Some of you may know who Hong Kong Phooey is, but for those of you who don’t know who this ass kicking canine is, you’ve got to at least recognize his picture. Hong Kong Phooey was a popular animated tv series from the 1970s that was made famous by the Hanna-Barbera company.
As with many old school cartoons, this one is getting the Hollywood live-action/animation treatment thanks to Alcon Entertainment. While I may disagree with bringing back most of these old school cartoons in live action/animation hybrid form, I can agree with the decision to cast Eddie Murphy as the voice of the lead in the film, Mr. Hong Kong Phooey himself. Murphy’s voice is similar in nature to the original voice of the dog, Scatman Crothers (The Shining), so I think he will do the part justice while not making him too eccentric as he tends to do with his live action characters.
The film itself will be directed by Alex Zamm who is known for his straight to DVD kids films like Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, which gives me very little hope for the film to begin with. I’m praying to you studio execs that you don’t make another Alvin and the Chipmunks but rather a movie that all age groups would want to see and actually enjoy.
Here is a basic synopsis of the show and what we can expect from the movie:
Based on the 70’s cult classic Hanna Barbera animated TV series, a mild-mannered dog named PENRY (Murphy) stumbles into a mystic ceremony and is accidentally granted mystic powers, including the ability to walk, talk, and do kung fu. Under the tutelage of his kung fu master, Penry dons a costume and becomes Hong Kong Phooey, and with the help of his trusting sidekick Spot the cat cleans up a rogues gallery of wacky criminals.
What are your thoughts on the film so far? Do you even want it made? What do you think of Eddie Murphy as the voice? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
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