Kuckoo Kat: The Search for Whatzitville (2012 film)

Kuckoo Kat: The Search for Whatzitville is a 2012 American animated adventure comedy-drama directed by Arnold Lowe and written by Kirk Malone and Emily Jennings, based on a story conceived by Malone. The film is the third theatrical Kuckoo Kat movie, following Ink Splatter (1994) and Spy, Spy Again (2005) and stars "Weird Al" Yankovic as the voice of the character, in his first leading role in a movie since UHF, alongside Amy Poehler, Charles Fleischer, Jason Alexander, Brad Dourif, Matt Frewer, Jennifer Tilly, Eddie Deezen, Frank Welker, Billy Bob Thornton, Kristen Chenoweth, Norm MacDonald, Jack Black, Bruce Willis, Jane Krakowski, and Paul Reubens in other roles. The film focuses on Kuckoo and his friends venturing through different towns to get to a place called Whatzitville after an incident in their previous home of Toonopolis, while avoiding the wrath of VooVoo and his minions after he finds out Kuckoo is the last surviving "Chosen One".

Production began in 2009 as the idea was conceived by screenwriter Kirk Malone. Originally, there were going to make the film another light-hearted comedy, but decided to create a comedy-drama with much more edgy elements, making this the second movie by Gryphon Animation to get a PG-13 rating, after Road Tripped. The film had its premiere on March 15, 2012 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and had its general release on April 23, 2012, where it was released in the 2:39:1 aspect ratio. The film received critical acclaim for the story, animation, performances, score, humor, and the mix of hilarious cartoon comedy and heartwarming drama. At the box office, it grossed $992.2 million worldwide against a $85 million budget, making this the highest-grossing animated film of 2012 and Gryphon Animation's highest-grossing film of all time.

Plot
Many centuries ago, a toon by the name of Kingsley Kat once defeated a devilish creature from destroying a small town. He was eventually known as the "Chosen One". Over the years, his descendants would then become "Chosen Ones" themselves, but as time passed, these heroes slowly disappeared.

Years later, in the town of Toonopolis, a badly hurt Kuckoo rushes into his house as he starts packing up real fast, to the curiosity of his friends. He then explains to them about an incident that happened earlier this morning that he caused. Earlier, the citizens of the town were holding a party for the town's 105th anniversary, and Kuckoo brought some fireworks to celebrate. However, the fireworks go off badly and ended up injuring the citizens and destroying the town. Eventually, the town catches up with Kuckoo and tries to bust open the front door. Kuckoo and his friends run into the garage and get into their car to escape. The car starts and Kuckoo drives through the garage door, and the mob of citizens chases them throughout the town. Eventually, they get rid of the mob and escape from the town.

Kuckoo thinks that it's smooth sailing from now on, until they crash into a rock and total the car. Kuckoo then gets into a insane rant about him messing everything up and wonders where they will live now. A piece of paper flies into his face that turns out to be a map to a place called Whatzitville, where he and Smarty was born and raised before they moved away and met Kooky and Cuckoo in Toonopolis. After reminiscing the good memories he had at the town, he decides that they should live their together as their new home. The others agree and so, the four start their journey to Whatzitville on foot.

Meanwhile, in the city of Heck, VooVoo, ruler of all things evil is about to unleash his evil plan to take over the world and become ruler of the universe. However, his assistant Smedley tells him that there is one little caveat in his plan: there is one last surviving "Chosen One". VooVoo wonders who it is, until Smedley shows him that it is Kuckoo, who turns out is related to Kingsley Kat, the original "Chosen One" who defeated the great Blazespark, VooVoo's father. Knowing that his plan will be ruined due to him, VooVoo decides to send two exiled minions of his, the spunky One-Eye and his highly skilled wife, LooLoo to find Kuckoo and his friends and kill them.

Meanwhile, after a campfire at night, Kuckoo, Kooky, Smarty, and Cuckoo head off to continue their journey to find Whatzitville, unaware that they are being followed by One-Eye and LooLoo. While on the way, they find a house across from a bayou. The four decide to go over to the house to see if anyone will let them live there. There, they find the owner, Ol' Brick Bobcat, who introduces them to the house and his children, Lil' Bailey Bobcat and Lil' Betty Bobcat. The two immediately fall in love with Kooky and Smarty and decide to get married to them. While Cuckoo easily lets them go, Kuckoo objects to it. Bailey and Betty tell him to buzz off and go get ready for the wedding. Kuckoo then disguises himself into a salesman and during the wedding, sells the bobcats fireworks. He takes off with Kooky and Smarty and sets off the fireworks, which blow up the house and gets rid of the bobcats at first, as well as launch One-Eye and LooLoo (who were hiding in a tree) into the bayou, where they are chased off by crocodiles. The four felines think that they're safe, until they hear the bobcats coming after them and run off. They hide in a tree and escape the bobcats. Without a new house, they continue their journey. While VooVoo is getting his plans ready, he gets a phone call from One-Eye and LooLoo, where he finds out they haven't killed Kuckoo yet. He angrily tells them to continue following him and if they can't kill him, he'll torture them.

