History Film / CoolCatSavesTheKids

* BigBad: Butch the Bully. His vile list of crimes include kicking sandcastles, vandalizing the neighbourhood and ''attempting to bring a gun to school'' because he wants "fat time".

* HalfwayPlotSwitch: About halfway through the movie, they stop talking about bullying and just focus on how cool Cool Cat is. Then they go back to the bullying.

During the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic in 2020, Savage announced plans to release a short called ''Film/CoolCatFightsCoronavirus''. It was released to his Kickstarter supporters on March 24, 2021, as an unlisted video, with the DVD release coming later on. Another film, ''Cool Cat vs Dirty Dog 'The Virus Wars''' (a recut of ''Fights Coronavirus'' with new material) was released on December 16, 2023 as a paid rental on Vimeo.

* FullNameBasis: Derek answers the phone as 'The Cat residence', implying Cool Cat may be his legal full name. The jury is out for Mama Cat and Daddy Derek, although it's possible Mama Cat wanted to keep her own name after marriage, or they simply weren't married to begin with.

Now has a work-in-progress [[Characters/CoolCatSavesTheKids character sheet]]!

During the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic in 2020, Savage announced plans to release a short called ''Film/CoolCatFightsCoronavirus''. It was released to his Kickstarter supporters on March 24, 2021, as an unlisted video, with the DVD release coming later on. Another film, ''Cool Cat vs Dirty Dog 'The Virus Wars''' (a recut of ''Fights Coronavirus'' with new material) was released in December 2023.

During the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic in 2020, Savage announced plans to release a short called ''Film/CoolCatFightsCoronavirus''. It was released to his Kickstarter supporters on March 24, 2021, as an unlisted video, with the DVD release coming later on.

-> "''Remember, Cool Cat loves you!''"

''Cool Cat Saves the Kids'' is a 2015 direct-to-video educational film directed by and starring Creator/DerekSavage, a man who once posed for ''Playgirl'' magazine and appeared as an extra in ''Film/BackToSchool'', ''Film/FatalBeauty'' and other films before turning his attention to writing and filmmaking. Its aim was to teach kids about bullying and the dangers of guns. It was patched together from three short films Savage worked on before.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: There are two instances in the film where Cool Cat does this strange action that involves pumping his fist near his crotch and twitching his leg (apparently meant to [[FurryReminder mimic a cat enjoying a belly rub]])...does he need [[SexualEuphemism some time alone]]?
** Due to his lisp, Butch the Bully also has his moments, such as mispronouncing Maria's name as "Ma-wee-a".

* ForTheEvulz: Butch the Bully simply does things because he's a bully, and finds great joy in bullying others.

* FurryReminder: Cool Cat scratching himself in the YMS cut is meant to be this. It instead comes off as Cool Cat pleasuring himself.

* HandRubbing: Butch the Bully does this quite frequently, in case you couldn't tell he was the villain.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Oh, boy...
** Cool Cat and Maria keep insulting Butch for having no friends and make no effort to try to help Butch redeem himself. Yet Cool Cat also teaches anti-bullying messages. In the same film. And claims to "love all kids".
** ''Kids Superhero'' adds a scene in which Maria taunts Butch before going with Cool Cat to Vivica's house, even though, once again, she also teaches anti-bullying messages.
* InformedAttribute: We're intended to see Cool Cat as, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin cool]], and a FriendToAllChildren. However, his excitable nature, VagueAge, and his reactions to getting bullied make him come off as a {{Manchild}}.
* InformedSpecies: Cool Cat's features don't quite come across as feline. In fact, he vaguely resembles a fox. Also, his excitable personality isn't very catlike.

* MostWritersAreAdults: Zig-zags this trope. Cool Cat generally acts like a very young child, sometimes to the point of coming off as unrealistic. On the other hand, it's doubtful that most kids would be as excited as Cool Cat at seeing cars from ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'', ''Series/MagnumPI'', or ''Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit''.

* RecklessGunUsage: Averted; when Cool Cat and Maria find a gun lying around, they leave it alone and notify an adult. Played straight by Butch the Bully though, who picks up said gun, ''takes it to school'', and waves it about to show it to Jamie.

