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An Elephant Never Suspects
Reviewed: 03/01/2009 (Posted: 03/02/2009)
...a crappy episode!
Oh lord; I remember this one all too well and I'm shuddering to think that we might even have our first DUD episode of DTVA right there. I hated this episode back when I was a kid. So let's rant on shall we...?!
This episode is written by Julia Jane Roberts. The story was edited by Bryce Malek and supervised by Tad Stones. And sadly; this one is animated by Wang Films/Cuckoo's Nest Studios.
Annoying Moment #1: And we return to the third version of the opening sequence again.
We begin this one with a shot of the entrance of the zoo as the humans have all left the zoo after a thrilling time I'm sure of. Why does one of the kids look like an anthro pig? The PA announcer proclaims that the zoo will re-open at 9 am tomorrow morning as we zoom over to the area where the elephants are displayed. They look mostly like a cameo from the Jungle Book. No wonder we saw only three elephants max in TaleSpin. We see the elephants spraying water on each other as Chip does some backflips in the air (!!!) and catches a peanut on the rebound down as Elliot (the youngest elephant of the pack and helpfully) grab him. Man; the animation here is annoying; it looks like a colored storyboard in places. Dale wants to do one and so he slides down the trunk doing some awesome tail waving on the loop-de-loop for only fifteen cents as Dale does some back flips and Chip throws the peanut like a football and naturally Dale catches it in the mouth. Why am I not surprised at this? The peanut breaks as Dale's head gets caught in the trunk upside down allowing Chip to laugh badly again. That one was almost close to Out to Launch levels I should note. Monty blows Chip off as he is on the ground because he doesn't want to do all the work. Oh sod off you Aussie Stereotype and LIKE IT BABEE! Gadget has her camera thingy (check the tripod here) as Zipper balances a peanut on it's head. On man; is this some symbolic version of a porno shoot? And shouldn't Elliot be helping the Rangers since he's bigger and it's his pile? I hate soft working children as Zipper gets bopped and falls down as Monty blows him off nicely for screwing with Colonel's peanut formations. Oh man; this is a Jungle Book cameo as Elliot is happy to make a peanut pile for his dad to be proud of.
If only as Dale grabs a peanut from the bottom of the pile while proclaiming that he will get all the peanuts he could eat; but Chip steals it and places it down in the original spot. And then it's C&D Wrestling Entertainment as Dale pulls the hat down over Chip's face. HAHA! Dale grabs the peanut and of course the pile gets destroyed, DUH! The peanut wave stops as the rodents splash right in front of Captain Colonel who is the leader of the elephant pack as he blows off the Rangers for getting in the food supply. I can understand he hating Dale; but the other rodents? Elliot comes in the apologize for letting the pile get away from him and Colonel just accuses them of stealing peanut provision. Oh man; he's ALREADY thinking that the rodents will betray them before they had a chance to betray them. Man; that just sounds like a certain young bear cub now doesn't it? Dale takes exception which is ironic considering that HE was the one who caused the peanut wave in the first place. The Rangers take to Dale's defense because they are the Rescue Rangers. I just love how Monty is the one with the pointy finger of doom just to insult me. Elliot also comes to their defense because they are friends see but Colonel blows it off because they are elephants and rodents and elephants do not mix. I guess they are scared of rodents because they can tickle good. AHHAHAHAHAHA! STOMP! OUCH Ummm.....
Monty is fed up as he wants to pack the trunk nine ways to Pittsburg (yeah right Aussie Stereotype) as Gadget warns him not to shadow box against a thousand ton elephant and Elliot uses his trunk to stop Monty as Monty tries to stand up for the young boy. Elliot takes it well because Colonel has a lot of responsibilities as leader of the herd. I wonder if one of them is teaching Kit how to be so cynical because it damn sure worked better for sympathy heat for him more than it did for his own teacher. So Chip and Dale decide to re-pack the peanut hill and bail stage left as Chip grabs the peanuts from the next cage and Dale does Kit's bigger than this own body weight spot. I just knew the writers would invoke that spot at some point. Chip swears in DUBBED ANIME STYLE (gosh) and then throws the peanut at Dale which Dale proceeds to drop all the peanuts right on the bear's head. HAHA! That'll teach Chip to make Dale do that spot and C&D Argument #1021 follows. Dale even bops on the bears kisser as Stephen Colbert must be having a collective organism seeing that spot. Sadly; he freaks out because the bear grabs the chipmunks in kind. Well; at least it's not Gadget, or Mr. Fat would be MURDERING that damn bear.
