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Baloo Thunder Re-Rant
Reviewed: 02/29/2011
Additional
Commentary: 11/21/2021
Buzzing For Sadism!
Original Airdate: 02/06/1991 (Syndication), Episode #53 (TaleSpin DVD Volume 2, Disc 3), Episode #51 (Production Order).
Baloo
Thunder Notes
Baloo
Thunder Transcript
Well; we have reached the final two episodes in the DVD set of TaleSpin as this is the debut of Professor Buzz and his relationship with Shere Khan; as well as the debut of Miss Snarley. The title which is a play on Blue Thunder features Gadget like traps and lots of spying. (2015 Gregory Weagle Says: Blue Thunder was a movie about a helicopter, even though the plots for these two are completely different, so this is not a Time Bandit situation or anything. The more pressing issue is that Blue Thunder debuted in 1983; seven years before TaleSpin existed and eight years before this episode aired. Yes folks; there is a 1980's obscure pop culture reference in my TaleSpin! I've seen enough reviews condemning modern cartoons for doing this nonsense; but at least they can blame Seth MacFarlane and his Family Guy style cartoons for their existence. TaleSpin doesn't have that excuse. Then again; how many people in 1990 got the references in this show? Probably very few. Also; this episode is infamous for that helicopter being invented even though we have seen at least two helicopters in the series already. To be fair; the Cuisinart is a much more interesting helicopter even though it looks like a bronze steampunked version of The Shortcut from Ducktales' Time Is Money. Anyhow; the plot is this: Perry is trying to steal the helicopter to Khan's rival and puts the blame on the creator of the helicopter, because the creator of said helicopter is brain-scattered and probably a male version of Gadget Hackwrench.) I liked it the first time I saw it; but does it hold up? (I like Buzz and there is a lot to like about this episode; but there were moments where I was annoyed.) Let's rant on shall we?
This episode is written by the late Steve Sustarsic. The story is edited by Mark Zaslove. The animation is done by Sunwoo Animation.
We begin this one with a shot of Khan's Tower and then inside Khan's Board Room as Khan does his metaphors of the jungle and business. Khan is not happy because the last quarter saw a loss and trusts it won't happen again. (The analogy he used was that the jungle is a corporation and it's only as healthy as the green it produces. Last quarter, our green dropped a leaf. This is a very interesting analogy to use since it still harkens to the show's Jungle Book roots.) Then he talks to Wilbury to give him an update on the secret project. We see that Wilbury is a hedgehog in a yellow business suit wearing the SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT (which he probably stole from NASTY DOUGIE!); and beside him is Perry who is a spotted leopard in a black suit and matching tie. (Yes folks; there was a hedgehog in a television series that doesn't have super speed abilities, attitude nor named Sonic. Hedgehog anthros in television do in fact exist. Thanks Jymn Magon.) Perry naturally steals the briefcase with his foot -- which is the old Kit Cloudkicker handcuff unlock trick from Plunder and Lightning Part Three --, Wilbury cannot find it and wants to return to his office. Khan doesn't like waiting; so Wilbury gets trapdoored from Khan. He does push a red button on his console so no logic break there. (The logic break was that he had a 12 button panel on the table; but that is minor. By the way; poor Wilbury. Just because Sonic The Hedgehog is a Poochie doesn't mean Wilbury deserves to be trapdoored for a giant middle finger towards Sonic.) Perry then proclaims that he has a backup report and brings the original briefcase up. Khan is impressed and wants him to continue where Wilbury left off. Perry opens the briefcase proclaiming that they will make record profits this quarter due to the secret flying project. We know this because he has a red chart that is going up see. (Perry is a really good subtle heel who isn't letting Khan on about his upcoming con with Miniversal. A very effective one too.)
