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Thornberry To The Rescue
Reviewed: 08/05/2011
Is Cavin Try To Be Cool Like Kit Or Something?!
Okay; we are now officially beginning the R.J. Williams era of Gummi Bears with this one as he and Thornberry have to save the Gummi Bears from the Spinster. If I find out that the Spinster talks like Hulk Hogan; I don't think my foot could take it. So let's rant on shall we....?
This episode is written by Kevin Hopps. The animation was done by Walt Disney Animation Japan.
We begin this one with a sunrise of the forest and the music has some tambornie shaking as we pan over to Sunni giving baskets of Gummi berries to Grammi who is at the trapdoor. Funny how Sunni said one more basket to go despite having two left before the hand off. Oh well; minor gaffe and all. Oh and Cavin is helping as he finally speaks and did Cavin just steal Kit's voice? Yeap; we are in the R.J. Williams era of Cavin and as much as I commend R.J. Williams as a child actor talent wise; Cavin wasn't exactly a good choice of character to use that sarcastic voice on. Hand off spots ensue as they put the baskets in the Quick Cars as Cavin wishes humans could work together this well. Zummi drops the basket as Gruffi asks where Cubbi is and we discover that Cubbi is at a boarded door of doom with a sign made of metal that basically is the no smoking version of No Gummi Bears Allowed. Anyhow; Gruffi pulls him away to the Quick Car as Cubbi wonders why the ancients seal that part of the tunnel and Gruffi hops in and even HE doesn't know. But he's certain that it was for a good reason. Cubbi thinks they have an answer for everything as the Quick Cars scoot away and Tummi gleefully sums it up for me.
Anyhow; we head to the lake ceiling living room as we pan down and two chairs are down and Gruffi is swearing like a DUBBED ANIME STYLE sailor. Oh goody; we get to do Three Little Bear Promos; with the most disturbing one that this intruder has been sleeping in Cubbi's bed. Then we hear some fierce clanking as Cavin runs into the hallway and opens the door and if you cannot guess who is the intruder; then you have no business reading this rant. Hint: His voice sounds like Sir Thornberry's. Cavin gets dropped by various international objects and it's Thornberry generally being clueless and has his head stuck in a kettle. The Gummi's get it off as Thornberry states that he's here to drop by for a visit...and then he points his sword at Cavin. Ah; I see the Barbics have infected him with human hating juice today. Zummi stops the possible execution and introduces Cavin because he's the Gummi Bear's friend.
Cavin wants a handshake (because he is the better man); but Thornberry blows it off because he doesn't trust strangers. So now he's infected with Colonel poison now which is actually much worse. Grammi proclaims that both he and Cavin are welcome here and motions Thornberry to come with her on the tour of Gummi Glenn. Thornberry accepts and drags her through the hallway. Cavin is in awe because he's seen a real Gummi knight (logic break #1 since he saw them in Knights of Gummadoon; albeit briefly) and Gruffi calls Thornberry a Gummi “knightmare”. Heh. So we head into the living room as Cavin, Tummi and Zummi are feather dusting the room. They are doing this to get the room non-dusty for Thornberry as Grammi then comes into the main hall with him as he picks some dust from the wall and overdoes a sneeze allowing Grammi to lose her hat. Grammi assures him that they are doing it for the visitor; so Thornberry runs around allowing Grammi to drop with a glorified shot of her panties (AGAIN!). Thornberry steals the ladder Zummi was on and Zummi hangs on to the blue curtains and they rip allowing Zummi to banzai drop Cavin and break a Gummi statue in the process as Zummi hides behind the statue's face. Cavin claims accidents will happen as Zummi thinks that they happen more often with Thornberry. Remember this for later on.
So we head to the kitchen as Zummi and Cavin are trying to pour Gummi Berry Juice into the barrel of laughs as Grammi tells them to be easy since she doesn't want to lose a drop since this has to last awhile. Then in comes Gruffi whom Thornberry has driven up a wall. If only Thornberry would do that to him more often; but I already know that Cavin is the focal point character here to Thornberry's wrath. Gruffi has his trademark pose on for good measure too as Grammi just calmly asks if it's Thornberry that's driving him batty. Grammi tastes her brew (whatever it is) as Gruffi proclaims that Thornberry cleaned up his workshop and now he cannot find anything. In other words; he turned it into a mess. Unless today is opposite day for Gruffo. Grammi tells him to check the cupboard and Gruffi obeys without question as he opens the top cupboard and that allows an overflow of books to drop right on his pinhead. HAHA! I see Grammi anger management classes are working too. Gruffi is PISSED off as Zummi proclaims that Thornberry cleaned up the book room. Gruffi has had enough; but Grammi stops him of course.