The damn bear is PISSED because they were trying to steal his last peanut. Remember that for later. Dale drops the peanut as Chip apologizes for thinking that it was for the elephant's pile and the damn bear is ticked off as he drops the chipmunks like a bad habit on the stone rock with good bumps (OUCH!) and then storms off to accuse the elephants of being greedy. Geez; does this bear know the meaning of the word diet? He then calls to the monkey cages as he proclaims that he got a lead on the peanut thieves as they push out of their cages. Man; that is crappy security work there as the damn bear pushes a tree down across the river to make a bridge and the animals walked towards the edge of the cage as the damn bear blows off Colonel while getting off death reference #1. Isn't Mr. Peanut trademarked or something? Colonel turns around and blows off Bruin for his tone. The beige monkey addresses Jebbes and accuses the elephants of being the thieves as they proclaim that they all had their peanuts nabbed. Oh man; beige monkey is simply asking for a lawsuit with his Hoover reference since I believe that is also a trademarked name. Colonel blows it off yelling at them for implying that they are calling the elephants thieves and the monkeys shudder back which pretty much proves that Colonel DID steal the peanuts. Bruin gleefully matches the blow off because they don't have legs and walked away by themselves as Chip realizes that they have a case to solve. Colonel continues to match blow offs calling Bruin incompetent. Oooo; that is fighting words there you Jungle Book pretender. He then accuses the monkeys of being the thieves and the monkeys naturally deny it because they were robbed too. If that includes joke fixing than that is an improvement. AHHAHAHAHAHA!
Elliot lets the Rangers onto the stone edge wall and Chip offers to help catch the thieves and of course Colonel walks away without as much as a response. HOLY CRAP?! Does Gadget get flustered as she gets golly #1 for the episode five minutes in. We cut over to a pile of peanuts with the other elephants as Colonel dishes out the orders while walking like a snob on speed as Elliot grabs him by the tail because he knows someone who is great at crime solving. Ummmm; didn't he already try that line of reasoning and Colonel blew it off? Logic break #1 for the episode and naturally Colonel blows it off because they are elephants see. And probably the dumbest army in history. Bruin calls out Colonel as Hose Nose just to annoy me and wants to know what is a Rescue Ranger. Short answer: It's a person who helps others. Elliot's answer is about three times longer complete with victory fanfare. The animals like this heavy duty stuff as he asks who are these supermen and the Rangers show themselves; only to be laughed right out of the zoo. This must be the ECW Zoo. AHHAHAHAHAHAHA!
The Rangers are SHOCKED and APPALLED at all this laughing out of the building. I'm sorry; but I cannot take these clowns seriously even if I tried. I guess Molly Cunningham's crying does have an effect on me. And now Monty is PISSED...and you know this episode is hosed when Monty looks really good in an episode. He even sezs That blows it which is really disturbing that even the other Rangers are taken aback from this as Monty jumps down and storms right into the fire wanting to MURDER those elephants. Yeah; an Aussie Stereotype who weighs two pounds soaking wet kicking a two ton elephant's ass; like I'm taking THAT one seriously?! Zipper and Gadget stop him because it's for Elliot's sake that they become unharmed. Dammit Gadget; you are ruining a good ass whomping just to protect a nothing Jungle Book cameo pretender child?! Monty stops and does another pointy finger of death and the zoo animals laugh...badly some more. Elliot is APPALLED by this as Colonel recoils and decides to give the Rangers a chance to prove themselves since they have an advantage of sorts due to their size. Monty isn't amused but Chip implies to Monty to shut up. Chip proclaims that Colonel will not be sorry and that they will find the thief by questioning the witnesses. It's Rescue Rangers away at the seven minute mark as they run off stage right while Bruin blows them off and the monkeys sulk with Bruin just to rub it in.
