Percy (1998)

Percy is a 1998 American live action/animated comedy film directed Joe Johnston in his first Disney directorial debut, starring the popular Disney character Percy created by Henry Helm and Walt Disney. The film stars Matt LeBlanc, Camilla Belle, Bebe Neuwirth, John Cleese, Goldie Hawn, William Shatner, and Patrick Dempsey, with the voices of Martin Short, Mel Brooks, Hallie Eisenberg, TBA and Mary Thomas Smith as the title role. 
Percy was the first live action/animated hybrid film to be produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and was released theatrically in the United States on November 15, 1998, by Disney under its Family Entertainment label. Percy was released in cinemas on November 15, 1998, by Walt Disney Pictures. 
The film was inspired by the same art and visual designs of the popular 1996 film Space Jam, It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the film for its faithfulness to its source material (specifically the title character's portrayal), visual effects, music score by James Horner, and performances, but criticized its unappropriated tone and humor. The film earned $288 million on a $55 million budget, and spawned a sequel a decade later, Percy 2 (2003) starring there with Ben Stiller. 
== Plot ==
The film begins with a Christmas party in a New York mansion with Juliet and Fred (Goldie Hawn) and (William Shatner) who are inviting a huge finical host party with some carol singing and bringing in a huge Christmas party, With Percy (Mary Thomas) seeing through the window seeing all the guest celebrating Christmas and enjoying the party with Percy wishing he was part of the party and to be excepted into a family after abandoning his family back in Germany. During the party Arlo Reynard the Fennec Fox (Martin Short) and Mr. Gopher (Mel Brooks) are their for the party to trade a deal with Juliet and Fred for some cash to retrieve the inheritance for there Hotel in New York, so they hire them to spy undercover to grab or "steal" their contract of their fair share of the hotel by two siblings grandmother. 
The film revolves around an hard aggressive man named Tim Harry (Matt LeBlanc) who is an over working father with her daughter Kate in Minnesota who wants to spend as much time with her daughter as possible until he goes to New York to find a full time job at a hotel, cause he got fired for his presentation for his previous business job and got some full time completion with Dave Hopkins (Patrick Dempsey). Kate is always disappointed with her father always ditching her for work ever since her mother passed away sometime ago and never seeing him, but never questions anything and just goes off to New York to gain his job and help out his family back in Minnesota but still has got some beef to Dave who is competing for the full time employee for the hotel but getting stop and strictly forbids and nonsense in hotel by Alfred Francis Francis (John Cleese) who gives them a list of jobs they have to accomplish to give the job but have to deal with Arlo and Mr. Gopher playing their part to retrieve the contract for Julie and Fred.
Percy than see's Tim and what he is wanting for his family when he calls his wife and wants to help him to be like a father like son to him but gets a little untrusting of him as he meet Mr. Arlo and Mr. Gopher who were trying to bribe him to steal the contract for them and promises that he'll help him out with gaining his job and earning money without confronting Arlo and Gopher.
Percy gains the trust of the Harry's when he serves them breakfast, he meets Tim's daughter Kate and follows him to work, where he helps him out with tiding the hotel up and greeting the guest with heavy suitcases, messy bathrooms, and even hooking him up with Tim's good friend from Minnesota Susan (Bebe Neuwirth) and gives him a fancy dinner but than gets distracted by Arlo and Gopher who are trying to bribe him to give up the contract but Percy refuses so he than goes on a wild chase by the two and ends up destroying the hotel with Tim getting in trouble and given full time to clean up and loses a lot of his revenue and not getting for the damage causing Tim to get all worked up at Percy for causing him to almost losing his job even though he was just trying to help and doesn't talk to Percy on the way home with Percy hanging out on the balcony all alone but gets some company with Kate and tries to cheer him with Percy wanting to show Kate his secret place to relax and be along with a beautiful view of the golden gate bridge and the ocean and loves to be their to get away from people who judge him.
Kate learns Percy has no memory of his mom, and finds the suitcase in his attic of the picture of his mother in Germany and says that he remembered that his mother left him when he was four with his grandfather who leaves in Manhattan, In bed while Percy starts to talk more about about his past and he fears that he's starting to forget, Kate worries to that he starting to forget to about her mother and always keeps her pendent around her neckless to keep the memories of her and to never forget the certain things she remembered her about and gives Percy her neckless to hold tightly so that he can try to remember the memories of his mother too, and gives Kate a goodnight kisses while she's asleep and see's a picture frame of Tim, Kate and her mother Rose in a picture and makes Percy smile to have hope for them.
== Cast ==
* Mary Thomas Smith as the voice of Percy
* Matt LeBlanc as Tim Harry
* Camilla Belle as Kate Harry "Kat"
* Goldie Hawn as Juliet "Julie"
* William Shatner as Fredric "Fred"
* John Cleese as Alfred Francis Francis
* Michael McKean as Manager Steve 
* Martin Short as the voice of Arlo Reynard the Fennec Fox
* Mel Brooks as the voice Mr. Gopher 
* Bebe Neuwirth as Susan Griffin 
* Patrick Dempsey as David Hopkins 
* Hallie Eisenberg as Cammy
* TBA as Jack
== Production ==
Joe Johnston the director of the film took inspiration of the animation of Percy and the other characters from the famous 1996 film Space Jam which had a lot of traditional hand drawn animation but this time mixed in with a some CGI and had hired the original voice actress for him Mary Thomas Smith to recorded the lines of Percy himself and brought in Martin Short and Mel Brooks to do the voices of Arlo Reynard and Mr. Gopher as well.
The film was originally supposed to seek an December 12, 1997 release date, but was then pushed back to November 15, 1998, after Disney expressed dissatisfaction with the film's raunchy tone. It was heavily edited and key scenes were re-shot with Matt LeBlanc in an effort to create a more family-friendly feature. "With the recent acquisition of MGM, " Walt Disney Pictures president Michael Dammann Eisner said. "We've seen the movie, and we really love this film. It's a franchise we believe in and are really excited about, and Martin Short is great as Arlo Reynard."
As per tradition of the original Percy cartoons, animated opening titles are featured.
== Release ==
=== Box Office ===
Percy was released in the United States on November 15, 1998. The UK premiere of the film was held on December 4, 1998, and in Whitehall London UK in the United Kingdom, the city was celebrating the film with a giant balloon parade with Percy with a lot of merchandise. It grossed $136.2 million in North America and $320.7 million worldwide.
=== Home Media ===
Percy was released on VHS for the first time on April 15, 1999, Laserdisc in early 1999, and on DVD on April 21, 2000. It was re-released on September 16, 2008 for its 10 year anniversary. 
== Soundtrack ==
The films soundtrack was composed by James Horner. 
Christophe Beck was originally chosen to compose the score for the film, but was quickly replaced by James Horner, who worked with Joe Johnston on Jumanji. He is credited with the film score which was released as the soundtrack album Percy about one month following the release of the film.
Percy (1998) Soundtrack
No.	Title	Length	Composer
1. 	 	 	James Horner
2. 	 	 	James Horner
3. 	 	 	James Horner
== Sequels ==
The film after it's success gained a sequel in 2003 called Percy 2: Trouble in the City that starred Ben Stiller, that deals with Percy helping Andy who get's hired at the hotel he still hang outs in and gets a unpleasant surprise by a rich family who has some spoiled kids they try to take care of and both Percy and Andy try to keep straight and strict on they're job while trying to survive the crazy society of New York City.