Continuing on their journey, they end up in the desert, where Kuckoo ends up going crazy and starts seeing hallucinations from heatstroke. Kooky snaps him out of it and by that time, they find an old-fashioned town by the name of "Ol' Hicklepick" and find out it's a town for cowboys. Kuckoo gives all of them Western aliases, such as "Kuckoo the Kid", "Wild Card Kooky", "Slingshot Smarty", and "Two-Gun Cuckoo". They enter the saloon and while scared at first, they get along with the residents, including the sheriff, Crafty Canasta. The fun ends, however, when wanted cowboy criminal, Wild Bill Hiccup enters the town. Crafty Canasta cowardly appoints Kuckoo as the new sheriff as he faces off against Wild Bill Hiccup. Kuckoo, Kooky and Smarty face off against Hiccup by annoying him to the point of running out of town. However, One-Eye and LooLoo show up to challenge Kuckoo to a Western shootout. Kuckoo shoots one bullet at them, but misses the two and hits the water tower, which falls on them. They are victorious, but their victory is short-lived as the town chases them out due to the water tower containing the town's whole water supply.

After they finally make it out of the chase, Cuckoo ends up lashing out at Kuckoo, saying that if it wasn't for him, they would've all been living fine. Kuckoo, hurt by what he said, starts to cry as Smarty comforts him. Kooky lashes out at Cuckoo, saying that all Kuckoo wants to do is make him happy, but he can never appreciate it. Cuckoo tries to argue, but Kooky stops him and tells him to leave, which he does. Kooky tries to comfort Kuckoo by playing the song they listened to when they first met, "Open Up Your Heart (And Let the Sunshine In)". It helps calm him down, and they share a kiss. Meanwhile, Cuckoo tries to start his own campfire to no avail. When he goes looking for food, he gets shocked and captured by One-Eye and LooLoo.

After a horrendous nightmare, Kuckoo wakes up, only to find Kooky and Smarty gone. However, he then gets shocked and captured by One-Eye and LooLoo. They tie him up in a bag with Kooky, Smarty and Cuckoo and travel to Heck. After they get there, the four end up in a jail cell. Kuckoo wakes up and is confused about where he is. He eventually gets free and breaks out of the cell, going off to find an exit. Kooky wakes up and finds out that they're in the lair of VooVoo the Great. Her, alongside Smarty and Cuckoo try to escape, but they get caught by bodyguards. While Smarty and Cuckoo think that they're outnumbered, Kooky easily takes them all out and gets one of the bodyguards to tell them about VooVoo's evil plan to destroy Kuckoo. While looking for the exit, Kuckoo gets caught by One-Eye and LooLoo, where he ends up trying to fight the two. Though weak at first, he ends up finding out about his powers and uses them to beat the two. Kooky, Smarty, and Cuckoo catch up with him and not only tell him about VooVoo's plan, but they also find out about the powers he has. They eventually find their answers about the powers from the spirit of Kingsley Kat, who tells Kuckoo that he is the new "Chosen One", just like his ancestor. He hopes that Kuckoo will continue to honor the legacy of the "Chosen Ones" and Kuckoo promises he will as the spirit disappears.

Kuckoo gets ready to face off VooVoo, with everyone following him. He enters VooVoo's room and starts his battle with him. Though he is victorious at first, VooVoo gets the upper hand and starts to win. VooVoo tells a badly-hurt Kuckoo to give up and calls him "a worthless little speck who'll amount to nothing". However, Kuckoo gets ahold of his powers and is able to defeat VooVoo on his own. He decides to do one last thing before he leaves: blow up the lair. Kuckoo and his friends escape through a rocket and the lair blows up. The rocket ends up landing and the four end up in Whatzitville, enthusiastic that they finally made it thanks to Kuckoo.

Six weeks later, Kuckoo and his friends have finally settled into their house, when they get an unexpected visit. It turns out to be Kuckoo and Smarty's parents, Katty Kitty and Lucky T. Cat. Kuckoo and Smarty embrace a hug with them and introduce them to their new house, as well as Kooky and Cuckoo.

In a post-credits scene, it is revealed that VooVoo, Smedley, One-Eye, LooLoo, and the bodyguards survived the explosion, as VooVoo says "I hate that cat."