So we logically go to the zoo AFTER HAPPY HOUR (Read: After dark) as we pan southwest to the skunk display as Monty and Zipper are talking to a skunk which of course bears no fruit in terms of leads. Zipper and Monty leave with gas masks on their faces of course as we cut to another area where Gadget knocks on turtle shell and gets no response a few times before Gadget walks off proclaiming that there is no one home; and as she goes out of sight; the turtle's head appears. THIEF! So we do an upside down shot as Chip and Dale interact with the bat. How they can hang upside down without rope is beyond me. The chipmunks; not the bats. Nothing good comes out of the interaction of course. We then cut to Monty grabbing the alligator by the tail calling it a flaming dinosaur because he wants answers. And naturally; it's the crocodile from Kiwi's Big Adventure. This goes somewhere as the crocodile flings Monty off his tail and the end result is Monty going right into the hippo's mouth. Now there is the Darwin version of Hungry, Hungry Hoppos! AHHAHAHA! POW! OUCH! Ummm...
Monty opens the hippo's mouth and then jumps down, blows the gator off and then walks off stage right. And then we go to the display where the Chinese Pandas are shown which looks Chinese with the lair being Chinese and the stereotypical Chinese music in the background. We then cut to inside their home which looks like a real home for goodness knows what reason as the two Pandas of Doom are hiding a robot like device behind the white curtain and thus giving away the thieves right there. Man; did Julia Jane Roberts screw up here or what as the Rangers enter the reasonable livable by human standards home as the two pandas answer that they don't know anything about the peanuts. Well; at least they don't have green eyes...yet. And the pandas are basically Chinese versions of the panda bears from Care Bears: The Nelevana version. So this episode doesn't get black balled at all; but TaleSpin does? See what the context of terrorism does to help make the case for black balling? The two sides exchange greetings and ribs on each other (you know who does the ribbing and who gets it on the Ranger side) as Chip then questions how the pandas knew about the peanuts. The female panda walks backwards and opens the magical white curtain to reveal a bamboo binoculars. This is so obvious and I'm sadden that the Rangers are even buying this as Gadget gets off golly #2 for the episode eight and a half minutes in.
And of course; they are of Asian stereotypes; so they are computer inventors as well. At least there is Gadget there to balance the offensiveness out; not that it would have much effect or anything. Chip and Dale decides to look underneath the covers of whatever the pandas REALLY hid as the pandas relate a BS story about how their mother sent them on a stupid zoo tour for some culture. The female blows Ting-A-Ling off for his rude behavior because he didn't try to be Anti-American since he just doesn't like stupid zoo tours. I cannot argue with that logic. Let me guess: the female is Tang-A-Lang just to show how uncreative Julia Jane really was in this episode. The pandas are homesick as the Rangers start asking about the machine underneath the cloth and the Pandas stop that one as they claim that it's a digging machine. Oh man; how obvious can you get? Tang saves the day by proclaiming that they use it dig their garden of bamboo shoots. Gadget decides to end the questioning session and leave them be for the night so they can talk later for their amusement.
