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The Adventures Of Teddy Ruxpin: Anything In The Soup
Reviewed: 01/06/2019
You Got To Speak Down~!
Well; it's time to finally bring the beginning of the end of the Teddy Ruxpin: Storybook series and dive into the real meat of this show. So, we end the second half of the Storybook episodes as the Anythings get too cocky and three of their friends might become soup soon. Oh; and the Jungle Grunges are suffering from vandals again. How does this episode fare? So; let's rant on shall we...?
Episode opens in the sky over Grundo as the Airship is in the sky. Teddy is still at stove duty, Grubby is still at propeller duty and Gimmick is still on map and orders duty. Gimmick is tying up ropes as Grubby asks why Gimmick is in such a hurry this time. Apparently; the Jungle Grunges want the trio's help because someone is stealing veggies from their garden. Wow; they really did forgive the trio for destroying the veggie crop in the first arc, didn't they now? Grubby then claims that the Crystal Sethoscope claims that Grunges are mellow; but they are now upset about losing crops. WHAT?! Since when did this happen?! Then I realize that Grubby was thinking the Surf Grunges instead of the Jungle Grunges; even though Grubby has met both of them. Teddy explains the Jungle Grunges and then sings about them with Gimmick. Of course! Scene change to the Jungle Grunges village as we discover that this gumbo contains 38 cucumbers! 40 carrots and 10 zucchini to boot! Even though the Grunges here are clearly carrying containers of tomatoes over their heads. Ooops! Also there is a pecker of pickled peppers and mustard greens. Oh wait; there is 100 ripe tomatos in the recipe. Sorry about missing that one! 10,000 lental beans! The Grunge Chef has the most flow chartest of cook books I ever have seen. Oh; and when we see the finished product, no mention of onions, mushroom, nor the vitamin spices they used in the first arc, because reasons! So we fade to black and return to the Grunge's garden, which is loaded with giant veggies. I would love to know what the secret recipe is...Oh wait; it's Vitamin Z, I betcha. The Airship is in the background as the trio and three Jungle Grunges are present, including one-eyed wonder known as Treena. Treena also great because she knows her roots; in more ways than one; and knows how to make Grubby look like an idiot. The green tunic male Grunge finally has a name: Topper. Topper notices a damaged tomato branch and deduces that someone was stealing tomatoes.
Now; at this point, the foreground artwork is tight with no logic breaks. And then we pan west as somehow; 25% of the garden was vandalized despite being totally lust in the previous shot and then we go to a wide shot and 75% of the garden is now vandalized. The continuity shots are really poor in this one. Anyhow; Grubby calls the thieves a bunch of meanies and I cannot wait to laugh at him when we find out who the real thieves are. And you can scratch Tweeg and LB off the list; since they are stewing in the MAVO dungeon. So; Gimmick has a Krackpotkin Plan to get those thieves as we scene change to what Gimmick calls the Intruder Incarsirator. I wondered where Dr. Doofen got his naming schemes for his inventions from. It's basically a convoluted net tied to the ground and a tree branch. It's basically an automated version of the same trap Teddy and Illana used on Grubby in The Day Teddy Met Grubby. Gimmick then makes the fatal error of this trap: demonstrating what happens when you fall into the trap. Yup; he trips the rope; falls into the net, and the net snags him and ragdolls him good. Idiot! Everyone is so shocked; Topper is dressed in the same color scheme and dyed his hair the same color scheme as Treena! Of course; Gimmick has forgotten to think his Krackpotkin plan all the way through and cannot get down safely. Of course! Idiot! Gimmick plans to work on that while working inside the net as we scene change to the entrance outside MAVO headquarters as Tweeg and LB are simply walking together with leg chains on as Tweeg is whiny like the whiny heel who fails at life usually does. There is a brown troll with a tan tank top and a spear with witch hat looking on and guarding the entrance. LB blows off Twank because he's the rusting the chains. As if this was a BAD thing. Tweeg turns around and blames LB for everything, like a Donald Trump fan on steroids. Another tan troll in purple gear looks on and thinking: "Why won't BS&P take a hike and let me kill this whiny baby?!" So, basically the two prisoners are sentenced to hard labor in MAVO's laundry department; the smelliest place of all. I wonder if they launder their pieces of copper, silver and gold?