We zoom out of the board room and then cut to the laboratory as Perry proclaims that this mass produced flying project will give them the edge over Miniversal Corperation. (Yeah; I didn't make it up in my fanfics, although in my fanfics, Miniversal is much more heinous than in the television series. One exec cripples Ray Marion, the company is responsible for an enviornmental disaster causing the rise of Khan Industries and the poison meat scandal to name a few. I had even more ideas than that; but I gave up writing fanfics because I suck at writing them.) We head inside as we see a old balding furry with a brown coat and spotted bowtie and blue sweater showing Baloo and Kit his inventions. (I believe that he's a bird.) Invention number one is the world's tiniest fan; which indicates Drake Mallard's sex life and real fanbase all in one shot. AHHAHAHAHAHA! BLAM! HEE HEE! Missed me Drake! YOU ARE NOT WORTHY! POW! OUCH! Ummmm... (Sadly; Darkwing Duck's fanbase is still much bigger than TaleSpin's. Just goes to show you that (a) Ducks always rule no matter how bad they are written and (b) Kids just want comedy.) Oh; and the furry is addressed as Buzz (voiced by Kenneth Mars) who unlike most one shot characters; actually got more than one episode; along with the Jungle Aces and another female later in this very episode. Miss Snarly, everyone. Baloo blows it off since it couldn't cool off a flea circus. (You would think by now that Baloo shouldn't be dissing technology like an old fart. At least Kit has it down to being skeptical first; but once the evidence rolled in favor of the technology, Kit becomes a believer. Which is the best response to change without being blinded by ideology.) Buzz turns it on and we have the most vicious windbag per small fan in history. Also indicates Drake Mallard's ego in one shot too. (At least in TaleSpin; when we get more windbags, we literally get them.) Kit's selling is awesome as usual. Baloo screams for an off switch and Buzz realizes that he needs to add one in. HAHA! Evidence number one that Buzz is a sadist nut. I'm SHOCKED he hasn't married Gadget yet. Although Buzz is about fifty years old; so it's kind of understandable why. (And what would Gadget have to gain by marrying him anyway? Assuming that she does love him to begin with.)
Thankfully; notepad clips the switch and the fan stops and both bears take decent bumps onto the floor. Nice catch from Buzz as he had his OUT OF NOWHERE catcher's mitt on retainer; just in case. Logic break number one for the episode two and a half minutes in. Buzz proclaims that it's awesome when you set it on high. Must be Gusto, Drake and Colonel Spigot's vanity all in one package. AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! POW! POW! POW! OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! Ummmm... Buzz throws it to Baloo because it's all his. Baloo thanks him, sort of. Kit then goes over to the prototype of a red robot as he asks what this is for. Buzz has apparently found his OUT OF NOWHERE remote control, it's his automatic garbage can and when he turns it on it literally sucks Kit into it. Well; Kit should be used to being in closed spaces by now; since Kit is getting buried by Michael Eisner's team of BS&P Nightmare hating execs. (Oh come on 2010 me! When you have moral guardians up your ass, what can you do? That came off wrong for some reason. Besides; great child voices don't grow on trees, you know.) R.J. Williams' selling is top notch and the sound guys remembered to give him the metal can voice too before Kit is spit out and takes another nasty bump on his ass. Nice to see Buzz have some sense to let him out in thirty seconds instead of having Kit trapped for half an episode. Baloo proclaims that he's full of stuff and Buzz thanks him for that as he's filled with stuff when he's not inventing for Mr. Khan. (You make it sound like Buzz is filled of BS there 2010 Me. Which might be accurate.) Then he gets the brain storm, goes to the chalkboard and he writes the electric toaster on it. HAHA! And people are surprised when I tell them that the top secret project does NOT break logic. Baloo gleefully answers that one for me as Buzz throws the chalk away and swears in DUBBED ANIME STYLE (Oh, fiddlesticks!). Buzz wipes the board as Baloo points to the TOP SECRET DOOR OF DOOM, Buzz panics and defends said door. Baloo of course thinks "top secret" means Buzz has to tell old Baloo. Buzz no sells because he swore on his bunsen burner. Baloo decides to guess and it's a flying pig which Buzz looks around. HAHA! (That reaction is so funny because in this show, it's entirely possible for a pig to fly since the show's humans are half animal. In this world; no one would react the way Buzz did.)