So we head outside to the elephant cage as we pan over to the peanut pile and Colonel blowing them off for coming up with nothing of note. His cynical attitude is so forced that it's not funny. Man; Kit could teach this loser a thing or 12 about being cynical. Colonel blows his trunk horn (HA!) as four elephant come from all sides and seat their asses on the ground nearly MURDERING the rangers in the process with MAN-SIZED bumps. Colonel hasn't got faith in them; but his way of defense will get the job done as Chip and Dale agree to take the first detail and Dale has his pop rifle ready for logic break #2 for the episode. However; I'll live since Dale with a rifle is pretty funny. And so we go on and on through the night with Chip and Dale marching badly like two goofs with cork guns (seriously!) and the elephant defense is asleep as Dale's eyes are bloodshot. Colonel yawns a bit with his eyes open and then goes back to sleep again, so Dale plops on the ground taking a decent face plant. HAHA! Nice touch with the cork gun going off in mid flight as Chip goes around the pile and he gets ticked off that Dale is sleeping on the job. So Chip wakes him up remembering to slap him silly. C&D argument #1022 follows as we cut to an empty part of the cage and it's the BUGS BUNNY SPOT OUT OF CONTROL~! No one suspects a thing despite the object taking a metal MAN-SIZED bump against the elephant. Yeah; like I'm buying it's NOT the pandas here as the chipmunks go to the ground like a bunch of kids which is a distraction enough for the bugs bunny spot to suck all of the peanuts from the pile; DUH! Only two peanuts are left (one for each chipmunk left) as the chipmunks finally stop arguing and they are SHOCKED and HORRIFIED at this as Colonel wakes up and turns around looking PISSED as the segment ends 11 minutes in. Man; they are phoning it in on this one....
After the commercial break; we see Gadget, Monty and Zipper wake up from their ultra gay sleeping bags and they are SHOCKED and APPALLED by the missing peanuts. And of course; Chip and Dale do the stupidest move ever by grabbing the stray peanuts even though they didn't have them when Colonel was looking at THEM! The elephants surround the rangers and Colonel accuses THEM of stealing the peanuts just to feed his cynical ego. Even Kit Cloudkicker would have realized what REALLY happened by now. The Rangers defend themselves; but Colonel uses his trunk to suction Dale up and smell him as he accuses him of having peanut breath. Oh man; this is turning into a veiled alcohol reference episode as Dale gets dropped on his ass and Chip has that look of MURDER Dale on his face. Dale claims that he only had one which makes no sense since we never saw Dale eat one. Maybe he had a peanut butter sandwich on retainer in between scenes. Have you ever thought about that one Colonel? Oh wait; this is COLONEL we are talking about, my mistake.
Naturally we see Bruin and the monkey at the edge of the cage as they blow off the elephants for making too much noise and moronicness. Okay; I made that last part up. The beige monkey is Heebie by the way as Jeebie points out the obvious as the animals drop down asking if the Rangers have captured the crooks and of course Colonel blows it off accusing the rangers of being the crooks. Naturally; the zoo animals all agree that they couldn't be trusted but then the one question that puts a big dent in the armor beckons: Where did they stash the goods? Jeebie thinks they didn't because Monty was eating them and packed on weight which earns a slap off from Monty. Yeah Aussie Stereotype; just incriminate yourself even more; that will make you feel good about yourself. The pandas look on in shock over this even though we all know that it's fake. Monty wants to MURDER the monkey; but Chip and Dale restrain him since Gadget gets pissed and blows off Colonel; remembering to swear in DUBBED ANIME STYLE (darn). The pandas come to the Rangers defense (thus proving that the pandas are the ones who did it right there) as Ting actually blows the cover enough to prove that they are guilty and Tang covers his mouth. Tang should do that a lot quicker if she wants to make that spot work. The rest of the animals don't buy it as they want death to rodents as the Rangers huddle together as Gadget proclaims that this is getting ugly. Too late there Gadget love; it was ugly the moment the crooks were given away about four minutes ago. Monty wants to fight and Zipper has no issues with that. Sadly; the stomps force the Rangers to run away like scalded dogs. The monkeys have a meeting of the minds and it wasn't at the Improv with Rhinokey. AHHAHAHA! Bruin is not amused at all this as Zipper squeaks at him and Monty comes up from behind and MURDERS him with the baking pan. What a lame back fighter this Monty fellow is as Bruin is knocked out cold with a phillac symbol on his head. So he's auditioning for Darkwing Duck as well.