I would suspect money laundering would be something MAVO does on a regular basis. Tweeg whines some more and LB calls him a striped zucchini; because Tweeg has the brain of a rutabaga. And in the Ying Zoo arc; that was as close to a literal statement as humanly possible. Tweeg plays this cool and then basically invokes Buffy into the conversation and this was the absolute last straw for LB. See; he can take being insulted, but insulting Buffy is going way too far; and LB says this right in front of the hard camera. So, LB counters by bouncing Tweeg up and down like a rag doll as the brown troll runs in and breaks it up by grabbing the middle of the chain. I think this was supposed to be Iggly doing this; but the writers decided to let some other guard do it; even though I have zero clue who this troll's name is. Page 5, 11-Z: No bouncy bouncy! Unless you are from Nickelodeon. Apparently; there is someone named Rancid Gluttonage who has really dirty socks and LB doesn't like it. Tweeg don't care and the brown invokes the BOWSER TAILSPIN OF DEATH on the two jokers and throws them away towards the entrance of the laundry room; remembering to throw them over an elephant troll like MAVO member in the process. Tweeg and LB take their bumps and then crawl to the door as one moth is present. Tweeg swears revenge on MAVO again and LB proclaims Tweek as the Big Green Meanie before doing the Vinny laugh on the far shot of MAVO Headquarters. So we scene change back to the garden of Grunges with Gimmick still in the tree caught in his own stupid little device. Teddy suggests lassoing a rope to bring the tree branch down; but as Grubby points out, there's no rope available because Gimmick used it all. Idiot! Oh wait; Suzy Sheep has a suggestion for them, let's listen in...
Suzy Sheep: Chop the tree down!
Everyone: No.
Then we hear someone yelling for help. It's clear that it's This and not Gimmick; the voice clearly gives it away. This, That and Other are basically blowing their cover, with Other and That wanting help and This saying No. Treena is confused as everyone else is. Gimmick's fine as Teddy walks over and notices the purple bush, the sunflower and the rock with the face. Yup; it's the Anythings, as if the voice didn't give them anyway. They do not transform as Treena and Topper come in to watch. The Anythings are still talking awkwardly and feel more ashamed then afraid. You see, since being called Anythings, the Anythings became embolden and explore the world beyond the Mushroom Forest and found the Grunge's garden as shown in the flashback. So, yes; they were the ones vandalizing the garden and eating the veggies. In the flashback; there are three more Anythings in various colors eating stuff as Treena, Topper and some other Grunge walking in and picking veggies, calling them various forms of yummy. So the Anythings -- like total idiots -- transformed into veggies, including a potato and a white radish. The three new Anythings that were not in the previous episode are picked (radish, potato (which explains why there are three Grunges instead of two) and second carrot) and spirited away towards the Grunge village. We return to reality (no, not really) as Teddy asks why they didn't tell the Grunges and the Anythings claim that they were too afraid and bawled their eyes out. Well; if they told them, it would implicate them as the vandals in the garden outright. It's not like Tweeg has magical powers or anything. Heck; Treena invokes the POINTY FINGER OF DEATH and the Anythings cry some more. This is like watching Mummy Pig's Book from Peppa Pig; only the Anythings really were sorry shapeshifters. Anyhow; Gimmick orders the babyfaces to take the Airship and head to the Grunge village. This is a problem because Teddy and Grubby have never flown the Airship before and Gimmick is still trapped in the tree.
Gimmick tells them not to worry (because Gimmick only gives orders, so two can still fly the darn thing) and hopes the Grunges get him down via a ladder. Treena and Topper have zero idea what Gimmick is talking about. So the Grunges leave as Teddy leaves, Grubby waits for the Anythings to transform as This and Other climb onto Grubby's back while Grubby carries That in his arms. The artwork is totally off-model here as we head to the Airship as Grubby is acting like a bad sailor as Teddy asks Grubby if he knows what he is doing. Answer: No. So, they manage to raise the Airship up into the sky and then Grubby releases the propeller while cutting the worst sailor promos ever. Teddy's giggling, so you know it's awful. And then Grubby proclaims that it works; and forgets to grab the propeller handle again, so that makes we have an AIRSHIP OUTTA CONTROL~! Lots of loop-de-loop for only 15 pieces of copper.Suddenly; the Airship in the shot was upright. Next shot; the airship is upside down. WHAT?! The Anythings realize that this wasn't supposed to happen, Other is almost ready to vomit, That is almost ready to abandon ship. More spiraling out of control as Teddy tries to go over to Grubby; as we get more shots of the Airship out of control heading away from the hard camera and that ends the segment 11 minutes in. Maybe they should have chopped the tree down; because Grubby's flying is awful. Again; the show is merely trying to get all the Storybook stuff out of the way first before the real arc angle begins.
