Tele-Classifieds: Movie 02: Penelope Pussycat and Friends

***Penelope Pussycat and Friends*** is the 2nd film of *Tele-Classifieds* and the 12th film of *The Wonderful World of Toons* (franchise).

## Overview

Penelope Pussycat, Scrappy-Doo and Surly who, along with a blue engine named Edward, searches for Penelope's missing best friend, Tuffy Mouse. Along the way, Surly learns to take risks and comes to terms with Tuffy taking care of himself.

## Plot

The Films begins On the morning of first day of Summer, an excited Tuffy Mouse wakes Penelope Pussycat, slapping his hand wildly. Surly helps him prepare for the day, showing to be overprotective and doubtful of Tuffy's ability to take care of himself. Penelope escorts Tuffy to outside - along the way, Tuffy asks Surly how old zebras live to be; Surly doesn't have an answer. Mumble takes his friends on a field trip. When Surly learns that they are going to the drop-off, he runs after them in a panic. Upon arrival, Tuffy follows Scrappy-Doo, Cera and Sonic The Hedgehog to the very edge of the cliff, where they see a tank in the distance. They dare each other to walk out into open view to touch it as Surly arrives and yells at Tuffy for endangering himself. While talking to Penelope, Surly fails to notice Tuffy running fiercely, stopping beneath the boat. In an act of defiance, Tuffy touches the boat and starts to return.

Moments later, Fishface appears behind him as Scrappy-Doo, Cera and Sonic The Hedgehog scream. Tuffy is calling for help, so Penelope tries to save him. However, Shadow The Hedgehog stops her from rescuing Tuffy. As Mumble tells Penelope's friends to take cover, Fishface captures Tuffy. Shadow The Hedgehog takes a photo of Penelope. Regaining her sight, The trio runs after the villains as the tank departs. Shadow places Tuffy in a cage and accidentally drops his letter on the ground.

Penelope, Scrappy and Surly run after the tank, but eventually loses the trail. They raced into the city floor, begging passing schools of animals for help until they bumps into Edward. Edward claims to have seen the boat and leads a thankful three in the direction it went but, as they swim along, he becomes lax and even tries to evade Penelope when he notices her behind him. When Edward confronts the trio, Surly questions him and is then told that Edward has short-term memory loss. Dumbfounded, Surly turns to leave, but is stopped by Shenzi. She invites Edward and the animals to a get-together she's having and, despite Surly's objections, escorts them to her lair in Junkyard. They meet Shenzi's friends, Banzai and Ed, before beginning an assembly where they pledge to abstain from eating animals.

When Surly spots the letter on the ground, he discovers markings on the strap that might provide a clue to Tuffy's whereabouts. Penelope picks up the mask to see if the hyenas can read, but Surly tries to take it back, engaging in a tug-of-war before the mask snaps into Scrappy's face, causing a nosebleed. The smell of the blood excites Shenzi's inner carnivore and, though Banzai and Ed try to stage an intervention by holding her back, she mindlessly chases the four through the city, taking hold of the letter in his mouth in the process. During this time, Penelope reveals that she can read human words before she and the gang take refuge in a torpedo well. Penelope releases the torpedo, which wedges in Shenzi's mouth, giving Scrappy-Doo enough time to grab the mask and flee back into the well. Shenzi throws the torpedo away, and Banzai and Ed are able to regain her attention in time before the torpedo sets off one of the mines, causing a violent chain reaction of explosions from the others.

Meanwhile, Tuffy is placed into a new container revealed to be a cell in Fishface's office. There he meets a few of the original inhabitants including Garfield, Iago, Wally Gator, Yakky Doodle, Georgette and Pig The Pig. Jessica perches herself on the window near the cell and greets Tuffy after briefly discussing dental procedures with the other hostages. she is shooed away by Fishface, who shows Nemo a picture of Meathead Cat. He makes an announcement that he is going to be here on Friday to pick Tuffy up. The other animals cringe and call her a mouse killer ('she wouldn't stop eating mice'). Afraid and wanting to go home, Tuffy backs away and gets stuck in the hole. The other animals go to help him, but Doc appeared to stop everyone as he walked towads and tells Tuffy that he must escape himself, giving Tuffy instructions and encouragement. Tuffy manages to free himself and Wally relates his strength to his ocean origins, like Doc.

Edward and the animals awake in the aftermath of the explosions to find the submarine hanging precariously over the edge of a deep ravine. Their movements cause the submarine to suddenly tip forward and collide with the rock wall of the far side. During the chaos and blinded temporarily by the dust, Penelope accidentally drops the letter into the darkness below. Surly gives it up for lost, but Penelope cheerfully takes Surly and the boys into the cave, telling him to just keep walking. After a moment, they come upon a mysterious and alluring light which, unfortunately, belongs to Rudy.

During the chase, Edward finds the letter and distracts Rudy long enough so that Penelope can read the address written on it. Surly then leads Rudy towards the trap and traps it using the cartoon physics as a tether. Penelope recites the address "X. Montes, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney" and is ecstatic to find that she can remember it.

