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ThunderCats

2012-07-13T01:10:12Z

184.77.164.76: /* The ThunderCats */

[[Image:Thundercats_Logo.jpg|thumb|The official logo for ThunderCats.]]

'''ThunderCats''' (or '''CosmoCats''' in some countries) was an American [[science fiction]] TV series which debuted in 1985. It featured [[anthopomorphic]] [[animal]]s who greatly resemble [[humans]]. In 1986, a TV movie titled ''ThunderCats-HO!'' was released, after which came the second season, which aired from 1986 to 1987, the third season, which aired from 1987 to 1988, the fourth season, which aired from 1988 to 1989, and finally, the fifth season, which aired from 1989 to 1990. In 1985, a comic series based on ThunderCats was released.

On June 5, 2007, it was announced that Warner Brothers was making a CGI-animated feature film based on ThunderCats, but the project was canned. Instead, the original's creators decided to make a new animated show, and make it a reboot of the original. On July 29, 2011, a 1-hour double pilot episode was aired on Cartoon Network. The fans' reaction had been mostly very positive. As of now, each new episode airs on Fridays.

==Story==
The 1985 series focuses on the ThunderCats, six humanoids who are based on [[feline]]s and come from the planet Thundera. Their home planet was destroyed, so they fled to a planet called Third Earth. Their arch-nemesis is an undead mummy called '''Mumm-Ra'''.

==Comics==
[[Image:Thundercats no 1.png|thumb|The very first ThunderCats issue, which was published in December 1985]]
[[Image:Thundercats2002.jpg|thumb|The second series, which was published in 2002]]
ThunderCats was a succesful TV series, and as a result, spawned a comic book series by Marvel Comics, which was published from December 1985 to 1988. In 1988, a new ThunderCats comic series was published by Marvel UK. In 2002, another ThunderCats comic series was published by DC Comics. There was also a crossover between ThunderCats and Battle of the Planets.

==Books==
Random House produced around a dozen Thundercats books between 1985 and 1987 intended for very young readers that might not be old enough to read the comics. Most of these were original stories set in the Thundercats universe. Almost all of these were illustrated books intended for beginners readers. There was also a coloring book: Mumm Ra Meets His Match, a Story to Color. Two choose your own adventure books for young adults were produced by Random House in 1985: Find Your Fantasy #3: Thundercats and the Ghost Warrior and Find Your Fantasy #4: Thundercats and the Snowmen of Hook Mountain.

==Video game==
[[Image:ThunderCats Video Game.jpg|thumb|the Amstrad CPC version of the video game]]
Elite Systems developed a video game based on ThunderCats. It was released for the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, and Commodore 64. In this game, the player would control Lion-O, who has to defeat Mumm-Ra's evil forces and rescue the other ThunderCats.

==The ThunderCats==
[[Image:ThunderCats logo.svg|thumb|The Eye of Thundera, the insignia of the ThunderCats]]
'''Lion-O''' - Lion-O is the Lord of the ThunderCats. He is based on the [[lion]], and wields the Sword of Omens.

'''Jaga the Wise''' - Jaga is based on the [[jaguar]]. He was an elder warrior, who was once regarded as the greatest of all ThunderCats. He escorted the ThunderCats to safety.

'''Tygra''' - Tygra is based on the [[tiger]]. He wields a whip-like bolas in combat. He is the architect and scientist of the ThunderCats.

'''Panthro''' - Panthro is the second noblest and the second eldest after Jaga. He is based on the [[panther]]. He is the strongest warrior in combat, and is a martial artist. He helps Tygra build the vehicles they use on Third Earth.

'''Cheetara''' - Cheetara is a female warrior. She is based on the [[cheetah]], and can move at superhuman speeds. Her weapon is a staff that can grow or shrink. She has a sixth sense.

'''WilyKat''' and '''WilyKit''' - WilyKat and WilyKit are brother and sister. They are based on the [[wildcat]], and are called the '''ThunderKittens'''.

'''Ben-Gali''' - Ben-Gali is one the new ThunderCats. He is supposed to be based on a white Bengal tiger. Like Tygra, he is fast and agile, and Tygra calls him "brother". It is unclear if he and Tygra are related, or if "brother" is just an endearment. He wields a weapon called the Hammer of Thundera.

'''Pumyra''' - Like Cheetara, Pumyra is a female Thunderean. She is based on the [[puma]], and is one of the new ThunderCats. Like the ThunderKittens, she is agile. In combat, she wields a whipcord.

'''Lynx-O''' - Lynx-O is one of the new ThunderCats. He is based on the [[lynx]], and is blind. Like Cheetara, he has a sixth sense, although that is different. In spite of being blind, he is a formidable fighter. In combat, he wields a Sonic Reflector.

'''Claudus''' - Claudus is the previous Lord of the ThunderCats and Lion-O's father, Claudus ruled Thundera before its destruction. He lost his sight during a war he fought against the mutants of Plun-Darr. In the episode "Return to Thundera," Lion-O is transported back in time to Thundera the day before it was destroyed. He later rescued his father from past versions of Slithe and Vultureman, who were attempting to recover plans for a War-Bot that Claudus' Spies had gotten their hands on; he then proceeded to give these plans to Lion-O, who used them in the present to destroy the mutants' War-Bot. Believed to have died on Thundera while assisting the royal flagship in taking off, he was later found to have been captured by the Shadowmaster. Through a sequence of nightmares, Lion-O eventually learns of his father's imprisonment in the Shadow Realm and is able to rescue him.