After the commerical break...Okay; if I was booking this, I would have continued the previous scene until it ends with the Airship landing safely. Nope! The bookers decide to go to MAVO Headquarters, because to this show, it was more important to show the beginning sequence of the first reveal of the new airship known as the Eclipse as various monsters are putting stuff on board and inside the ship I assume. One of the monsters looks completely unpolished due to the rush nature of overseas animation, this at least has gotten better in modern cartoons. Iggly is on deck as Quellor is sitting in a new throne with bat trim on the top; along with a candle, so I assume that this will be his new bedroom and maybe reading room. Quellor praises Gimmick for being creative, because of this it will be the downfall of the Illiop, Ruxpin. Once again; that's why you make one and then you burn the blueprints while you still can. Quellor then calls Gimmick's talents a terrible waste as then Quellor asks about more information about Teddy. Iggly gets grabbed and proclaims that little is known; but only Tweeg and LB might hold the key. Quellor dumps Iggly and groans; because the traitor in his eyes is the only one who can help them defeat Teddy. The irony of ironies. Quellor basically orders Iggly to summon Tweeg at once. So we head back to the Grunge village and we get a laughable logic break: Remember Topper from earlier? Well; he is in this scene with the Grunge Chef as he and the Grunges are preparing veggies to be cut. Since Topper knows what is going on; why doesn't he speak up and inform the chef that some of the veggies are not veggies?! This is so stupid. The chef chop veggies like he's doing sword slashing and one of the Grunges in a blue beret is juggling pieces of veggies before putting them in the cauldron of gumbo. So; we find the giant potato with legs and eyes (Anything eyes, not potato eyes) bails and finds the giant radish with eyes and then kicks the radish away. The radish sells it as the potato realizes that it's an Anything. Both agree to bail behind a cucumber as they are clearly looking for the giant carrot with eyes, whom I'm certain is the next veggie to be cut.
Then it gets worse logic wise: Scene change as the Airship is now flying and stablized. WHAT?! So, we never got the payoff to how Grubby and Teddy were able to fly the Airship without Gimmick now. So we hear another song in the background and the Anythings instantly hear it as a soup song. Jump cut back to the wooden table and now the Anything veggies are at the front of the table. WHAT?! So the radish is grabbed and thrown to the Chef. In comes the Airship and Teddy claims that what the chef is holding is NOT a real ONION. Earth to Teddy: That's NOT an onion to begin with; it's a radish or turnip. The Grunges rightfully think Teddy and Grubby are suffering from health problems, including a vitamin loss that requires Teddy and Grubby to eat Grunge Gumbo. Grubby of course realizes that landing the Airship is the hardest thing to do, and his sailor promos are getting much worse. Teddy then tells the Anythings to take over and the trio of Anythings have a secret weapon to get the Anything Veggies out of this: You Must Speak Up~! Oh; and this promo has a long TEDDY RUXPIN SONG OF DOOM; and you know what, this was the best singing in the entire series. The Anythings must be voiced by musicians, there's no other way to explain it. It's a great song; but all the song does is make the Anything Veggies cry. I'm ready to speak up that this song is causing Anything abuse. The song is over and all it did was embolden the Grunges to speak up; because it's cooking time. Chef throws radish into the air and the radish aand carrot finally stutter and that is enough for the two Grunges to stop. They didn't even have to speak up; just stuttering made them stop. That was a bigger waste of talent than Gimmick inventing for the babyfaces. The giant potato says "look out!" and the Grunges all panic and throw the veggies away; because this was the signal for thew Grunges to duck because the Airship is coming stage left and crashes off-screen. Somehow; it didn't break anything except turn into the Airship house. The Grunge chefs are confused as the babyface all get out of the Airship; which somehow got it's airbag magically inflated again.