In the cell, Tuffy is woken by Iago, who takes him to the volcano, Mt. Wannahockaloogie, where the other animals perform an initiation to include Tuffy in their club giving him the nickname "Shark Bait". Doc then proposes a plan to escape the cell by using the keys. Though the other animals are skeptical, Doc asserts that Tuffy is small enough to fit into the bars and make it back with the keys. Tuffy agrees to do it.

Penelope and the boys continue their journey and request directions to Sydney from God. He tells the four to take the East Australian Current (EAC) after an impressive display of their synchronized impressions. When they come to a rocky trench, Surly resolves to swim over it to avoid the ominous enclosure. With the EAC in view, Penelope becomes distracted and is bitten by a tiny fossa. As Surly tends to her, they are suddenly surrounded by a group of fossas. Finding that the back are the weakness, Penelope and the boys battle them as they race out of the school.

Tuffy waits in the cell with Doc, who keeps an eye on Fishface for an opportune moment to get the key. Noticing Tuffy looking at his scar, Doc explains that he got it from a sharptooth. He says that all trails lead to the outside and that animals weren't meant to live in a captive. Yakky cries out that Fishface is going for lunch which cues Tuffy to leap out of the cell. Doc gives instructions as Tuffy grab the key. However, as he quickly to free the hostage, Fishface returned and attack the mouse. The other animals hurry and send Tuffy a tall piece of rope. Tuffy separates a portion of the kelp, but grabs onto it. Shaken, Garfield asks Doc not to send Tuffy out again. Sullen and realizing his plan put Tuffy in grave danger, Doc says they're done.

Meanwhile, Surly find himself riding a zebra, who introduced himself as Seko. Incredulous, he discovers that he's also riding along the EAC with dozens of other zebras and large horses. Surly is reunited with Penelope, who meet Seko's son, Khumba.The boys also meets Seko's spirited son, Khumba. While playing with the other zebras, Khumba is accidentally propelled outside the current. Surly is panicky at first however Seko convinces him that Khumba can handle himself. Khumba is able to swim his way back into the current and gleefully joins his father. Surly sees that even the youngest among the zebras can learn to survive.

Having been told some details of their journey and the encounter with the jellyfish, Khumba asks Penelope to tell him the rest of the story. Hesitant at first, Penelope begins with when Tuffy was abducted. Her story is not ignored; it's passed on from Fifi Pussycat to Pierre Pussycat to Geraldine Mouse to Ruby-Doo and onward until it comes to the ears of none other than Jessica Rabbit. Hearing Tuffy's name, she returned to the cell. There, Tuffy tries to apologize to Doc for the botched escape attempt, but Doc says that his eagerness to escape almost cost Tuffy his life and that nothing should be worth that. Jessica arrives, crashing into the closed window, but recovers and is able to tell Tuffy the story of Penelope's journey as it was told to him. Renewed and invigorated, Tuffy takes it upon himself to try get the keys and, this time, succeeds.

Edward and the gang continue along the EAC until they come to their exit point where Seko and Khumba show them where to depart the main line. After a confusing instructional speech on "proper exiting technique", Khumba pushes them into the exit flume and back into surface world. Thanking Seko, Surly asks the zebra how old he is; Seko answers that's he is 38 years old and still young. They are instructed to continue through a large fog to Sydney. However, they soon become lost and Penelope resolves to ask a distant fish for directions. Though Marlin is afraid at first, he decides to trust Penelope and she calls out to the distant figure. When she sees Moby Dick, she starts speaking 'whale', asking for help. Surly grows frustrated with her again just as Moby Dick approaches from behind and pulls them into his mouth.

Meanwhile, Doc and the gang are now free. Doc is very happy to see freedom and thanks to Tuffy, In Fishface's lair, Fishface discovers the gang has just escaped. He decided to assemble his henchmen: Rudy, Marvin The Martian, Meathead Cat, Pterodactyl Ghost, Norvirus Raccoon, Shadow The Hedgehog, Zeta and Phango. Unknown to Fishface, Tuffy looks out the view, hoping his best friend will come soon.

In the Moby Dick's mouth, Penelope, Scrappy and Surly remain safe. Though Penelope is complacent, Surly futilely attempts to break out by ramming into the whale's baleen. He yells at Penelope for claiming to have spoken whale, calling her insane and lamenting over the fact that he'll never see Tuffy again. Penelope tries to console him as Moby Dick emits a call and the water in the mouth begins to drain. Moby then lifts his tongue to push the trio to the back of the throat, but Surly refuses to let go until Penelope assures him that everything will be all right though she doesn't know what will happen. Finally, Surly closes his eyes and releases his grip on the Moby's tongue. They fall to the back of the throat, where they are then shot out of the whale's blowhole, landing in the harbor of Sydney. Overjoyed to have finally arrived, Surly sends his thanks to the whale and encourages the duo to help him find the boat that took Tuffy.