Buzz states that it's not; but it's his most brilliant invention yet and it's more brilliant than his electric tongue shaver and lip polisher. Kit's reactions are surprising as he doesn't even repulse once on those. I guess someone tormented him with them at one time. (Nowadays; you literally have to show someone shave their tongue with one to get a reaction.) We jump cut to outside in the lobby of Khan Tower as Kit and Baloo walk out of the elevator and Kit calls Buzz a crazy old coot. I love real comments that aren't supposed to be real comments. They then walk out of the swing doors as Baloo calls him kind of eccentric; but it was fun and Baloo knew him all his life. Kit then takes out the TURN KEY SPHERE OF DEATH and wonders what it is. Baloo turns the key and let's it fly. It bounces everywhere as the MIRACLE WORKERS CONNECTION ducks and then Inspector Burrow from All's Whale That Ends Whale is sitting down reading a newspaper on a bench with two guys (A pig and a dognose (!!DUCKTALES (2017) ALERT!!)) in suits and the bench goes flying backwards with them. I don't understand why people consider Burrow's appearance to be a logic break since he did read the newspaper in All's Whale That Ends Whale too. The turn eye sphere of death comes back and it's the SCOOBY DOO CHASE SEQUENCE THE HELL BALL EDITION~! Baloo and Kit go into a lit alleyway and it's a dead end. So they hide in the dumpster (Kit's idea, of course) as Baloo proclaims that he over-wound it a tad. I doubt that very seriously Baloo. Kit asks if it's safe to come out as Baloo chuckles and then the ball stuffs right into Baloo's mouth. HAHA! Baloo muffles that the ball is safe. (Sure it was Pop-A-Bear; I wouldn't trust Baloo as a safety inspector even if my life depended on it.) We head inside a hallway near a storage room as Buzz is invoking the Wuzzles throw trash away spot as Buzz is looking for uranium-238. Actually; this element is the most common isotope and it was discovered in 1789 and was found radioactive in 1896. The writers did the research; but I doubt that you can find in a bottle with the skull and crossbones sign on it on the shelves. (2020 Gregory Weagle Says: I have watched Youtube videos from RedNile and I would not be so sure about that anymore.) It can also be converted in plutonium-239 by the way. (That's pretty much the gist of it.)
Then we hear Perry's voice as he has a million bucks and Khan doesn't suspect a thing. See; by the afternoon, Miniversal will have in their possession the top secret project. Buzz is SHOCKED AND APPALLED as he slips and slides and runs stage right. We see in the hallway Perry on the telephone. Here's a question: Why is he wearing a ruby ring on his finger? Perry notices Buzz and proclaims that a slight problem has developed. Of course it has Perry; Buzz just blew your cover. Perry goes to the intercom and demands security because there is a spy in their mists. Okay; that's one way to cover your ass. (The funniest thing about this is that Perry was the one who noticed Buzz, but Buzz didn't notice Perry on the phone. Buzz assumed that someone was talking to someone in the hallway; which is kind of dumb in that sense.) Anyhow; we head to the lobby as Khan is informing a female clerk with the puffy grey hair and red dress who happens to be a shew. See he's attending to his jungle and he refuses to be disturbed for anything less than one million dollars. (Why did he add the million dollar stip there? As you'll see later; Khan was never disturbed until Mr. Sulton of Miniversal came into the picture; which I'm guessing is the four o'clock appointment Mrs. Snarley was talking about.) Khan is on the intercom by the way and addresses her as Miss Snarley (I'm fine with Disney Captions on the name as we usually called her Miss Snarly.) who is voiced by Jennifer Darling. Miss Snarley informs him that he has the four o'clock meeting which considering that this is still 1991; will probably play a huge role later on in the episode. (It does since it's believed that Mr. Sulton appeared during this appointment. Not a big deal since there are no consequences to failure here; but still.) Miss Snarley (Who sounds like Irma when she's not stammering...) cuts the intercom short as Buzz rushes in a panic. Buzz is so hyper as Miss Snarley wants him to try decaf coffee instead. Decaffeination was first successful in 1903 by the way as Miss Snarly's face doesn't move once during that statement. Buzz demands to see Khan right away; but Miss Snarley invokes the hooking umbrella on his coat because she was given strict orders for Khan to not be disturbed.