Cavin talks about Gummi's helping as Grammi gives him a pack of plates and Grammi proclaims that she is going to make him feel at home by cooking a special dinner for him. Gruffi sarcastically retorts that one for her as Grammi is not amused. Sadly; no pasta splashing spot occurs as we segue to Thornberry drinking a barrel of Gummi Berry Juice without pouring it into a vial. I see Thornberry is going to learn the hard lesson of what happened to Toadie in Toadie's Wild Ride? Grammi, Cavin and Gruffi run in; the barrel is empty, Gruffi blows off Thornberry, Thornberry is clueless because he hasn't had the juice in years so he doesn't know how it tasted, Grammi points out the flaw in drinking too much and Thornberry of course blows up like a balloon with his head and then his feet before and then rockets as he seems to only have his head right now. Everyone scatters as TB hits a lamp and bounces straight down and drops Cavin into the conviently placed basket of Gummi Berries and we have another big mess as TB is on Cavin's back. TB hiccups as he bounces on Cavin's back and Grammi pulls him off and he's through all right as Cavin blows him off for destroying all the baskets of Gummi berries to boot. Thornberry jumps away and walks off to pick some more because he's the fastest berry picker this side of Ursalia. Considering that TB and the Barbics; that does not endear confidence in me concerning TB.
So we head to the Quick Cars as TB hops into the Quick Car as Cavin sums it up about Thornberry nicely while Gruffi tries to explain the ways of the Quick Car which I'm certain Thornberry screws up in thirty seconds. Thornberry slaps Gruffi's back as he starts it up and he goes too fast natch. So we go down the Quick Tunnels to waste some time until TB wants to slow it down and of course when he tries to use the brake; the lever (WRONG LEVER!) breaks on him. So the Quick Car bounces off the track and crashes right into the No Gummi Bears Allowed boarded up door. UH OH! TB climbs out blowing off the craftsmanship of the Quick Car and walks out and climbs the ladder with the basket to pick more Gummi Berries. Just one old bear? Anyhow; we go into the cave and we hear Linda Gary's voice as we see a spider like creature not happy that he missed TB; but then we see her shadow walking stage left as she proclaims that there is more where that came from.
So we head back to the kitchen as Cavin hooks a pot on the wall. Gruffi and Grammi are cleaning the place up some more as Gruffi is putting salami logs in the basket blowing off TB as usual. Then we hear more pots crashing on the floor as Gruffi and Grammi go outside. Cavin finishes what he was doing on the footstool (NOT THAT ONE!) as he proclaims that TB knows how to make an entrance. Then we hear screaming from Grammi as Cavin runs into the living room and it full of thick spiderwebs as Grammi and Gruffi are caught in them and we see the big ass spider in full profile. And it is UGLY as hell. Nice to see the old “ugly heels” stereotype is still alive and well in 1990 too. She calls herself The Spinster and apparently; there is a net spiderweb as Tummi, Sunni, Zummi and Cubbi are caught as well. Cavin runs through the door just as Grammi and Gruffi are netted and he get caught in the yellow webs. The Spinster blows him off because Cavin is not needed (You are going to regret that one you Gohma wannabe) as she squeezes through the door with her net filled of Gummi Bears to escape and Cavin wants them to come back now. No dice Cavin as the segment ends almost eight and a half minutes in.
