts at cashing in on it? You probably already know the answer, but let's find out together!

The first movie, simply titled Top Cat: The Movie, can best be described as another cartoon in Top Cat's makeup. The story, characters, and art may seem like Top Cat, but the execution is a far cry from what you'd expect. The plot, at least at first, is a typical episode of the show. T.C. is trying to impress a gal, and comes up with a scheme to win her over. But that feel gets upended with the introduction of the film's villain, Lou Strickland. Strickland is the new Chief Officer, and is obsessed with both technology and money. He replaces the police force with a robot army, and creates ridiculous laws solely to profit off of those who don't follow them.

You're probably as confused with that plot synopsis as I was watching it. I'm sorry, but if there's any Hanna-Barbera cartoon that didn't need a robot army plotline, it was Top Cat. It felt like a pitch for an original animated movie that the studio then haphazardly shoved the Top Cat IP into. It doesn't help that Strickland himself is one of the most annoying characters I've ever seen in a movie. His obsession with money makes you think he'd be presented as a sort of foil for Top Cat, but the movie does nothing like that. Instead, the focus is on throwing the word "technology" into every sentence he utters, effectively turning the film into another "technology is bad" story that we've seen done in countless other, better animated films.

The weak plot could be forgiven if it led to some fun comedy and character interactions. Sadly, there's little of either present here. There are some funny moments, like when the gang reenacts the opening intro without Top Cat, but that's it. The film also makes the poor decision to have T.C. spend a lot of the film's runtime away from the gang. The entire middle chunk sees the characters apart, and it's about as entertaining as it sounds. Unsurprisingly, these guys are at their best as a collective.

So the film's story and humor are poor. Does the film look and sound nice? To that, I say "kinda"? The animation here consists of 2D characters against 3D backgrounds. The characters look nice, but the animation is very flat and gives off a low-budget vibe. It feels very "flash", and I wasn't shocked at all to find out that was indeed the case. Putting these characters in 3D is also the kind of thing that sounds cool in theory, but leaves a lot to be desired in practice. It felt like a TV commercial, which is about the last thing you want to hear regarding the visuals of a feature film. But while the 2D art leaves me wanting, I do find the backgrounds to be impressive for what they are. It's certainly not Pixar tier, but they do a good job at invoking the feel of the backgrounds on the original show.  As for the voice cast, it's hit or miss. One actor, Jason Harriz Katz, voices half of the alley cats, and not all of his takes on the characters are winners. His Top Cat voice is serviceable, but his Choo Choo sounds nothing like the series voice. I imagine this was more the fault of the film's budget than anything, but it's still something that took me out of the movie.

So that's the 2011 Top Cat movie. Long story short, it's probably the worst thing with the Top Cat name attached to it. Like so many reboots and remakes of beloved cartoons, it fails to see what was so great about the original, and instead focuses way too much on "modernizing" the character. It's a cash grab, pure and simple.

While I and many others rejected this film, the Top Cat flick was an undeniable success. It had one of the biggest openings for a film in Mexico's history, and even saw release in other territories. Another film seemed inevitable, and in 2015, we got Top Cat Begins. This film goes back to before the series, acting as a prequel that shows how the gang first met. While you'd think that would make the story more interesting this time around, it really doesn't. The story isn't as paint by numbers as the first film, but it's not exactly exciting, either. You know how the characters are going to meet, how they'll act, and you know how the story ends. 

In all honesty, most of the problems from the 2011 film are still present in this follow-up. The comedy is once again boring and unimaginative. The character moments don't come close to any from the original show. And for the second time, a ridiculous amount of the runtime is wasted on new characters you couldn't care less about. In this film, you've got a bad dog (literally named Bad Dog) and his gang. None of them (seen below) feel like they belong with the original characters, but they do feel like characters from an unrelated animated series that never got the greenlight. That being said, they're not constantly going on about technology, so I guess it's an improvement. 

Speaking of improvements, I find the animation in Begins to be an upgrade from the 2011 film. Instead of a hybrid 2D/3D art style, the entire film is CG-animated. While the animation feels more at home on a TV series than a feature film, the look is much more unified and clean than in the previous movie. But other than that, there really isn't anything to say about this one. It's boring, predictable, and flat-out uninspired. I prefer it over the other movie, but that's not saying much.