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: In the original picture book, Butch the Bully is a particularly nasty-looking character with an ugly, adult-like face. In the film, he's a perfectly normal-looking kid.
* AdaptationDyeJob: Butch the Bully has brown hair and green eyes in the original picture books compared to his movie self having blonde hair and blue eyes.

* AdultsAreUseless: Inverted: Daddy Derek does almost everything for Cool Cat.

* AnimalJingoism: Averted. Cool Cat mentions that dogs are his friends.

* ArtisticAge: Cool Cat is clearly meant to be a young child given his high-pitched voice, the fact that he attends elementary school, and his general kiddy behavior. Yet he's played by an adult, meaning he towers over his friends of the same age as well as ''his father''. And in one scene he's shown driving a car, with no comment given on it.

* AxesAtSchool: After finding a gun, Butch brings it to school with the intention of [[PokeThePoodle stealing lunch money with it]]. Thankfully for all involved, a cop shows up before he blows anyone away.
* BarbaricBully: Butch turns into this when [[MemeticMutation he kicks sand in Cool Cat's face]]. When adults Cool Cat stands up to him [[PaperTiger he immediately starts crying and runs away]]. [[invoked]]

* BigBad: Butch the Bully, who harasses Cool Cat and his friends and commits petty crimes, as well as planning to use a gun to rob people of their lunch money.
* BigEater: Butch the Bully's plan after finding the gun is to steal everyone's lunch money so he can have "fat time."
--> '''Butch the Bully''': [[LargeHam I can take this to school and steal everyone's lunch money!]] [[EvilLaugh Ha ha ha!]] It'll be fat time for me!

* BuffoonishTomcat: Cool Cat often comes off this way, due to his excitable personality and the many poor decisions he makes.

* CardCarryingVillain: Butch the Bully knows he's a bully, and he absolutely loves it. He's a young DastardlyWhiplash in the making.

* CatFolk: Cool Cat and his [[http://i.imgur.com/HKoLHHi.gif mother]] both have the head and tail of a cat but the body of a human.
* CelebrityParadox: Cool Cat, a fictional character created by Derek Savage, at one point writes a book about Trolly the Trout, another fictional character created by Savage, while also having his father ''played'' by Derek Savage.
* CharacterAsHimself: Not only does Cool Cat get billed this way,[[note]]though his actual portrayer, Jason Johnson, is listed separately in the credits as doing the voice[[/note]] he's also credited as an associate producer.
* CharacterShilling: Cool Cat is cool. Nearly every character says so.

* CoolOldGuy: Daddy Derek is helpful, ''very'' encouraging, and owns a guitar allegedly signed by [[Music/VanHalen Van Halen]].

* DoesntLikeGuns: Derek Savage makes it clear that kids should not be messing with guns. He actually provides the best advice that you ''can'' give when it comes to teaching kids about firearms: don't touch them and tell your parent/teacher if you find one.
* ElmuhFuddSyndwome: Cool Cat slips into this very briefly with this line:
-->"Because making a lot of friends is su-per ''[[ThrowItIn gweat]]''! [[VerbalTic Yay!]]"

* EvilLaugh: Butch has one. Sometimes it makes one wonder if it's a [[VerbalTic vocal tic that he can't control]].
--> '''Butch''': ''(sees Cool Cat running towards him)'' It's Cool Cat! And he's fast! I be'er run--HHHHA-HA-''HA!'' This candy will trip 'im and he will fall ''flat'' on his face!"
* EvilIsPetty: Butch the Bully. His terrible crimes include kicking over sandcastles and literally stealing candy from babies.
* {{Expy}}: Cool Cat seems to be an attempt at "[[Series/SesameStreet Big Bird]] meets [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney]]."
* FatBastard: Butch is a pretty chunky kid and a bully who goes so far as to try and threaten people at gunpoint.

* FriendToAllChildren: "I'm Cool Cat, and I love ''all'' kids!" Though he seems to be a kid himself (or at least has an extremely VagueAge).
* FriendlessnessInsult: Cool Cat repeatedly points out how [[TheBully Butch]] has no friends, implying that's why he bullies Cool Cat and company.
* FriendlyEnemy: Butch the Bully is shown in the cast at the end of the credits.
* FunnyAnimal: Both Cool Cat and his mother are anthropomorphic cats.