After the commercial break; we head in the forest near a lake as TB is walking with his basket of Gummi Berries talking about how travel on foot is safer than the Quick Cars. Well; for him anyway. He also starts eating the profits along the way because it makes him hungry as he walks into a trapdoor inside of a tree and we segue into Gummi Glen as TB walks around as there are spiderwebs. Major logic break: Almost all the spiderwebs are gone and Cavin is now in midair inside the yellow spiderweb. Bad CONTINUITY there guys. Cavin is trying to explain that the Gummi Bears are captured by a giant spider; but TB keeps blowing the Gummi's off about cleaning and thinks Cavin's story is fiddlesticks. See; there hasn't been a giant spider since the Gummi Bears trapped the Spinster. Cavin points out that it is the Spinster. TB gets it and cuts Cavin down as Cavin is not amused because that is what HE said. See; I don't get the mistrust of humans in the beginning since it was TB in Return to Ursalia that was concerned about the Barbics trying to kill humans. At least now; he is just dense as hell here and therefore logical to his character. TB wants to find them and then runs into the spiderweb which seems to be growing back just to destroy the continuity even further than it already is. Cavin is worried and rightfully so.
So we head to the Quick Tunnel with the Spinster carrying her spoils. Sunni demands to know where they are taking them and the Spinster decides to tell them that she is taking them to her cave as we see the Quick Car that crashed into the entrance as Grammi thinks Thornberry is dead now (Gruffi wishes he was though) as the Spinster states that Thornberry freed her as some spiderweb gets torn from the net onto the top door frame just as Gruffi blows him off. So we head to Thornberry reducing himself to being Scooby Dumb without the MAGIC LENS OF DOOM. Cavin wants the Quick Car; but TB isn't buying those bill of goods and shows the destroyed door as evidence. He grabs the web from the door top and states that they have been here; but Cavin does his trademark pose because he isn't sure. TB claims that it is because the nose knows. For those who picked on the new Disney for using stupid characters; remember that we had to deal with Sir F'N Thornberry. So Cavin and TB enter inside and we see that the room is like a whole other world. Man; that is awfully generous of the Gummi Bears. TB tells Cavin to be careful because there could be more dangers than some mere big ass spider and Cavin of course yells at TB to look out as he nearly walks off the cliff before Cavin swoops in to rescue him.
Cavin wonders how to get across the seemly smaller abyss and TB ponders it over and thinks it's time to get some honey. So we have gone from Scooby Dumb to Winnie The Pooh now. Come to think about it; that IS a step up on the dense and cluelessness scale; so TB is forgiven...just a little. TB climbs a green daisy flower and slurps up Flugul Honey (according to him) which looks like it came from a pumpkin. EWWWWWW! GET HIM AWAY! GET HIM AWAY! Cavin asks what a Flugul is and TB turns around and points right at the Flugul who is half ant, half mosquito (Frank Welker, DUH!). Wait; I thought we got The Wuzzles Syndrome already out of our systems guys?! Cavin panics as he claims that it looks dangerous and TB agrees with him. So they mount a ride on it's back of course as Cavin asks if he lost his mind. TB asks if he found one as they cross the abyss easily and both jump off and land on solid ground. And then the Fulgul charges and misses everyone by a mile and it's time to WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE! TB of course planned it as the compressed Flugul buzzes away like a drunk.
So we head deeper into the Spinster's world as TB is Scooby Dumb again. This goes on for a while until they make it to the river and TB remembers to dunk himself into the water and then shake like a dog just as Cavin arrives in the right position to get wet. HA! TB proclaims that they need to cross the river as Cavin looks at his reflection and isn't sure because it's DEEP. TB blows him off as he walks in the water and makes it to the other side. Cavin tries and he dives in. HAHA! Cavin pops up with some assistance from TB and Cavin demands answers to this outrage as TB proclaims that you have to know where the rocks are and Cavin claims that they are in his head. TB end arounds him as he crosses the river and Cavin rises as a pissed off turtle chomps. Cavin runs stage left and we segue into the Spinster's Cave as the Spinster is getting her apron and chef's hat as the Gummi are kept in a spiderweb bone like cage. Grammi blows off the excess dust and Spinster tells them not to worry because they are not staying long as she presses Cubbi's cheeks. Oooooo; that will draw heel heat as Cubbi wonders why she is not keeping them. Spinster proclaims that they are her dinner and not her prisoners see.
So we head outside a crystal cave (or ice cave) as we pan east to see TB and Cavin checking the crystal floor. Cavin wants TB to admit that they are lost and TB blows it off because he doesn't know where he is going as he walks off stage left. Cavin blows him off for doing things his way as TB admits that he has been alone for so long that is the only way he knows how. Cavin blows him off for that and decides to leave to pick up the trail and TB yells for him to wait. Why? To set up the next screw job silly as the cave begins to rumble along with the spike crystals on the ceiling. TB likes it and Cavin doesn't as he tries to talk TB out of it; but TB yells for Gummi-Gummi-Who? Oh; that is uber LAME and TB realizes it now as the spiked ceiling starts to crumble from the reflected voice and that ends the segment 14 minutes in. So we have eight plus minutes left of silliness; just swell....