Buzz still panics and then comes two black panther security guards in blue coats taking Buzz to the door as Buzz pleads for mercy because he's part of the chess team. (Isn't chess a sign of being a petty tyrant? Not a good idea, Buzz.) He manages to find some gold cane, whacks both security guards in the knees (HA!) and escapes through the door. (It looks like a retractable metal baseball bat to me.) Snarley rings the alarm bell of course as Buzz runs to the lab hallway (Khan Guard threatens to shoot him, too. OUCH!) as we see the clerk from Louie's Last Stand and even Mr. Pomeroy from Sheepskin Deep! Buzz does the Scooby Doo hallway sequence and then enters the lab as about fifteen security guards follow inside as Buzz goes into the secret room of doom and locks the door. Khan Security Guard number one proclaims that there is no way out; and then shoots the keyhole open just after he hear helicopter noises which pretty much gives away the invention in advance. The guards open the door and there is a big ass Scooby Doo Snow Angel Spot hole in the roof as the invention and Buzz has flown the coop more or less. (We are now 24 for 29 in the guns being pulled out in this show; which at this point should be the sign that BS&P needs to be clamped down. Good luck trying to clamp down this show. This show literally believes that it's an adult cartoon disguised as a kid's show.) We cut to Perry on the phone informing Mr. Khan that he has disturbing news. Khan is in his office tending to a fern plant that would be slaughtered if it came within a hundred feet of Stephen Colbert. Oh; and he's Mr. Perry by the way as Khan asks who stole the project and Mr. Perry states that it's Buzz. Well; Mr. Perry does have a point there since Buzz did incriminate himself by stealing the damn thing in the first place. Khan orders him to post a reward for his capture and the return of his project. Also, don't dissappoint him as Khan crushes the flower pot in the process. He might be the 1930's version of Stephen Colbert. AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (Stephen Colbert had a line about the enivornment where he claimed that he couldn't be manly unless he could crush a fern. So I had the idea of having the fern beat down Colbert like Triple H; including B&W still shots of the fern and Colbert looking at each other with WWE music from the 2000's before the beatdown occurs. As funny as it sounds.)
Anyhow; we go to the bathroom of Higher...For....Hire (I guess) as Baloo is inside trying out the world's most cumbersome electric tooth brush in history. Okay; here's our first out of place object since the electric toothbrush wasn't invented until 1954. (About seventeen years give or take; so Buzz can take solace that he invented something that didn't exist in 1937. So as out of place as it is, at least it came from an inventor, so I can accept that due to the fact that most inventions that work takes years to create and perfect.) Oh and this one is motorized as Baloo starts it up like a chainsaw. Baloo sputters like a helicopter. HAHA! Kit enters the room and panics as he stops the toothbrush by flinging his body onto the end of it and pushing it down. Nice one there, Kit. Baloo thanks him for that one since he was cleaning out the old ivories. (Even funnier is the statement implying that the brush took out most of his teeth, even though he showed them off and it appeared that none of them were lodged out. Either BS&P stepped in, or Stephen's full of it. I'm leaning towards the later.) He shows some clean teeth and then rubs his cheeks as Kit shows off the reward poster because Buzz is in deep crap now since he stole Khan's secret project. Baloo takes the paper and blows it off because Buzz is no crook. Ummm; yes he is Pop-A-Bear; he clearly STOLE the project judging by the hole in the roof in the secret room earlier. (At least Buzz is worth ten thousand dollars; unlike someone in Stripperella which someone put a bounty on someone's head for eight dollars. Even Scrooge McDuck isn't that cheap.) Kit apparently doesn't believe that Buzz is not a crook (Good one, Kit) and wonders where to look for him. (I just love how Kit points out that only Baloo believes that Buzz is not a crook, yet decides to tag along anyway to prove that Buzz is not. Kit is usually skeptical, but when the evidence rolls in to prove him wrong, he's willfully able to believe that Buzz would not be a crook.)
