The Fox and the Hound 2

The Fox and the Hound 2 is a 2006 direct-to-video midquel to the 1981 Disney animated film The Fox and the Hound. It was produced by DisneyToon Studios, directed by Jim Kammerud, and features the voice talents of Patrick Swayze, Reba McEntire and Jeff Foxworthy. The story of the film takes place during the youth of Tod and Copper, in which Copper is tempted to join a band of singing stray dogs. The film was released on December 12, 2006, rated G by the MPAA, and had an official soundtrack album released on November 21, 2006.

Plot
The film opens with young Tod the red fox kit (voiced by Jonah Bobo) and Copper the bloodhound puppy (voiced by Harrison Fahn), best friends, chasing a cricket together. They see a line of trucks bringing the county fair to town, and Copper is mesmerized by the sound of dogs singing together in an old school bus with 'Singin' Strays' painted on the side.

The pair are eager to go see the fair, but when Copper's clumsy tracking skills disappoint his master Amos Slade yet again, the pup is tied up in the yard while Slade and the older dog Chief go to the fair without him. Tod arrives and pulls the rope off, and the pair go to the fair after all.

Copper finds the Singin' Strays rehearsing. The band has five members, all stray dogs: Dixie (lead female vocals for the group, voiced by Reba McEntire), Cash (lead male vocals, voiced by Patrick Swayze), Granny Rose (voiced by Vicki Lawrence), and twin brothers Waylon and Floyd (backup male vocals), voiced by (Jim Cummings). Their manager is a human, Lyle (voiced by Jeff Foxworthy). Tomorrow is a big day; a talent agent from the Grand Ole Opry will be here and the dogs want to get noticed, but Dixie and Cash are arguing. Cash refuses to admit that he needs Dixie, and Dixie is offended that she's not being appreciated enough. Dixie abruptly quits the group right before a performance, but in the middle of the show Cash notices Copper singing along in the audience. He invites the pup up on stage to harmonize with them. The musical number is a success. Cash invites Copper to join the band, and Tod convinces Copper to lie about being a stray.

Dixie, moping in the tour bus with an old cat named Zelda, feels spurned and is becoming jealous of Copper. She tells Copper that eating some peanut butter will help his performance, and then while the pup's mouth is stuck, she drops in on the band to say that he ran away. But Tod arrives with Widow Tweed's prizewinning cow and shoots a stream of milk into Copper's mouth to wash away the peanut butter, and the puppy rushes to rehearsal. Cash realizes the trick and gets mad at Dixie again.

Copper had agreed to meet Tod later to watch the county fair's fireworks, but he is sidetracked by Cash, and the two dogs sing of the dream of becoming big-time country music stars. They watch the fireworks together from the Ferris wheel. Later, Copper happens upon Tod, angry because of the broken promise.

Dixie sympathizes with Tod's feelings of being abandoned by his friend. She sings the song "Good Doggie, No Bone" to him. Tod happens to mention to her that Copper's not a stray at all, and Dixie begins hatching a plan to send Copper home with Tod and get herself back into the band.

The next day, Dixie and Tod hatch their plan. Tod gets Chief and Slade to chase him to the fair. Meanwhile the talent scout, a man named Winchell P. Bickerstaff with a big hat and a Southern accent, has arrived and is being led around by a little girl named Olivia Farmer who calls herself his "chaperone", though she ends up getting him bruised and stung along the way.

Slade and Chief chase Tod and into the barn where the talent scout is watching the Singin' Strays' performance. A surprised Slade discovers Copper on stage and commands him to come home, but mayhem ensues, leaving the fair in ruins as it begins to rain. Cash fires Copper. Waylon, Floyd, and Granny Rose, fed up with Cash, quit the band. Tod finds Copper sulking behind a barrel and apologizes, but Copper blames the fox for ruining everything. Slade takes Copper home, and Widow Tweed takes Tod home. Along the way Tweed narrowly misses being hit by the talent scout's car, and Bickerstaff's hat flies off and lands on Tod.

The following day, Tod and Copper admit their mistakes and are friends again. But Tod figures a way to fix everything: he gives the hat to Copper, who uses its scent to track down the talent scout in a nearby diner. Tod meanwhile tricks Cash and Dixie into thinking the other is in trouble. They all meet up at the diner, where Copper convinces them that "that they all needed to be together again as in the song." The Singin' Strays begin to howl a reprise of We're In Harmony, attracting the attention of the talent scout. Impressed and pleased with the band, he goes on to arrange for the dogs to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

Cash and Dixie make up, with Cash giving what might be interpreted as a proposal and Dixie saying she thought he'd never ask, a continuation of a comment by Granny Rose early in the film, about them needing to be hitched (because they argue so much). Meanwhile, Tod thinks he has lost his friend for good until Copper comes bounding up the hill to him. "Aren't you going with them?" asks Tod. "Can't!" Copper replies, "You and me, we got crickets to chase."

Voice cast

 * Jonah Bobo as Tod
 * Harrison Fahn as Copper
 * Patrick Swayze as Cash
 * Reba McEntire as Dixie
 * Jeff Foxworthy as Lyle
 * Vicki Lawrence as Granny Rose
 * Rob Paulsen as Chief
 * Jim Cummings as Waylon & Floyd
 * Stephen Root as the Talent Scout