* GenderEqualsBreed: Inverted with Cool Cat. His father is a human, but his mother is an anthropomorphic cat just like him.

* GoshDangItToHeck: Butch says [[CurseOfTheAncients "dag nab it!"]], "shoot!" and [[ARareSentence "that darn Vivica A. Fox and Erik Estrada messed it up!"]]

* InterspeciesRomance: Daddy Derek, a human male, is with Cool Cat's mother. This is subverted in the books where Cool Cat's parents were both cats.

* {{Keet}}: Cool Cat, at his most excitable.
* KidsAreCruel: Butch the Bully sends hateful texts to Maria, cyberbullies Cool Cat, [[MemeticMutation kicks sand in his face]] and '''literally''' takes candy from a baby.
* KidsDrivingCars: Cool Cat, whose age is implied to be around 8 or so, is briefly shown driving the "Cool Cat Convertible".
* LargeAndInCharge: Cool Cat is the leader of his group of friends and easily the tallest. He even towers over ''his own parents''.

* NoIndoorVoice: Cool Cat is constantly talking in a raised voice. ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE_Xw-O7rB8 see here]])
--> '''Cool Cat:''' ''"I'm a bully and I'm gonna get you '''tomorrow?'''"'' '''OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!''' '''''WHAT SHOULD I DOOOOOOOOOOOOO?!'''''
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: It's implied Butch was going to go from petty crime to threatening his classmates with a gun to get their lunch money.

* PeerPressuredBully: When Cool Cat confronts Butch the Bully's cronies for spray painting a wall, they admit they only do bad things to look cool and stop when Cool Cat explains that's not actually cool. Butch himself, on the other hand, is [[ForTheEvulz not reluctant at all]] about being a bully.
* PingPongNaivete: Cool Cat bounces back-and-forth between being very dense and giving all-knowing lectures to the other kids about things like safety and bullying.

* PokeThePoodle: This being a kid's movie about bullying and gun safety, Butch the Bully's antics are...not very threatening. He laughs maniacally after every major sentence and as he's announcing his plots, says mean things to Cool Cat and Maria over the phone, spray-paints some signs, cyberbullied Cool Cat, literally takes candy from babies, and kicks sand in Cool Cat's face. Even when he finds a gun, his big plan is to use it to steal everyone's lunch money, and he doesn't even follow through with it - he just shows the gun to another kid without even attempting to use it. [[FelonyMisdemeanor And yet he still goes to jail.]]
* {{Portmanteau}}: "I've got a '''graaaaandtastic''' story to tell you!"

* SatelliteCharacter: Maria has virtually no character beyond being Cool Cat's friend and getting advice from him.

* AngryEyebrows: When Cool Cat finally stands up to Butch the Bully, his eyebrows are suddenly placed down at the bottom of his forehead. The brows are still in that position in the wide shot before Butch walks up, making it look like Cool Cat is royally pissed off about building sandcastles.

* BarefootCartoonAnimal: Cool Cat wears a shirt and shorts but no footwear.

** In the recut versions, Cool Cat tells Maria that she shouldn't open messages from people she doesn't know, but she can in this instant because he's there with her. Then, when Maria suggests that the message could be about winning money in a contest, instead of warning her that it's [[FourOneNineScam likely a scam designed to steal personal information]], Cool Cat instead cheers that they can go on a trip together. The message comes across as "don't open messages from strangers, but it's okay to give information to said strangers if they've told you that they're going to give you something". [[note]]The line about not opening messages from strangers was only added to the ''Kids Superhero'' version of the movie and the line about the contest was from the original cut. In the original cut, Cool Cat encourages Maria to open it despite not knowing who it's from.[[/note]]

** Cool Cat writes a story about Trolly The Trout, who just happens to be the star of another series of Derek Savage books.
* RaceLift: Maria in the books appears to be white. Here, she is more unambiguously of Hispanic descent.

* RecklessGunUsage: Averted; when Cool Cat and Maria find a gun lying around, they leave it alone and notify an adult. Played straight by Butch the Bully though, who picks up said gun, ''takes it to school'', and waves it about to show it to some other kid.

* IShouldWriteaBookAboutThis: After Butch is arrested the first time, Mikey tells Cool Cat that a movie should be made about him, and Maria thinks of a possible title: "Cool Cat Saves the Kids".