Baloo has an idea to where to look as they walk out since he's probably at his thinking spot in the No Smokey Mountains. Which is fitting considering that there is usually no smoking in this series. Usually. (There are smoking pipes and cigars; but they aren't lit. (2020 Gregory Weagle Says: Except for the comic story: A Piece o'Da Action of course) That's compared to the three smoking scenes in Ducktales; where the cigars and pipes are in fact, lit.) Scene changer as we see the SeaDuck flying towards the No Smokey Mountains, of course. We then see the SeaDuck land in the forest as Baloo calls out for Buzz, asks him if he can hear him to yell once and if he can't yell twice. (That's really stupid, Pop-a-Bear.) No response as Kit wonders if this is the right place as Baloo walks on something metal and gets rised up by the big ass metal hand of doom as Baloo gets whacked by the big ass tennis racket. HAHA! I wonder if Gadget and Buzz were exchanging notes in between series. Baloo takes an awesome MAN-SIZED bump off-screen into a tree and slides down to the ground. Kit runs to help him; but gets grabbed by the big ass metal hand. Baloo tells Kit not to move and he'll give him a hand. Umm; he cannot move and he getting crushed by one hand. Then somehow Kit has teleported out of the trap and into a steel cage. Logic break number two for the episode eight and a half minutes in. (I wonder if that was one of the scenes snipped for time or BS&P reasons. Since there is a post-production producer (the late Larry Latham by the way) in this episode, I suggest that there was a cut made for time.) Baloo pushes up the cage and then both bears duck as the big ass axe of death chops the cage good missing about three inches of Kit getting inpaled by the steel bars. OUCH!
Kit really deserves a medal, royality checks and an original series for having to take such punishment like that. (And cost Michael Eisner money and the wrath of the moral guardians, are you crazy?! Eisner's role model was Scrooge McDuck for crying out loud. What were you thinking, 2010 me?!) Baloo helps Kit out of the traps as Kit just wants to go home. (See; Kit is brave, but not fearless nor dumb. Baloo is dumb.) Baloo insures him that it will be okay since they know what they are looking for. Kit walks about ten feet and nearly gets his head taken off by the big ass bear trap (Thank goodness the top of the trap is two feet higher; or Kit's head is off his shoulders.). Other than the tennis racket trap; Kit has basically taken every trap Buzz has dished out. (Yeah; is this his punishment for going to Thembria to learn how to fly, Mr. Eisner?! Or do you just hate child characters?! That's a really dumb thing considering how most children's entertainment is bending on backwards to make the main character a smugass child. The kind of character Kit and Bart Simpson pioneered.) Kit screams and runs; pushing into the TEAM ROCKET HOLE OF DOOM and they freefall as the segment ends right there nearly nine minutes in. Buzz is truly TaleSpin's Gadget Hackwrench; only older, male and without two chipmunks hanging on him for a date. I still think Gadget's the better character since Buzz is only a two shot character; but Buzz does have his funny moments in his own right. I'm guessing this is payback for Kit calling Buzz crazy too. (Which would mean Buzz has super sonic hearing on par with Chargeman Ken. Actually; that would be better on Buzz considering his gimmick.)
After the commercial break; we see Kit and Baloo sliding down the slide screaming. They drop into a rock cave as they take decent bumps onto the ground as we get BS&P decision #1 for the episode: Kit fell first, so he should have been crushed by Baloo. When we see them on the ground; he's right beside Baloo on his left. Someone must have complained about Captains Outrageous. Buzz notices the MIRACLE WORKERS CONNECTION as Buzz is literally on bottom crushing him. Okay; that's why they made the decision. HAHA! A little payback for the traps, I see. Baloo gets up as Kit notices the invention Buzz hasn't talked about and it's a big ass helicopter. (That looks similar to the Shortcut from Ducktales, I might add.) Well; what a surprise. Now a lot of fans point out that the invention isn't brilliant since it was seen twice before this episode; but then again, this is the same Professor Buzz who thought that the Electric Toaster (Invented in 1872, made available in 1893. Come to think about it; the first electric toothbrush was invented in 1939 but didn't gain traction until 1954. So that means Buzz invented his brush two years ago, but a better one came about and that guy took all the credit from Buzz. Also, Buzz doesn't care about it at all. Yip; he's scatterbrained.) was original so this isn't a logic break at all. The first helicopter was invented in 1885; but there were flashes of it well before that. So this is not a logic break to begin with. Kit is in awe as Buzz is thinking about calling it a helicopter or a Cuisinart. I believe that is the only product name to be used in any form during this series. (You forgot the Jell-O comment from The Idol Rich, didn't you 2010 me?!) Of course; it wasn't founded until 1971 so Buzz can still use that name. Baloo calls them strange names since it looks like an oversized egg beater. Buzz calls it a flying machine. (So only a Gutang can use it? That's a load of bull.) Okay; I can see why everyone is calling logic break; then again Baloo is a dumbass sometimes. Baloo blows it off as a flying machine because it has no wings. Buzz states that it doesn't need wings because it goes around, around and he does the whirlwind spot to amuse me. Kit tells him that he's in big trouble because Khan's people think he stole the doohicky.
