Top Cat Begins (also known in Spanish as Don Gato: El Inicio de la Pandilla, literally Top Cat: The Start of the Gang) is a Mexican-Indian[1] computer-animated film produced by Anima Estudios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures in Mexico.[2] Based on the Top Cat series created by Hanna-Barbera, this film is a prequel to both the series and the movie, taking place before Top Cat met his gang.
Summary[]
Top Cat poses as a federal health inspector, Felix Snagglepuss, with his crew of Fancy-Fancy, Brain and Choo-Choo, and threatens to close the Starlight Club so he can see the owner, Mr. Big. The boss is wise to the ruse and sends his goons to beat up T.C. and the gang. The cats make a run for it but get stuck in an elevator shaft. A helmeted cat arrives, asking why he should help them, so T.C. relates a tale.
New to the city, Top Cat begins to busk on the sidewalk when he hears a squawking around the corner. There he finds Benny trying to play the violin. Hitting it off, they head to Benny's place so his mother can cook them a meal, but they bump into two kittens running from a policeman. T.C. gets the cop off their back and say they don't need to steal things. They explain that if they don't steal things for him, Bad Dog will burn down their orphanage. After dinner at Mrs. Ball's, T.C. and Benny become fast friends, then begin running scams to make money.
The policeman, Officer Dibble, is summoned to the Chief's office. He promotes Dibble and gives him the Hoagy's Alley beat, but says it's in Mr. Big's territory. He also warns him about some cats running scams in the area. When T.C. and Benny try to scam him, a chase ensues. They escape, but run into Bad Dog, who demands they stop running scams in Mr. Big's turf.
Top Cat reads in the newspaper that Bad Dog just stole a fortune in diamonds. He pretends to be Dr. Sylvester Garfield, and has Benny pose as an infected patient to trick Bad Dog and steal the diamonds from him. They celebrate at the Starlight Club and pay with a diamond, alerting Mr. Big to their presence. He sends Bad Dog with them to retrieve the rest of the gems.
Back at Mrs. Ball's, Benny realizes the diamonds are missing. He and T.C. escape while Bad Dog and his crew wreck the place. The cats seek help from Officer Dibble. Chief Thumbton puts out a reward for them to draw out the crooks, and assigns Dibble to protect them. The reward works too well, as everyone in the city tries to capture them. Dibble sends them to stay with his grandmother, out of town. A demanding taskmaster, she makes the do chores for their meals.
Brain clobbers T.C. with a shovel, but Fancy-Fancy, and Choo-Choo explain that he is not a lion. The three were working as clowns in the circus until they accidentally let the lion loose. T.C. offers them positions in his own operation and they accept. He tricks them into doing all his chores.
Bad Dog and company discover the hideout, but Granny Dibble makes short work of them. Top Cat and Benny return to the city. When Benny spends the last of their money on a snack, Top Cat, still sore about him losing the diamonds, says he works better alone, and the two part ways. Benny goes to check on his mother, and learns that she used the "beads" to make a collar for Furletta Duchat, the singer at the Starlight Club. T.C. reports to Dibble, but he says he needs both of them to bust Mr. Big. T.C. tracks Benny down at the club.
Benny sneaks into Furletta's dressing room and gets the diamonds, but accidentally knocks her unconscious. When the guests demand an encore, Benny dresses in her outfit and goes on stage to sing. He is quickly discovered, but he hands the jewels to T.C. and Dibble helps him escape, while Benny is caught. Brain, Fancy, and Chooch arrive and offer to help. The Chief fires Dibble, and the gang begin their health inspector rescue mission.
T.C. offers the helmeted cat the reward money if he helps them. He tosses them a rope and helps them get out. He explains that he used to work for Mr. Big, bringing him pizza, until he brought a cold pizza and Mr. Big crushed his bike. He introduces himself as Hellcat Spook and joins the gang. He brings T.C. to Mr. Big, pretending he wants to trade him for Benny. Meanwhile, Fancy disguises himself as Top Cat, attracts a mob of people looking for the reward, and leads them to Mr. Big's office. T.C. tells them the reward for Mr. Big is bigger, so they turn their attention to him. Benny finds the diamonds and gives them to Top Cat, who promises the gang a new home.
Dibble and the mob bring in Mr. Big, and the Chief gives Dibble his job back. T.C. buries the diamonds in Hoagy's Alley, but the orphans return and want to plant a tree there, because their teacher said the orphanage was out of money and would have to close, so something good should happen today. When he refuses, they cry and he relents, and they dig up the diamonds to save the orphanage. When the cats ask about the new home he promised, T.C. says it's the alley, and they all like the idea.
Production[]
Variety reported that the film's producer, José C. García de Letona, is working on a sequel.[3] He said that the sequel will be "slightly more edgy and contemporary".[4] Fernando De Fuentes, chairman of Anima Estudios, also explained that film is "the most ambitious project in our studio’s history."[2]
Animation[]
Unlike the previous film, which was animated in 2D Adobe flash, the film is animated entirely in computer-generated imagery, according to producer Jose Garcia de Letona.[2] Animation production is being handled by Discreet Arts Productions in India.[1]
Writing[]
The film's screenplay is written by Jim Krieg,[1] known for writing the Scooby-Doo television shows, Doug Langdale,[1] and Jorge Ramírez-Suárez.[1]
Release[]
The film's Mexican release trailer premiered 1 July 2015.[5][6] The film was released in Mexico 30 October 2015.
Gallery[]
Images[]
Other HB Characters[]
Videos[]
References[]
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedVarietyAnimaBegins - ↑ Mexican animator adds English - Entertainment News, Animation, Media - Variety Variety. December 1, 2012. James Young
- ↑ Template:Cite news
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- ↑ WB Pictures Mexico on Twitter: "¿Estás listo para descubrir #ElInicioDeLaPandilla? ¡Prepárate! ¡Mañana llega el primer trailer de #DonGatoLaPelícula!"