'''Jaguara''' - Jaguara is an immortal sorceress. She is ancient and powerful. Like Jaga, she is based on a jaguar.

==External links==
[http://www.thundercatsnow.com/animated-series/ The 2011 show's website:]

[http://www.thundercatslair.org/ "Thundercats Lair":]
[[Category:Animated series]]
[[Category:Comics]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Video game characters]]
[[Category:Feline characters]]
[[Category:1985 births]]
[[Category:Comics characters]]
[[ru:ThunderCats]]

Felidae (movie)

2012-07-13T00:07:32Z

184.77.164.76: /* Differences from the novel */

[[File:Felidae moviecover.jpg|right|200px]]
[[File:Trickompany-Logo.png|right|150px]]
[[Image:Felidae_screenshot.jpg|right|thumb|315px|Francis, the cat detective of Felidae.]]
'''''Felidae''''' is a controversial mystery animated movie that was released in Germany in 1994 by [[wikipedia:de:Michael Schaack|Michael Schaack]] and the animation studio Trickompany. The screenplay is based on the novel ''[[Felidae (novel)|Felidae]]'' and was co-written by the novel's author, [[Wikipedia:Akif Pirinçci|Akif Pirinçci]].<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109791 Felidae (1994)] on IMDB</ref>

==Adult nature==
This animated movie contains graphic scenes depicting animal abuse, violence, gore, and sexual intercourse between animals. In addition there are adult themes, strong language and concepts such as [[Wikipedia:cult|cults]], [[Wikipedia:vivisection|vivisection]] laboratories, [[Wikipedia:Ancient Egypt|ancient Egyptian history]], [[Wikipedia:Evolution|evolutionary]] theories and a resemblance to the events of [[Wikipedia:The Holocaust|The Holocaust]] of [[Wikipedia:World War II|World War II]]

==Release==
Felidae was released theatrically in Germany (October 3rd, 1994), Switzerland (January 20th, 1995), Spain (August 29th, 1996), France (June 3rd, 2009)<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109791/releaseinfo Release dates for Felidae (1994)] on IMDB</ref>. {{fact}} It was released on PAL DVD region 2 with Dolby 5.1 and 2.0 surround sound for the original German audio and Dolby 2.0 for the English audio dub in Dolby 2.0. There are no subtitles. Extras (in German only) include DVD commentary, trailers and a "Making Of".<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Felidae-NON-USA-FORMAT-PAL-Reg-2/dp/B000PS949U Felidae DVD] on amazon.com</ref>.

The film was released in its English version in Australia only for a short time by Roadshow Entertainment. The film was to be released in UK/Ireland (English Europe) & USA/Canada (North America), but distribution was suspended at the last minute.{{fact}}

==English voice cast==
The film had an unreleased English dub, which was only found on the original German DVD. The cast was uncredited and no-one ever knew who voiced who in the English version.{{fact}}

==Differences from the novel==
The film follows the story of the original novel very closely. The following is a list of major differences between the film and novel:

* Longer scenes and monologues are shortened in the film.
*In the book Francis asks the Guardian of the Dead to the meeting but in the film he doesn't.
*In the film Francis and Bluebeard read the book of the ancient Felidae. But in the book Only Francis reads the book.
* In the novel, Francis discovers the journal of Doctor Pretorius. In the film, this becomes a video diary.
*In the film Bluebeard assures Francis in the final battle scene where he rescues Bluebeard when he is attacked by Pascal.But in the novel just Francis faces Pascal in the final battle.
* The character of Bluebeard is present far more often in the film than he is in the novel. This allows Francis to voice his thoughts aloud as he examines crime scenes and figures out the mystery.
*In the book Francis sees Falicity's 'can-opener'. But in the film you don't see Falicity's Can-opener.
*In the film Bluebeard is with Francis when they meet the 'Guardian of the Dead' . But in the novel Francis is the only one who talks to the Guardian of the Dead.
* Bluebeard is given extra lines and moments in the film, which are often a display of black comedy. It also justifies his increased screen time.
* The novel has an epilogue which ties up all of the loose ends of the plot. The film meanwhile doesn’t tie up all the loose ends and simply end on a note of optimism.
* The one nightmare about Deep Purple slaughtering kittens from the novel is missing in the film.

==Anthropomorphism==
The feline’s ability to speak to one another is the major anthropomorphic aspect of the cats in both the film and the original novel on which the film is based. Some of the cats also engage in human activities such as participating in cults, operating computers and reading books. The novel has a deep sense of black humour and irony, as many of the cats have a negative view on the human race. Bluebeard for instance, refers to them as ‘can-openers,’ as that is all human are good for doing. The irony lies in how those human-hating cats behave so much like people. Indeed, the novel is symbolic of particular the acts committed by the [[Wikipedia:Nazi|Nazis]] during [[Wikipedia:The Holocaust|The Holocaust]]. Or to put it more generally, man’s cruelty against man.

==Trivia==

Production costed 15 million marks, setting a new record for the most expensive German animation project.<ref>[http://www.bcdb.com/cartoon/86007-Felidae.html Felidae (1994)] on BCDB</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==
* [http://www.lionking.org/~jammet/animation/felidae/felidae.html Felidae resources] on [[Jammet]]'s homepage ('''spoiler alert''')
* [http://www.tfchamburg.de/ Trickompany website] (also at trickompany.com )

[[Category:Movies]]
[[Category:1994 births]]