* RaceLift: Maria in the books appears to be white. Here, she is more ambiguously of Hispanic descent.

* LargeHam: Cool Cat ''constantly'' speaks in a very excited manner. There's also Butch the Bully, who acts more like a supervillain than anything else, Conner Dean (the child actor playing him) clearly enjoyed every second of the role. Then there's Erik Estrada.

* PowerWalk: Used for some reason when Cool Cat, Maria, Mikey, and Daddy Derek walk to school. No, YMS did ''not'' [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer add the slow-motion as a gag]].

** ''Cool Cat Kids Superhero'' (sic) is actually just ''Cool Cat Saves the Kids'' with the aforementioned changes, as well as 13 minutes or so of new footage and Creator/CynthiaRothrock replacing April Ann Reese as the voice of Momma Cat. Also, the credits backdrop is changed into a movie theater, rather than a red carpet.

** The original release, which was retroactively known as the "Your Movie Sucks" edition.

** A later recut of the film was released under the name ''Cool Cat Kids Superhero'' (sic) in 2018. This edit changes some lines as well as adding additional scenes of Cool Cat doing more irrelevant activities, Maria bullying Butch and Butch watching Cool Cat during the Hollywood Parade. Momma Cat is now voiced by Creator/Cynthia Rothrock. Also, the scene where it ''appears'' that Cool Cat is "pleasuring himself" is also axed from this version of the film.

* AuthorAvatar: Daddy Derek is obviously one for Derek Savage. Cool Cat himself is also one as he was essentially created as a mouthpiece for Derek.

* FurryReminder: Cool Cat scratching himself in the YMS cut is meant to be this. It instead comes off as Cool Cat pleasuring himself.

* TheCameo: Aside from the various cars Cool Cat encounters during the parade, there are several moments in the aforementioned parade while Cool Cat is riding down the street while a [[Franchise/TheSmurfs Jokey Smurf]] balloon floats by. The recuts also add another scene of Cool Cat encountering a [[Series/SesameStreet Elmo]] balloon.

* StockFootage: Lots of it is used throughout the film. For example, in the Hollywood Christmas Parade scene, actual footage from the broadcasts of the 2011 and 2012 events (which Derek and Cool Cat went to) is utilized.

* RaceLift: Maria in the books is white. Here, she appears to be of Hispanic descent.

* CompilationMovie: The film was stitched together from three separate Cool Cat short films on different topics (''Stops Bullying'', ''Rides in the Hollywood Parade'', and ''Finds a Gun''). This explains why the movie is so [[HalfwayPlotSwitch disjointed]].

** ''Cool Cat Kids Superhero'' (sic) is actually just ''Cool Cat Saves the Kids'' with the aforementioned changes, as well as 13 minutes or so of new footage and Creator/CynthiaRothrock replacing April Ann Reese as the voice of Momma Cat.

* DeepSouth: Derek Savage's accent strongly implies he is from here.[[note]]His {{Website/IMDb}} page claims he was born in Virginia.[[/note]] And in the original cut of the movie Momma Cat also speaks with a distinctive Southern accent, though loses it when her lines are re-recorded by Creator/CynthiaRothrock for ''Cool Cat the Kid's Superhero'' re-cut.

** Another new cut, ''Cool Cat Saves the Kids: Director's Cut'', adds footage from the unreleased ''Cool Cat Flips a House'' and has Savage dub over Jason Johnson as Cool Cat.
* GoofySuit: Cool Cat (and Momma Cat) is portrayed by an actor wearing one.[[note]]It's not even a whole suit, just a head, long sleeves, long leggings, and two interchangeable tails[[/note]]

** In 2021, Savage announced a "Director's Cut" of the film which reverts the title back to ''Cool Cat Saves the Kids'' and brings the runtime up to 100 minutes, in addition to Savage dubbing over Jason Johnson's performance as Cool Cat. The new footage seems to be recycled from the unreleased short ''Cool Cat Flips a House''.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: There are two instances in the film where Cool Cat does this strange action that involves pumping his fist near his crotch and twitching his leg (apparently meant to [[FurryReminder mimic a cat enjoying a belly rub]])...[[ADateWithRosiePalms does he need some time alone]]?