After the commercial break; the ceiling starts crumbling down as TB and Cavin bail stage left as they run toward the entrance. Cavin makes it; but TB trips and falls down on his face as Cavin yells for him. TB is frightened as a big ass crystal spike misses him by one foot; but hooks down his belt containing his sword. Lovely. TB tries to pull on it; but no dice. Cavin runs in and grabs the sword as he tells TB to trust him. TB claims that he has never trusted a human before; and Cavin cuts the belt off and TB considers that he hasn't trust much lately. Both babyfaces bail stage left as the sword gets broken by another spike and TB is not happy to hear that; but Cavin blows him off and drags him away stage left. TB finally agrees with him as they run out of the cave and we head back to the Spinster's cave as The Spinsters grabs the spiderweb tied up Gummi Bears and dangles Gruffi and Grammi upside down while waxing about how long it has been since she had them for din-din. Grammi does another glorified shot of her pink panties as she points out that she doesn't know how to cook Gummi Bears right. Grammi explains that the water is not hot enough, and it needs parsley, pepper and onion roots. Cubbi thinks the cooking has gone to her head. If only Cubbi; if only.
Spinster decides to put the Gummi Bears back into the cage as Sunni blows off Grammi for showing her the secret. Grammi proclaims that she did it to get the Spinster to leave as Gruffi hold up part of the webbing as a means of escape. However; Spinster comes back and blows off those plans by spinning the webs around the cage even more until it's almost impossible for the Gummi's to breathe. Well played, Spinster, well played. So we head out of the crystal cave into the jungle again with TB and Cavin as TB is relieved to get out of there. Cavin wants to give up; but TB blows it off and then runs deeper into the jungle and disappears as Cavin does the best mad face in history complete with red circle cheeks. I love it when Cavin's mad. Maybe R.J. Williams should have gotten the role in Season Four from the start because he's doing a good job of it in spite of the character misstep.
So Cavin walks deeper into the jungle (which is dark and feels like Halloween) as he gulps and calls out for TB. Cavin then sees a tree with a shadow looking creature that might be an owl. This leads to a silence sequence with creepy music of Cavin backing away from it; to running away from more eyes to dropping down onto a log in a bog; then diving into a bog with quicksand mud; which I hate. Cavin at least grabs onto a tree root and pulls himself out easily. Then it's a sequence of purple eyed trees as Cavin panics and runs; only to have more colored eyes and out jumps.....a frog right into Cavin's hands. Cavin giggles and sezs hello; but Cavin turns around to see the big ass frog (Frank Welker again) and Cavin panics as the frog unleashes it's big ass tongue; but TB grabs him from the bushes on Cavin's left. Frog gets whacked with a leaf to the kisser which would do no damage in real life; but it somehow sticks to the frog's tongue. How about that?
Cavin proclaims that TB came back and states that Cavin doesn't trust anyone. He must seriously think Cavin is Kit Cloudkicker which is funny considering that Kit's problem is adults betraying him after trusting them; not trusting them from the start. Susan C. Mitchell's theory should be refined to Kit being reclucent to trust adults because he will trust them from time to time for his benefit. TB has also found the Spinster's lair too as he drags Cavin much to his attempts to protest TB's lie about trusting people. So we head back to the cage as Gruffi is pacing around. Sunni asks Grammi about escape probability and Grammi doesn't like the odds. Cubbi doesn't care and tries to ram the cage; but bounces back and that allow Cubbi to nail Gruffi to the ground good. HAHA! Cubbi doesn't see that one as a hot idea and Gruffi gets the LIGHTBULB OF BLOODY CLAIRTY as they swing the cage FF9 style. Geez; this is a lot of effort to burn the cage walls with a torch from the kettle pot when ZUMMI is in the cage already.