Buzz proclaims that he took it for safekeeping so someone else wouldn't take it; and then he loses his track and wants to invent...wait for it...Glow In The Dark Furniture. Well; someone DID invent Glow In The Dark Mini Golf; so why not?! (Also, Douglas had glow in the dark stuff on retainer; so Buzz is stealing ideas from Douglas Benson. Douglas is gonna kill you, Buzz.) If you think Buzz is insane; try Doctor Zibaldo in The Incredible Shrinking Molly. (Yeah; only Zibaldo would think toast is so lovely and according to him; it beats smooshing little girls. Bigot.) Buzz takes notes and gleefully ignores Baloo, as Baloo informs him that he's going to go to Khan Tower to explain what really happened. Baloo tells Kit to take care of him and Kit salutes him without question. Baloo leaves stage left and we head to Khan Tower as we cut to Miss Snarley at her desk with Baloo wanting to see Khan at once. Miss Snarley tells him that he can see him a week from Thursday. HAHA! Baloo is flustered as he proclaims that this is an emergency and a matter of life and death for death reference number one for the episode. Miss Snarly decides to change her mind and just go with a week from Wednesday. Too funny as Baloo runs to the main doors; however, Miss Snarly cuts him off at the pass. Baloo then grabs her(!!) and tosses her aside becausde he has no time to waste. Memo to Poppa Bear: Never put your hands on Miss Snarley because Miss Snarley grabs him by the ankle and drags him out. She then throws him out of the main entrance onto the sidewalk. Sadly; the animators made it look like he's still inside that he's out the lobby area. No logic break there; just weird. (It isn't because the hallway where Snarly is; is actually the doors to Khan's office since at the end of the episode, there is an elevator and a hallway leading up to it. So it works.) We do the scene changer and we see Baloo dressed up as woman with blue ribbon in the front, lavender dress, blue high heels, wearing lipstick and Rebecca's hair wig. I don't know what possessed Baloo to do that; but it sure as hell is funny. Now that is the funniest cross-dressing I've ever seen from him yet. Although I smell a WRAITH OF BECKEY commencing. Baloo manages to get by the main doors explaining to Miss Snarly that he's Mr. Khan's girlfriend (HA!).
However; when he gets past Miss Snarly; the blue dress gets caught on the desk, rips off revealing some very suggestive underwear and the gridle from Gruel & Unusal Punishment. CONTINTIUTY! (I wondered when they were going to fit that spot in.) Then Baloo talks about a run in her stocking to close out as the dress is all over Miss Snarly. Now just pretend that Miss Snarly has thrown Baloo out (I suggest another scene was snipped out for time as well.) as we return to the entrance with Baloo in a cardboard box. Wow...Solid Snake stole from TaleSpin? Who knew? (Actually, no. Metal Gear existed before TaleSpin did and so did the cardboard box trick. So, another 1980's pop culture reference in a 1930's setting. Lovely!)) The cardboard box containing Baloo is twinkle-toeing down the aisle. Okay; that was more disturbing than I intended. Yeah; I recycle some of my material from previous rants; but that one was too funny not to use again. Anyhow; Baloo shouts out that it's a special delievery for Mr. Khan. However; Miss Snarly is all over this one as she brings out the PIN-MISSILE SWORD OF DEATH because Miss Snarly decides to test out the new pin cushion. HAHA! Baloo is so screwed as Miss Snarly pierces the box like in one of those sword tricks found in a magician's show. Thank goodness she's not using a real sword; or this would be cut for sure. (As if the point of the needle cannot make anyone bleed 2010 me? Propwash!) Miss Snarly then does an awesome twirling (Not unlike Daffy Duck twirling his quarterstaff in that Robin Hood short; but Snarley doesn't get the needle in the face, because she knows what she is doing.) before poking Baloo in the ass and that causes him to fly up into the air screaming like a little baby. However; Miss Snarly underestimated Baloo's weight (and where Baloo was positioned when he fell back down to earth) because Baloo manages to squash Miss Snarly on-screen (!!). No male on female contact? What no male on female contact? (Again; it's still considered man on woman violence because even though it was unintentional, intent is irrelevant.) Baloo continues to plead to see Mr. Khan as Perry appears with a magazine noticing that Baloo and Miss Snarly in a tussle.