I'm guessing it's Grubby's doing since he's talking like Gimmick; although his giggling sounds exactly like Daddy Pig's. The Anythings hop in with unique sound effects as we scene change to do the note exchanging as the Anythings are introduced along with the dark green Anything called Some, the ash gray with yellow collar is called Another and the lavander one with overalls is called One More. One More hops into the Blue Beret Grunge's hands and turns into a potato, they make potato eye jokes. The Anything Veggies admit that they were scared to speak up and have learned their lesson. Now; the problem with this lesson is: It is actually going to be a BAD thing when Captured occurs...and that's the next episode actually! What happens in that next episode is going to make this look like a Broken Aseop in hindsight. In comes Treena, Topper and Gimmick (who somehow changes from being with Topper and then with Treena on the closeup shot) swinging like Tarzan. Gimmick is covered with green ferns demanding the stop of this veggie execution a good two minutes too late. Worse; The Grunge somehow make Gimmick fly so far that he crashes butt first into the Grunge Gumbo. Thank goodness there was no vitamin Z in there, because goodness knows how that would affect a scientist. So, Gimmick basically explains that he cut the net and fall down. The Other bites on one of the vines that snagged Gimmick's ankle; allowing a lovely demonstration of him falling backwards on his back in the process. The Anythings do a victory formation and wave hello to Mr. Gimmick. Everyone laughs and I'm disappointed that they didn't just chop the tree down. That would have been money.
So; we finally head back to the AirShip Hanger of MAVO headquarters as only EIGHT MAVO members are present (and yet another episode where the Troll Nephews aren't present) along with Quellor as he stands on the podium in front of the Eclipse. Up the stairs comes Iggly with the BUBBLY WINE OF DEATH as he gives the bottle to Quellor. Quellor officially christens the new ship to be known as the Eclipse and smashes the bottle on the demon statue's head; in a sort of symbolism of bloodshed to be spread to the demon he claims is the Illiop, Ruxpin. On the far shot; the purple wine turns white by the way. And then we get a laughable logic break and lazy crowd shot to boot as there are now dozens of monsters using the same four to five character designs over and over again. Then on the next shot of the crowd; it's reduced to half and looks sort of unique as Tweeg and LB climb up the step on Quellor's command. Tweeg at least looks decent for a pirate; and LB is wearing a doo-rag with a black patch on his eye. I was hoping he was wearing a hockey puck; just to make me laugh. Tweeg of course is overstaying his temp freedom like a jerk and Quellor cuts him off. He throws the scroll of orders which is to steal the Airship and capture Teddy Ruxpin alive basically. The problem with this is; these orders are rendered moot because Quellor, GOUL and all of MAVO is joining in to this attack on Teddy in the next episode anyway. So why bother with the orders? Tweeg assures Quellor that he will succeed and then trips and bonks into LB and they fall down the steps. Quellor is instantly amused by this, the monsters laugh, LB does a witty retort, Tweeg tells LB to shut up, and that ends the episode at 19:12. This was a mess of an episode as they stumbled and fumbled through this like Tweeg on his alchemist binges. The animation was off in this one, too. Oh; and the whole lesson of speaking up is actually going to prove to be a bad moral in the next episode too. ** (40%).
THE REVIEW LINE
Well; this was yet another Storybook episode and it wasn't all that impressive. Look; I love the "You Got To Speak Up" song in a vacuum and 90% of the time, it's a good moral; but the next episode is going to totally nullify it for obvious and not so obvious reason. The storyline was for the most part okay; but the animation was off, there were logic breaks out of the wazoo and why give Tweeg orders at the end when every member of MAVO is going to be involved in the Eclipse in the next episode anyway? It was so pointless; and they didn't need to do that in order to set up another pratfall with Tweeg since Tweeg is capable of doing it himself. I will give this episode this: They did a better job in telling who the Anythings are. Despite the dumb names; at least I could tell them apart unlike the Surf Grunges. Everything else was just there. So, next up is the big one folks; the day Teddy's innocence dies and now he had to deal with a bunch of terrorists for real. MAVO, everyone. So...
Thumbs down for this episode and I'll see you all next time.