Gadget and the gang come together as Gadget proclaims that they cannot keep this up. Why not just run away from the zoo and let this incident blow over? Answer: Because that would make them weak as Rescue Rangers see. And just as I say that; Chip has the same idea as Elliot runs in and grabs the Rangers by the trunk and hauls them over the wall and onto the conveniently placed banana peel which allows them to slip and slide out of the zoo as they bump down the stairs and take good bumps on the floor. Neat spot there; I'll give Elliot that much. So we cut back to inside the elephant pit as some of the elephant wash off the injures of Bruin and company (yeah sure; water works SO well on injuries like that) as we pan over to Colonel blowing off Elliot for betraying the elephants honor. Oh; I am so scared...NOT! Elliot cries because they are his friends and they would never use him to steal anything which is no sold because Colonel is a contrived version of Kit Cloudkicker. And contrived cynicalness equals zero sympathy from me as we cut to the edge of the zoo border as the Rangers pop up and cannot believe the horror of seeing Elliot crying like that.
Dale sobs into the hankie and does an over dramatic cry fest just to be Dale as Monty does the Gruffi pose to annoy me. So Chip has to step in and slap Dale silly with the wussiest shots this side of Dexter and Mandrake as he proclaims that they know that they didn't steal the peanuts and Disney Captions screws up because they have what when Dale clearly said right. Chip asks if they know who stole them and Dale answers no as Chip does an overacting job while twirling his hat as it is Rescue Rangers away 14 and a half minutes in. So we logically go to the far shot of the elephant pit as Dumb Colonel orders his men to stay alert and protect the last of the peanuts until they can restock. He also tells Elliot to open his eyes to watch out for the rodent fiends and Elliot sells it with shame as we cut to the Rangers behind a rock as Monty and Gadget have the bamboo shoots of doom which look like a giant assed flute as they will run interference while Chip and Dale search for clues. Okay; this is REALLY STUPID on SO MANY LEVELS since coming back basically incriminates them even more and building a complex sequence like this makes the connection to Colonel's accusation even more plausible even though we already know who is guilty of this in the first place.
Coconuts from a palm tree, a rubber fire hose, bamboo shoots; Gadget wearing goggles; Monty giving a 21 nut salute; this distraction has it all in silliness. The sneak attack of doom begins as coconuts rain on the elephant scumbags; which is fine except that (a) none of the coconuts hit the elephants in spite about being hundreds of them raining on them and (b) the coconuts disappear before they touch the ground. This puts the Kit making hats disappear spot from Plunder and Lightning part three in it's proper perspective doesn't it? Colonel gets beaned in the head with a coconut (finally) and that's enough for the chipmunks to swoop in to look for clues quickly. However; Zipper panics and squeaks at them because a stray coconut basically drops with a MAN-SIZED bump to cause a hole big enough for the chipmunks to fall into and we get the bottomless pit spot I hate to death to end the segment sixteen minutes in. I lost my internet connection to do two rants in the same day for THIS?! SHOOT ME NOW! In the right leg of course....
After the commercial break; we cut to inside a small cave with a sunroof like hole as the coconut rests there in about three inches of ground. Zipper zooms down and is relieved that the chipmunks are okay as Chip and Dale are swimming in peanut butter and thus have figured out how the thieves stole the peanuts. But that still doesn't clear their names as Dale eats the peanut butter to incriminate himself even more. Damn; this episode is so stupid as Zipper joins in to annoy me. Chip then notices claw marks on the wall which could NEVER be made by a rodent the small size of the Rangers which is evidence #1 to contradict Colonel's attitude at last. Dale gets scared as he wonders who it might be and then the horrible monster shows up with a Chinese Dragon mask on. Yeah; like we cannot see who are the thieves a mile away now can't we? Chip and Dale run like the wind in an easterly direction as we get the SCOOBY DOO CHASE SEQUENCE THE CHINESE DRAGON DIGGER EDITION~! Now all we need is hippie music and this episode is complete in true Sidism fashion.