Miss Snarly is winning that due to the ear-pulling. (So, she was Rebecca's real teacher? I should have known, the Thembrians were lying in Time Bandit.) Perry tells her that she can back off now; and that he will deal with him. Miss Snarly decides to bite and she storms off stage right. She is so awesome when she's evil. Baloo explains to Perry that Buzz is in trouble and Perry agrees to help him because he's such a friend to Buzz that he'll clear up this misunderstanding. How nice indeed considering that he's the one who wants Buzz arrested. Baloo agrees to fly him to the secret location; but Perry insists that Baloo uses a Khan transporter instead so he can write off the milage. Oh come on Pop-A-Bear! It's pretty clear that he's trying to eliminate all possible routes of escape and the SeaDuck happens to be one of them. However; since Baloo is an idiot, we continue on. Scene changer as we see the Khan plane flying in the skies as Baloo proclaims that he's lucky to have ran into Perry and thought that Buzz was in big trouble. We head to the No Smokey Mountains and then land in the forest again. We then see Baloo with a stick along with Perry and three of Perry's officers in brown uniforms and green hats (one of them is small; remember that for later) as they look for the entrance, stand right on the TEAM ROCKET TRAP OF DOOM, they freefall in the short version and drop down with MAN-SIZED bumps squashing Buzz flatter than Alexender the Grape. Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! Buzz get off as Baloo's hat is over his face. Sadly; the animators screw it up quite a bit because it is at times above his eyes. Buzz greets Baloo as Baloo tells him that help is on the way. Buzz is giddy about this turn of events; however, Perry decides to turn heel again by telling his guards to seize Baloo and Buzz. Buzz wonders what he said as Baloo and Buzz raises their arms in the air (Because if they don't, they will be shot!) as the guards shove their pistols to their backs. The prisoners walk stage left as Perry declares victory since the helicopter is his for the taking. Sadly; he didn't think his plan well out enough; because Kit THE MIRACLE WORKER is hiding behind the rocks. Yeah; Kit was smart enough NOT to stay with Buzz.
We continue on inside the underground lab as the guards inspect the helicopter while Perry decides to go to the prisoners who are tied up at the moment. (Buzz comments that he has an idea who was on the phone even though (a) he was inside the storage closet when he heard the dialogue and (b) even though he thought nothing of it until now; Perry was clearly on the phone when Buzz was running. Stupid!) Baloo tries to insult Perry by turning around to show his ass needs scratching and Perry kicks Baloo's ass (!!) forcing Baloo to take an decent off-screen bump. Dancing animals?! What's that?! Me not know how those two go together?! Perry then grabs onto Buzz and demands answers. Buzz refuses to answer and will take torture instead. Baloo shudders at that thought and tries to tell Buzz not to give him any ideas; but no dice as Perry (Michael Bell in case you were all wondering) stomps Baloo's foot (!!) and Baloo takes another bump off-screen. Memo to Perry: Baloo has punched out people far more dangerous than you. Perry then reminds Buzz that he will be blamed for everything and answering him is the only way for Buzz to get a job at Miniversal. Buzz refuses as usual as Baloo says nothing. Perry decides to pull Baloo's hat over his eyes anyway just to be a dick which forces Baloo to sit down beside a forced down Buzz. (Great heel heat there too.) Baloo protests this outrage; but Perry blows him off. I guess Kit has turned heel as well; judging on that spot, or maybe not. Perry decides to leave to make them think about what they didn't tell him. Then we see Kit come from the rocks and starts to untie Baloo's wrists. Logic break number three: Baloo notices Kit despite the hat over his eyes. (You know; if Perry was going to shut him up, he should have stuffed the hat in Baloo's mouth and then have Baloo spit out the hat and then say the dialog when Kit appears. That would make more sense.) Sadly; Kit is having trouble with the knots so Buzz motions to Kit to go into his pocket to find the SWISS ARMY POCKET CHAINSAW OF DEATH. Wow; I'm shocked that invention didn't take off. It would be perfect for loggers. Kit finds it (It is a mini chainsaw with a yellow handle.) and turns it on. Oh, since kids aren't allowed to operate chainsaws (even mini ones); we cut to Perry hearing the noise. Why?! Kit was shown on-screen with fireworks, lighting a match, using a knife and driving a steamroller for goodness sake! (The only thing missing is Kit using a gun, something that didn't happen until Honker pulled it off in Darkwing Duck. Let's get dangerous, indeed.)