And those are my thoughts on the Top Cat movies. I'll be real, I knew these weren't going to be any hidden gems, but I was kind of shocked at how bad these really are. No wonder nobody talks about these! As bad as something like Yo Yogi! might be, at least it's funny and memorable in its lack of quality. There's nothing worth holding onto in either of these. They're like the animated versions of white noise more than actual movies. Top Cat and the rest of the gang deserved a whole lot better than this dreck.

Top Cat is Turning Red

 It's been a hot minute since I've shared some truly bizarre Hanna-Barbera merchandise here. But I'm back with a vengeance today. The item I'm about to show you might be the strangest thing yet, and before you say anything, yes, it is indeed an officially licensed item. So what is all this hoopla over? Why, a Top Cat inflatable figurine, obviously!

This item was produced by Scannex Merchandise in Hong Kong. The packaging looks fine enough, though it's weird that this is branded as a Flintstones product despite other Hanna-Barbera characters also being featured. It's also a pretty funny sight to see T.C., Huckleberry Hound, and Yogi all hitching a ride with Fred Flintstone. That Flintmobile must be roomy to have that many people in it. Oddities aside, it at least looks like the character. I wish I could say the same for the actual product.

Below, I present Top Cat in all his crimson glory. I guess this is him after a major sunburn, but it's a far cry from what the packaging advertises. It's interesting that the pose is almost exactly the same as the one on the package, but the color is completely off. And I don't know about any of you, but his expression is just a tad bit unnerving. I'd certainly hate to see this in the dark, that's for sure!

Video of the Week: Top Cat ABC Promo

 Top Cat June is almost over, so for our final video this month, I thought we'd go back to where it all started. Below is a 1961 promo that ABC aired for Top Cat. The advertisement itself isn't too unique, but do take note of the slightly different lyrics used for the theme song here. I don't really know why the theme would be different, but it's a cool detail nonetheless.

Hanna-Barbera Home Video Posters

 Remember when home video was a big deal? I sure do, and one of the things that made a home video release so exciting way back when was the marketing behind one. It wasn't uncommon to see big posters and other promotional materials hyping up a new release in your local video store. And today, I'll be looking at some of the many posters Hanna-Barbera Home Video produced to advertise their newest releases.

This poster found its way into stores in 1989, and promotes three videos based on Top Cat, Pixie and Dixie, and Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy. The poster proclaims that these are classic "cats and dogs...and mice too"!

I couldn't find when this poster was used, but it promotes videos for the summer season. Its a more colorful image than the previous one, featuring a bunch of characters taking on different activities. Most of them make sense within the summer setting, but I kind of scratch my head at Huckleberry Hound bowling. A little random, is it not?

The last poster for today comes from 1990, and advertises a whopping six VHS tapes, all based from the Yogi's Treasure Hunt series. If I'm being honest, I'm a little surprised they made that many tapes off of this show. Yogi and the gang seem to share my shock. You'll also notice an ad in the bottom for a Wendy's Yogi Bear kids' meal that was occurring at the time. Now that's some brand synergy right there!

TV Tinykins Store Displays

 Of all the oodles of merchandise that was created during the early years of Hanna-Barbera, I think Marx's line of TV Tinykins are among my favorites. These guys were nice, pocket-sized versions of the various Hanna-Barbera characters. Another great thing about them were the store displays, and today, I'd like to show off some of those in all their old-school glory.

This first display has a cool blue acting as the background color, and puts the focus on three shows: Top Cat, Quick Draw McGraw, and Huckleberry Hound. The artwork of the characters is a neat companion to the actual figures, but I've gotta say, something about T.C.'s face isn't sitting right with me.

The second one I'm showing off has purple as its background color, and adopts a "house" format to the display. There's more figures being shown off, but the character artwork is nowhere near as enticing as before. What's going on with Yogi?

The last one I'll be featuring isn't focused on the individual figurines, but the playsets instead. The artwork is much closer to the shows than that last one, and it does a good overall job at presenting all these distinct sets. Now I ask the question all of these ask: do you have them all?

Video of the Week: Everything's Sound with Top Cat

 Hey, remember those two Top Cat CG-animated films produced for Mexico? I'm sure many of you do, and many of you do not. I'll cover them more in-depth next week, but something I bet none of you will have heard of is this Top Cat PSA, which played in UK cinemas when the movie was brought over there in 2012. Using footage from the film, the clip lets viewers know that this theater is equipped with devices for those with auditory or visual problems. It's a pretty neat find, though it seems odd they used this film to promote those services out of all their options.