Tuffy and the gang emerges from the piping and calls out for Penelope. He finds Edward swimming confusedly under a buoy, saying that he's lost someone but can't remember. Tuffy offers to search with her, and Edward happily complies, though he doesn't recognize him. As they swim together, Edward comes upon a piece of piping and reads "Sydney" on it. Suddenly, all of his memories come back to him, and he rushes at Tuffy, hugging him fiercely, before leading him in the direction Penelope went. They find out that Penelope headed towards fishing grounds and reunite with her amongst the adults.

The adults then cries out in panic as a large net from Fishface above envelopes them. Surly is caught up in the netting, and Penelope says that she must save them. Though Doc fears for Penelope's safety, he lets go and allows Penelope to do what he can. Doc instructs the panicked adults from outside the net and they all soon start marching. Fishface investigate and realize that the net is being pulled in the other direction. Penelope, Tuffy and the adults push the net towards the bottom until it finally snaps away from the boat, freeing everyone. The gang find Penelope under the heavy netting - Marlin is stricken with grief, believing Penelope is dead. Penelope regains consciousness, and Surly gently tells Tuffy that he found out that zebras live to be 38 years old.

Penelope and Tuffy come to an understanding, and everyone go back to their home. Surly's demeanor has changed for the better, and he is more upbeat and confident in Tuffy's abilities. Penelope takes Tuffy to summer, where Edward is dropped off by Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, who have included Edward in their vegetarian program. Tuffy hugs Penelope before heading off on another field trip with Mumble. The film ends with Penelope watches them leave, knowing that Tuffy will be alright.

## Characters

* Penelope Pussycat
* Tuffy Mouse
* Scrappy-Doo
* Surly
* Cera
* Sonic The Hedgehog
* Garfield
* Iago
* Wally Gator
* Yakky Doodle
* Georgette
* Pig The Pig
* Doc
* Khumba
* Mumble
* Shenzi
* Banzai
* Ed
* Moby Dick
* Fifi Pussycat
* Pierre Pussycat
* Geraldine Mouse
* Ruby-Doo
* Queen Aleena
* Cera's Dad
* Seko
* Norma Jean
* Memphis
* Jessica Rabbit
* Stonekeeper
* Edward
* Fishface
* Rudy
* Marvin The Martian
* Meathead Cat
* Pterodactyl Ghost
* Norvirus Raccoon
* Shadow The Hedgehog
* Zeta
* Phango
* God

## Voice Talent

* Ellen DeGeneres as Penelope Pussycat
* Kath Soucie as Tuffy Mouse
* Scott Innes as Scrappy-Doo
* Will Arnett as Surly, Wally Gator
* Anndi McAfee as Cera
* Ben Schwartz as Sonic The Hedgehog
* Frank Welker as Garfield, Pterodactyl Ghost
* Gilbert Gottfried as Iago
* Tony Anselmo as Yakky Doodle
* Bette Midler as Georgette
* Gary Anthony Williams as Pig The Pig
* Willem Dafoe as Doc
* Jake T. Austin as Khumba
* Elijah Wood as Mumble
* Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi, Ruby-Doo
* Cheech Marin as Banzai
* Jim Cummings as Ed
* Michael Dorn as Moby Dick
* Alfre Woodard as Fifi Pussycat
* D.B. Sweeney as Pierre Pussycat, Shadow The Hedgehog
* Demi Lovato as Geraldine Mouse
* Awkwafina as Queen Aleena
* Billy Connolly as Cera's Dad
* Laurence Fishburne as Seko
* Nicole Kidman as Norma Jean
* Hugh Jackman as Memphis
* Sofía Espinosa as Jessica Rabbit
* Common as Stonekeeper
* William Hope as Edward
* Christian Lanz as Fishface
* Gary Oldman as Rudy
* Eric Bauza as Marvin The Martian, Meathead Cat
* Liam Neeson as Norvirus Raccoon, Phango
* Leslie Jones as Zeta
* James Earl Jones as God

## Opening Credits

* Based Upon Characters Created by: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

* Executive Producer: Sam Register

* Produced by: Bobbie Page

* Associate Proudcer: Judge Plummer

* Music by: Thomas Newman

* Casting and Voice Direction by: Maria Estrada

* Edited by: Paul Hunter

* Story by: Robert Zappia

* Written by: John Edwards

* Directed by: Darrell Van Citters

## Songs

1. *Hola*: Ellen DeGeneres, Kath Soucie, Scott Innes, Will Arnett, Anndi McAfee, Ben Schwartz
2. *Let It Roll*: William Hope
3. *I Don't Like It, I Love It*: Ellen DeGeneres, Kath Soucie, Scott Innes, Will Arnett, Anndi McAfee, Ben Schwartz
4. *That's What I Like*: William Hope
5. *Who's With Me?*: Ellen DeGeneres, Kath Soucie, Scott Innes, Will Arnett, Anndi McAfee, Ben Schwartz, Willem Dafoe, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried, Tony Anselmo, Bette Midler, Gary Anthony Williams

## Trivia

* This film is based on *Finding Nemo*.
* This is the first film where Penelope Pussycat is the main protagonist.