| Gracie and Pedro: Pets to the Rescue | |
| Screenplay: | Jaisa C. Bishop Bruce A. Taylor Kelly Peters |
| Story: | Jaisa C. Bishop Bruce A. Taylor |
| Producer: | Amy Katherine Taylor |
| Distributor: | Luminescence |
| Runtime: | 87 minutes |
| Country: | United States South Africa Canada |
| Language: | English |
Gracie and Pedro: Pets to the Rescue (retitled Gracie and Pedro: Mission Impossible in the UK), also known as Gracie and Pedro's Not So Awesome Adventure, is a 2024 animated buddy comedy adventure film directed by Kevin Donovan and Gottfried Roodt who wrote the screenplay with Jaisa C. Bishop, Bruce A. Taylor and Kelly Peters with a story by Bishop and Taylor, and produced by Amy Katherine Taylor. An international co-production between Canada, South Africa and the United States, the film features a star-studded voice cast, such as Claire Alan, Cory Doran, Bianca Alongi, Bill Nighy, Susan Sarandon, Alicia Silverstone, Brooke Shields, and Danny Trejo. The story follows family pets Gracie and Pedro, journeying from California to Utah as their owners have lost them when they flew from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City.
Produced by Second Chance Productions, Polycat Animation and Storywarrior Media Capital, Gracie and Pedro: Pets to the Rescue was first released theatrically in Russia on May 23, 2024, followed by Mexico on August 15, 2024, and in the United States on October 18, 2024.
Gracie is a pooch dog who is a best in show dog, and Pedro is a gray cat who finds some food seek out in the trash. Gracie and Pedro are accidentally left behind while the family takes the plane from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, where they are moving to. They give away their collars to two rats, in exchange for information about their direction. The two pets catch a bus that takes them to Las Vegas, with a crew of magicians including a rabbit named Shades. They spend time in a hotel suite but have to escape, pursued by a detective and his ferret. In the desert, a snake named Sissy-Chrissy tries to eat Pedro. A horse helps them board a train bound to Salt Lake City. But during their journey, they are attacked by a condor named Conrad. They manage to get off the train and meet the two Californian rats again, who manage to contact the family in order to get a reward.
The film was confirmed in a draft in 2022,and it was completed in November 2023 with casting being announced.
Revealed that the film was come from the European Film Market as in February 2024.[1]
Gracie and Pedro: Pets to the Rescue was theatrically released in Russia on May 23, 2024, serving as the world premiere for the film. It will then premiered in Mexico, Brazil and Portugal on August 15, 2024. The film was given a PG rating by the MPA for mild action/peril and rude material. It will be released on October 18, 2024 in the United States
In the United Kingdom, Kaleidoscope Film Distribution acquired the UK rights to the film and was released in the British cinemas on August 9, 2024.[2] In April 2024, an official trailer for the film was released.[3]
The Guardian stated, "By-the-numbers animation does nothing to lift cliched tale that squanders the talents of A-list actors including Bill Nighy and Susan Sarandon".[4] The website Blazing Minds too was very critical of the film.[5] A review on the independent website LouReviews, although less negative, mentioned various flaws and inconsistencies in the plot and animation,[6] while The Peach Review wrote, "The film relies heavily on Gracie and Pedro’s tumultuous relationship which isn’t healthy or humorous. Their insult-laden coexistence doesn’t bode well for viewing and, when coupled with C- animation, makes for a difficult experience to sit through for close to 90 minutes. By the time the two start seeing eye to eye, the damage has already been done."[7]