Tummi gets off the usual food comment as I wonder if the French dubber unintentionally got Tummi's script and thought it was Baloo's script. Everyone gets out of the cage as Cubbi notices TB and Cavin standing right in front of the kettle and Cavin and Cubbi embrace. TB smells something cooking and here comes the Spinster who is pissed off at the lack of the GANG OF GUMMI WAY's manners. Well; considering that they were being your dinner; I think we can make an exception on the manners part. So she shoots the web and everyone ducks. Everyone bails to the hole in the wall except for Zummi as Spinster has him cornered. Do the writers hate Zummi for some reason? Spinster gets out her web rope; but TB runs in and saves Zummi easily while blowing her off. Well; TB has to redeem himself somehow since the Gummi Bears would let him free them from the cage in the first place. Zummi doesn't know what to do as Cubbi wants to fight, Sunni wants to run, Tummi wants Grammi to cook her something else. TB hates talk and runs in as we cut to the cupboards as Gruffi calls TB looney as per Eisner's mandate to blow off Looney Tunes as old and aged. Cavin gleefully blows him off for me as Grammi doesn't care who is right because TB wants trouble.
So we are down to TB and the Spinster in a Gummi Bear Vs. Spider match....and Spinster uses the web to tie him up. Well; if you are going to dodge her; moving six inches to either side is not going to cut it. Cavin doesn't like that one as TB tells him not to worry as Cavin walks in proclaiming that he's looney too and he gets caught. Cubbi walks in and gets webbed as does Sunni and Tummi. Gruffi calls this beyond absurd and wants out of the idea; so Gruffi gets webbed for his troubles. TB proclaims that they have her right where he wants him as Tummi isn't sure. TB runs around more and manages to tie her wrists right in front of Cavin. Cavin gets it as everyone runs around and ties up the Spinster in a massive dose of irony as the Spinster protests this outrage as unfair. Life is so unfair madam. Otherwise; sexism and racism would never exist. The Spinster gets dropped on her belly as everyone unwraps and Cavin thanks him for defeating the Spinster. TB loves it too as Cavin thinks that there is still one great Gummi left. I beg to differ there Cavin. I think Cubbi might want a word with you.
Anyhow; we scene change to Gruffi barricading the door with wood and nails. Gruffi finishes up as the barricade doesn't look anymore secure than the first one as Grammi offers TB to stay as long as he needs to. TB loves to stay; but the cobwebs are cleared and he cannot think about himself anymore since he has work to do in Ursalia. He jumps into the Quick Car as Gruffi shakes hands with him and thanks him for the help. I betcha he sounded like a weasel saying that too. TB tells him that he fixed the Quick Car behind him and he races off. Gruffi wonders what he meant by that as the babyfaces enter the Quick Car and Gruffi pulls on the levers (WRONG LEVERS!) and the Quick Car breaks apart. HAHA! Cavin gleefully sums it up for me as Gruffi is thankful that there is only one to end the episode at 21:02. Continuity errors aside and a really padded third act; this was a okay episode. At least the TB/Cavin conflict was good thanks to R.J. Williams' voice acting. *** ½ (70%).
THE REVIEW LINE
So the first episode of the R.J. Williams era of Gummi Bears ends with an above average episode. I do admit that I did like the Thornberry/Cavin conflict mainly because Thornberry is too dense and R.J. Williams' voice made the difference since R.J. Williams can handle anger and sarcasm a lot better than the previous voices did; although it meant making Cavin out of character throughout most of it. I still would have like this episode better if they allowed Thornberry to free them from the cage instead of the other way around just to make the finish sweeter at least; plus WD-Japan's animating the end of the first act/beginning of the second act had the continuity of the spiderwebs shot all over the place. Plus; the third act had a sequence of Cavin looking for Thornberry which was clearly there to pad the running time (the final time seems a lot shorter than most episodes and this had no clipping that I'm aware of like TaleSpin would get.). Overall though; the Spinster was good, TB/Cavin was a hoot and everyone else was their usual smooth selves. Although burying Zummi wasn't a good idea. So we got an above average episode here. Next up is the final episode of the marathon as we head to the final Crimson Avenger episode of the series before returning to Season Five next weekend to complete three episodes that have reliable streams: Beg, Borrow & Steal and Let Sleeping Giants Lie/A Gummi A Day Keeps The Doctor Away. So.......
Thumbs in the middle for this episode and I'll see you all next time.