Top Cat Heads For Beverly Hills

  In 1987, Hanna-Barbera began to put out a series of made for TV movies known as the "Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10." The films covered many different characters and franchises, ranging from a Flintstones and Jetsons crossover to several Scooby installments. The films also allowed Hanna-Barbera to return to characters that the studio hadn't utilized in some time, and nowhere was that more evident than in the fifth film in the series to air, Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats.

Like other Hanna-Barbera classics, Top Cat was anything but that when it premiered on TV. The show was canceled after one season, but slowly began to take on a new life in reruns. Despite this, the characters were rarely seen again, save for the occasional crossover series. Finally, in 1988, Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats premiered, being the first Top Cat production in over twenty years. 

On paper, it sounds like a surefire hit. It brought back the surviving cast members, and stuck heavily to the formula the original series created. Barry Blitzer, a writer on the series, also came back to pen the script. Unfortunately, the special doesn't quite live up to the best episodes of the show, or even some of the weaker ones for that matter. I've discussed the film before, but for me personally, it feels more like an imitation of the series than a genuine continuation. After the first couple minutes and the wow factor of seeing these characters again wears off, you're left with a pretty unremarkable TV film.

Despite my feelings for the film, I felt I owed it at least one dedicated post during Top Cat June. From the Beaumont Enterprise on March 27th, 1988, here's a preview they did for the movie. They run through its storyline, the animation precess, and they also have a couple quotes from Top Cat himself, Arnold Stang for good measure. 

Top Cat and pals prowl Beverly Hills

By Lela Davis

    Try talking to a Top Cat, the coolest cat in the alley, and see how you feel.
    Arnold Stang has been the voice of the Hanna-Barbera Top Cat since the feline hereo first started scamming the alley with his buddies. Now, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera have created a new two-hour special called "Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats" which will air at 9 a.m. Sunday on KBMT (Channel 12). 

    The animated story is so full of high-sounding morals and low-sounding conniving that Stang had to talk fast, just to tell it.
    Top Cat and his buddies' latest scam is posing as "Alley Scouts." They do good deeds, whether they're needed or not, and then hit up their "victims" for a reward.
    During the Alley Scouts scam, Benny the ball saved the life of a bag lady without asking for a reward. And it turns out that the bag lady was the wealthy and eccentric Mrs. Vandergelt. She wore disguises so she could find out who her true friends were.
    Now, Benny has been summoned to the Vandergelt Mansion in Beverly Hills for the reading of her will.
    To everyone's surprise, Mrs. Vandergelt has left her entire fortune to her long-lost niece, Amy. But since Amy is long-lost, the bulk of the estate goes to good scout Benny the Ball—with one condition: If anything happens to Benny within the first 48 hours after the reading of the will, the estate reverts to the servants Snerdly and Rasputin.
    Top Cat suggests to Benny that he and the gang move in the mansion, where life can be great.
    "I don't want to tell much more about the plot," said Stang, "because I'd be giving away some surprises. But Top Cat and his friends get lonesome for the alley, so when they move out of the mansion, it's because they want to."
    The procedure for an animated Top Cat show is that Stang and the other characters record the story first, and then the animation begins. He and the other actors are directed by Gordon Hunt, a veteran director who guides actors through performances in recording sessions before a microphone almost in the same manner as he directs plays. 

    The animation process takes almost a year after the voices have been recorded.
    "Although it sounds easy, the acting challenge is greater when you're only talking to a mike," said Stang. "I find acting in the theater easier to do and more rewarding. There, I have direct contact with the audience. All of them are individuals. You marry them—have the same reactions, share a common experience. Depending on the intelligence and the emotions of the audience, you create a mutual experience. They are sending a signal that comes back.
    "It is more difficult to do the acting without audience reaction. You must create everything yourself—your own mind, your own voice. You rely on magic and imagination to compensate."
    Films call on other kinds of talent, he said. "It's a technical medium, a director's medium, an editor's medium. Your meaning can be changed by the way a movie is put together."
    Stang, who has played the role for many years, says he thinks of Top Cat as a person. "I know about his background, his family and his childhood," he said. "I know his personality—how he would react to a situation. The only way I can play him is to identify, which I do. He's raffish— a Huckleberry Finn kind of person who represents the escapes people wanted and didn't have."