Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (film)

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is an 2008 American animated comedy film directed by Dan Povenmire and produced by Paul Rudish, Povenmire, and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. The film is a spin-off movie to the 1994 Mickey Mouse film, previously directed by John Lasseter. The film features the voices of Tara Strong, Zach Galifianakis, Wayne Allwine, and Russi Taylor. The film is about Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who needs to get back the legendary jewel called "The Roman Diamond", along with his partner Mickey Mouse, to get it back from a criminal. This was one of Allwine's last film appearances as Mickey Mouse before his death on May 18, 2009, one year after the release of this film.

The film had been in development since 2002 after John Lasseter's 1994 Mickey Mouse film was a success at the box office and received positive feedback. Because of this, thousands of Walt Disney Animation Studios fans demanded to Lasseter for a sequel. In 2005, released the title for the film as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, showing it as a spin-off film with Oswald. However, Lasseter announced that he won't return for his role as the director, but would be an executive producer on the film. Dan Povenmire, who would later create Phineas and Ferb along with Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, was on set to direct the film while Paul Rudish (who would later create a series of Mickey Mouse shorts), Povenmire, and Marsh would produce the film while Lasseter executive produced it.

Synopsis
As a spin-off to the Mickey Mouse 1994 film based on Walt Disney's famous creation of the same name, Oswald the Rabbit is a secret agent who has been well known for stopping crime along with his partner Michael "Mickey" Mouse. Two years later, Oswald gets alerted that the famous Roman Diamond has been stolen by a thief named Joe Ascott. To get it back, Oswald and Mickey must embark on a journey to a dangerous mountain, a cruise ship, an old woman's house, a forest, and finally reaching Joe Ascott's house where he is holding the Roman Diamond.

Plot
In the 1990 Awards, Agent Oswald the Rabbit and his partner Michael "Mickey" Mouse are awarded the "Thank You for Saving Us" Academy Award for saving millions of people from crime for several years.

At nightime, a criminal/bandit named Joe Ascott steals the famous Roman Diamond. A guard spots him and tries to chase him, but after a smoke bomb, the guard loses Joe. Many reports about Joe is made. Oswald and Micheal's boss, Goofy Goof, demands the both of them to catch Joe immediately before the Roman Diamond and Museum will be the downfall.

Mickey and Oswald take the order and try to find Joe. They find a letter on the ground from Joe saying that he is located all the way in the Dark Forest in which is located 4,000,000 miles away. They do not know where the forest is, but they can look all over town to find clues. Goofy gives them a call and says to them that Joe is a 49 year old criminal who also cut down all of the trees in Alviland Avenue, but Oswald did not know that since he was not living there. Joe, finding out that Michael and Oswald are on their way to get the Roman Diamond back, sends the infamous Beagle Boys to go deal with them.

While Michael and Oswald are on their quest finding more notes to get to the forest, Michael's girlfriend Minnie, calls and volunteers to help. Oswald picks up a letter saying "you'll never know that the dark forest iz located all the way in canda!!! o nu, me said 2 much!!!", allowing Michael, Minnie, and Oswald to find Joe. Meanwhile, Goofy is relieved that Michael and Oswald will not give up finding Joe. Meanwhile, Michael, Oswald, and Minnie find a dangerous mountain called "Svitzwerald", but they have no choice, but to climb the mountain.

On the way to the top of the mountain, Michael, Oswald and Minnie find a bigfoot there. The bigfoot will not hurt them and agrees to help them. That's when they run into Joe's friend Pete. Pete summons his girlfriend Ursula to summon the world's greatest most dangerous villains in all of the history from the 1700s. The bigfoot holds them off while Oswald, Michael, and Minnie go to run to the other side to the forest. Ursula makes the mountain's snow fall down on them, with Oswald, Michael, and Minnie on the other side. They're happy that they reached the forest until they look and see that it's a cruise. They then get disappointed.

Michael meets his friend, Donald, who is the captain of the cruise. Donald gives Michael, Oswald, and Minnie a tour of the cruise and then shows the three of them their rooms. Meanwhile, Joe sees that Pete, Ursula, and the dangerous villains of the 1800s have failed. He then throws a temper fit like a baby with him still holding the Roman Diamond and he tells the Beagle boys to get ready when Michael, Oswald, and Minnie come to the forest. Joe then laughs like a villain as he is holding the diamond very tight. On the cruise at night, Oswald gets up to the bathroom where he is attacked by Pete, who was hiding in the shower. Michael knocks out Pete with a baseball bat and goes with Oswald to go to bed with Minnie.

At morning, Captain Donald wakes everyone up for breakfast at "Captain Donald's Super Fun Fancy Cafeteria!" At the cafeteria, Minnie asks Michael what's going on and Oswald talks about the incident with Minnie that Pete came in the restroom, making her shocked. After breakfast, Donald announces that they are at their destination. Michael, Oswald, and Minnie say goodbye to Donald before exiting the cruise. They think that they've made it to a forest until they find out that it's a private island, making them disappointed again. An old grandmother of three allows Michael, Oswald, and Minnie into her house where she bakes them cookies from the oven.

Meanwhile, Goofy sings a song about how he trusts Michael and Oswald. Meanwhile, the Beagle Boys are still waiting in the forest for Michael, Oswald, and Minnie to arrive. At night, the grandma turns off the light to go to sleep but Oswald thinks that there is something suspicious about the grandma, but Minnie tells Oswald to stop worrying and then they all go to bed. While Michael, Oswald, and Minnie are sleeping, the grandma secretly reveals that she was also sent by Joe to stop them from reaching Joe's house to get The Roman Diamond back from him. The next day, Oswald still finds something suspicious about the grandma.