Sadly; there is a dead end as we get death reference number 2 for the episode as Wang cannot decide between cartoon lighting and realistic lighting for this scene. We get the dramatic showdown of doom with snorting as Chip and Dale think they are finished (well they are already; but move on for the sake of argument) as the Chinese Dragon Mouth opens and out pops Ting and Tang; DUH! See; this is why the scenes don't work is because we ALREADY know well ahead of time who is behind all of this and thus it sucks. Yes; Kitten Kaboodle's acting on accidents in A Star is Torn is contrived; but she kept 99% of it from becoming obvious. Heck; she even convinced me that Kit was causing the problems to advance his career as an actor; so she must be damn good. Dale does get the classic level up a notch by panicking that the machine ate the pandas. Oh that cooky Dale; always an awesome actor as Chip bonks him on the head just to amuse me of course. The pandas are so BUSTED! So we cut to outside as the Rangers are now out of coconuts and the elephants now have the fire power of their trunks and coconuts to launch a counterstrike. Who's dumb idea was this? Take one guess; and the hint: he talk like an Aussie Stereotype. The bamboo shooter gets destroyed of course as Monty and Gadget bail. Monty is glad that they are not watermelons. Okay that is a wee bit borderline racist there pally....Please let this episode end now; I know that there is five minutes left; but the pain of agony is getting to me now.
So we return to the cave as Ting and Tang exchange notes on the Dragon Digging Machine that runs on peanut oil. Well; it's good to know that they are using oil that doesn't come from fossils and smokes worse than Morton Downey Jr. on weed. Dale then deduces that this is how they made the peanut butter road as the digging machine goes into a large cave which is loaded with piles of peanuts as they proclaim that they are ready to dig to China. And Lost Horizons got all the heat of black balling? Don't ask; it's a question where your head will explode if you try to figure out Michael Eisner logic. Dale loves this as he runs to jump into the pile of peanuts; but Chip grabs him by the tail and pulls him to do a face plant into the peanut butter again. Ting then admits that stealing the peanuts is wrong but they did it because they miss their parents. Wow; the old sad heel trick which would have garnered more sympathy if they were not given away as the thieves right from the start of their appearance.
Chip and Dale agree to find a way to get them home as we return outside to the elephant pit as the mice are dodging coconuts and barely gaining any ground as a result. Gadget and Monty run for DA...HOLE as Colonel and his gang try the DOUBLE STOMP OF DOOM; but the mice jump into the hole easily. Man; these elephant are very dumb. They are very stupid...and no one has learned anything which is apporos for such a pointless song. Colonel uses the stink eye to search for the fiendish devils (his words; not mine) and he wants to flush them out with the TRIPLE STOMP OF DOOM as the elephant sells and Elliot cries because they'll crush them. What a useless whiner this Elliot fellow is?! So we head back underground as the rumbling continues and the chipmunks unintentionally back up and push on the black levers (WRONG LEVERS!) and the Dragon Machine starts up again. The machine drives along as the pandas bail on the pile of peanuts as Ting protests the chipmunks lack of driving skills. Chip and Dale pull levers (WRONG LEVERS!) as the machine digs and drive around in a scary fashion. We head topside for more triple stomp nonsense as Colonel thinks he's won now as Elliot pleads for Colonel to stop. Why not just kick the Colonel in the shins you useless child?! Gadget and Monty fall into the pile of peanuts from DA...HOLE and then Ting and Tang pull them out of the pile easily.
Gadget then gets the LIGHTBULB OF BLOODY CLAIRTY as they realize who it is about ten minutes too late to save the episode. Tang and Ting want to make amends and return the peanuts (thus turning into tweeners by proxy); but it will take a long time to get them back to the surface. Gadget ponders this problem and has a MIMI JOKE ZONE PLAN which involves a fire hose. Why do I somehow think this is a creepy idea?! Anyhow; we return with Chip and Dale having chaos and suffering with the levers of the dragon machine as it jumps up over the hippo and then lands as the hippo is dumbfounded over all this. All of the other animals (minus the bats and elephants of course) get the spot and sink into the deeper hole. That leads to Bruin getting the BITE OF ASS off-screen and then the zoo animals minus gator run away stage left through the gator hole as the gator pops up with a piece of Bruin fur. I just knew the bear would get no respect as usual from Tad Stones.
So we return to the original hole as Monty sticks a fire hose into the hole and with Elliot's help goes to the wheel and spins it around which pumps water into the system as the hose sprays into the hole as expected. We cut to Chip and Dale who have finally stopped that dragon machine as they breathe a sigh of relief that it is over; but the hand of irony strikes as the peanut water wave of doom beckons to flush the rodents out. So we cut to Colonel putting his ear to the ground literally and the ground rises and bursts creating columns of water and peanuts which spray on everyone including the sleeping hippo who takes about 1/3 of the share of peanuts into his mouth in one bite. Go figure as Colonel is amazed of all this as well as Elliot. Gadget, Zipper, Ting and Tang all pop up from the ground as the ground bursts again as Colonel wonders who did this as we see Chip and Dale pop up from the column of water proclaiming that the Rescue Rangers are at their service.
Colonel is amazed of all this as we go to morning as we see the pandas in a mesh cage covered in green spots to sell a sickness. Obvious logic break: The guy who wheels the pandas out (the one in the jumpsuit) can clearly see the can of green paint on the edge of the chain linked fence which was used to paint the spots in the first place along with Gadget with the paint brush. How could Gadget stoop to such a logic break; I don't know? The announcer proclaims that they are going back to China as a female reporter (wearing a red dress outfit) proclaims that she questions the feelings of the panda since this panda pox turns them on apparently. Monty blows off the whole thing unless you count paint as being contagious which is not exactly a good message for the kids drug wise. Gadget then punishes him with brushing green paint right on his nose. HAHA! One of the few entertaining things in this episode as the chipmunks laugh their heads off at Monty's expense. Colonel is pleased and wants the Rangers to help him with one more thing. Chip and Dale are game for more as Colonel grabs the chipmunks and he wants to do a loop-de-loop for only 15 cents as Elliot is HAPPY now despite being useless for the entire episode. We cut to Bruin in his case eating peanuts (do bears really eat peanuts in real life?) proclaiming that he knew all along like the foolish bear that he is. Elliot and Colonel play back flip the chipmunks as the chipmunks giggle badly to mercifully end the episode at 21:09. Thank goodness this episode is over as this one was phoned in on all counts and it looked like a glorified unclean storyboard with movement rather than an actual episode. And of course Sindy McKay does the voice of Elliot just to really annoy me. No wonder Jymn Magon used actual child voice actors for TaleSpin. * ¼ (25%).
THE REVIEW LINE
Well; I dreaded this episode when I was a kid and I hate it even more now. I'm sorry; but this episode was phoned in big time as it was clear right from the appearance of the pandas that the pandas were the thieves and the fact that Tang give away the digging machine before the Rangers could be considered thieves just took the air completely out of the episode. Well; at least the sad heel routine of Ting and Tang was halfway decent; but phoned in writing did nothing to help it. Colonel was just crap as his cynical attitude had no sympathy due to bad writing from Julia; but also it was so obvious that they pounded the whole “Elephants fear rodents” angle to the ground and made him very unlikable as a result. It was made slightly worse by Elliot who was a halfway decent character on paper; but he did a few good spots and he whined like a wuss throughout most of this episode. Oh and Sindy was voice acting too; just to make it worse. The Rangers were okay; but they acted so stupid because the smoking gun was in their sights and blown by Ting and they didn't follow up and thus looked extremely weak in the process. Add on some logic breaks and Wang Film's look which looks like a glorified tech demo for colorized storyboard and you got the four thumbs down episode of this entire volume. If the internet wasn't down today; I would have waited until tomorrow. Oh well; it's done and that's all that counts. So.....
Thumbs down for this episode and I'll see you next time.