Oswald, Michael, and Minnie go in the closet to get some new clothes after a raccoon dirties them. After finding new clothes, the grandma locks Oswald, Michael, and Minnie in the closet and tells Joe that she has stopped them from reaching the Roman Diamond. Oswald uses a laser gun to make the door fall apart, also landing on the evil grandma in the process. They then steal the grandma's (she is evil) cookies and then exit the home, only to find a catapult. They then use the catapult to launch themselves all the way to the Dark Forest where they find out that they are almost there to Joe's house. Joe then calls in the Beagle Boys to do their stuff.

While Michael, Oswald, and Minnie are walking, they run into the Beagle Boys. Oswald puts a laser in one of their eyes to distract them, and run away. Michael, Oswald, and Minnie then find a cart that leads all the way to Joe's house. They take the cart and go on the rails including the Beagle boys. Minnie uses a tree to hit the Beagle Boys' cart, but it doesn't work. Shortly after, Oswald alerts Michael and Minnie that there is a giant hole up ahead with lava in it. An unnamed guy builds a ramp, making Michael, Oswald, and Minnie flying up onto the other sides. Due to The Beagle Boys' weight, the cart falls down into the lava, causing a massive explosion for ten seconds. They then arrive at Joe's house where Oswald and Minnie battle Joe while Michael gets the Roman Diamond.

Joe gets help from Pete, Ursula, The Beagle Boys (who are bandaged), and the 1800s villains. They later defeat the villains by summoning the Gods of Disney including Walt Disney himself to drop Joe, Pete, Ursula, The Beagle Boys, and the 1800s villains in a volcano. They thank them for their help. The Gods of Disney then teleport them back to their town where people see they've got the Roman Diamond back and they celebrate. Goofy then congratulates them, including Donald, who came back from the cruise after he found out that being a captain was boring. One week later, Oswald, Michael, and Minnie are declared the heroes of the town and have a ceremony at the town's ball. Michael dances with Minnie, while Oswald finds himself a new girlfriend named Owsway.

Voice cast

 * Tara Strong as Oswald the Rabbit, an well-known agent who is best known for catching criminals.
 * Wayne Allwine as Michael "Mickey" Mouse, the partner of Oswald.
 * Zach Galifianakis as Joe Ascott, a criminal who steals the Roman Diamond.
 * Russi Taylor as Minnie Mouse, the girlfriend of Michael.
 * Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck, a duck who has anger issues. He is the captain of the cruise ship.
 * Bill Farmer as Goofy, a goof who is Michael's best friend and is the boss of Michael and Oswald.
 * Simon Pegg as Goofy's Singing Voice (uncredited).


 * Betty White as Old Grandma, a 99 year old grandma who allows Michael, Minnie, and Oswald into her house.
 * Lake Bell as Owsway the Bunny, a bunny who becomes Oswald's girlfriend.
 * Danny McBride as Harbor McMann, an employee on the cruise ship.
 * Jim Cummings as Pete, a one-eyed person who is the friend of Joe.
 * Steve Coogan as The Beagle Boys, a group of boys who are sent by Joe to stop Oswald and Michael from reaching his house.

Development
After John Lasseter's 1994 Mickey Mouse feature film based on Walt Disney's creation of the same name, many Walt Disney Animation Studios fans and viewers loved the film, including a big box office success. Some Walt Disney fans also demanded for a sequel, which was never announced or confirmed for many years. However, in 2002, the studio announced for a possibility of a spin-off film featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. In 2005, released the title for the film as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, showing it as a spin-off film with Oswald. However, Lasseter announced that he won't return for his role as the director, but would be an executive producer on the film. Dan Povenmire, who would later create Phineas and Ferb along with Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, was on set to direct the film while Paul Rudish (who would later create a series of Mickey Mouse shorts), Povenmire, and Marsh would produce the film while Lasseter executive produced it.

Casting
In 2007, it was announced that Wayne Allwine would reprise his role as Mickey Mouse, now known as Michael Mouse in the film. It was also announced that voice actress Tara Strong would return as the voice of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit from the 1994 film. Russi Taylor (wife of Allwine) reprised her role as Minnie Mouse while Zach Galifianakis was announced as the voice of the film's new main antagonist and villain, Joe Ascott. Meanwhile, Tony Anselmo reprised his role as Donald Duck. Anselmo has been doing the voice of Donald ever since the death of his former voice actor Clarence Nash in 1985. Bill Farmer voiced Goofy in the film, who serves as the boss of Michael and Oswald. Simon Pegg provided Goofy's singing voice because Farmer wasn't in the mood to sing. Steve Coogan voices all three of the Beagle Boys. Lake Bell voices Owsway the Bunny. A female bunny who meets Oswald and later becomes his girlfriend. Betty White voices the 99 year old grandma who was one of Joe's reinforcements to stop Michael, Oswald, and Minnie from reaching Joe's house. Jim Cummings also reprised his role as Pete.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Ethan Murray, Jess Harnell, Paul Rudish, Joey D'Auria, Tress MacNeille, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Tambor, Chris Evans, Chris Diamantopoulos, Peter Dinklage, E.G. Daily, Eric Idle, Matt Stone, Miles Luna, Michael Bell, Samuel Vincent, Christopher Corey Smith, Steve Carell, Jeff Bergman, Jason Sudeikis, Tony Cervone, Benjamin Diskin, Kath Soucie, Joe Alaskey, Bret Iwan, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Mel Brooks, Jim Parsons, and Keegan-Michael Key provide the "Additional Voices".

Theaters
The film was released on February 13, 2008 in Dolby Cinema. Over 8M people at the cinema saw the film for it's annual opening. The film was set for a release in August 2007.

It was also set for a release on April 5, 2008.