There's a BS&P decision if I ever saw one. (I'm guessing this one was snipped because we still heard the chainsaw off-screen for time again.) Oh and it's the same in both versions; so it was done before it was released the first time on television. We then cut to see the prisoners free thanks to the MIRACLE WORKER (and the wacky professor's mini chainsaw.). The babyfaces bail stage left as the guards -- with their tiny pistols -- chase them into another room in the cave. Baloo and Kit hide behind a machine as Buzz runs past the machine and doesn't see Baloo hiding like a moron. One of guards then gets clobbered by a lead pipe -- which looks like a club with red lights attached to wire -- by Baloo on-screen. He hides again as Buzz runs away stage right being chasing by guard number two. However; guard number two gets clobbered by Baloo's lead pipe on-screen. That didn't look so hot as Baloo clobbers someone going stage left again with the lead pipe off-screen. However; instead of hitting guard number three; he hits Buzz instead! However; Guard number three is too stupid to realize that, runs into the fray stage left and Baloo clobbers him (the short one) in the face (!!!) to stop the stupidity. (Speaking of stupid: Guard #3 run from left to right instead of right to left like he should have. Clear cut logic break there that Disney almost never makes. I would book it as Baloo hitting Buzz, Guard #3 runs in from the east and then have Kit nail him with the airfoil. That would make more sense and not make the writer nor the animator look stupid. Besides; it's not the first time Kit has used the airfoil as a weapon.) Kit did absolutely nothing as I was hoping he would clobber the third one with his airfoil or something; but then again he freed Baloo and Buzz, so there you go. Baloo apologizes to Buzz; but Buzz cannot remember his own name and has a headache as Kit and Baloo do not like this at all with the segment ending fifteen minutes in. I don't think we need another lose memory angle since we already had one in Old Man & The SeaDuck and that one cannot be topped anyway. (Buzz is so scatterbrained that head truama wouldn't do much more damage than already shown without the concussion. Still; more shots to the head makes me cringe though; and a scientist mind is a terrible thing to concuss.)
After the commercial break; we head to the cave and then zoom down towards the Cuisinart down on the ground. We then cut to the mouth of the cave as Kit, Baloo and Buzz are dressed up like the guards. Buzz blows off the loud noises in his head as Kit thinks he hasn't cleared the cobwebs out completely. I cannot argue with that logic there. Baloo tells Buzz to be a guard and Buzz blows it off because he's supposed to be an inventor. Then the MIRACLE WORKERS CONNECTION PLUS MALE GADGET...POW! OUCH! Ummmmm... Oh yeah; practice the fine art of not being seen as Perry arrives with his rifle. Oh goody; more dicks to match this dick. Baloo hides a brick behind his back (another magical object out of nowhere of course) as Perry asks if he found them. Baloo gives him one as he whacks Perry with the brick right on the top of his head. Kudos to Perry for selling it right as he slumps down. Now that's violence baby!! (Oh crap; another on-screen shot to the head with a hard brick. That might be worse than a steel chair actually.) Baloo, Kit and Buzz enter the BRASS EGG BEATER OF DEATH (hey; it's funnier this way) and make it to the cockpit. Baloo asks Buzz to fly the thing; but Buzz refuses because he's a secruity guard now. Man; this animesa angle is actually more sillier than the last one. (At least Buzz clears out the cobwebs by not getting hit in the head twice, so it's still better than most episodes like this. However; this throwaway angle is symbolic of how this plot needs to retire big time.) Sadly; Baloo is forced to fly the helicopter now because Perry's goons (helpfully pointed out by Kit) ; in their underwear no lesss; have recovered to help Perry. Baloo flips every switch inside the helicopter...Oh man; that...you guessed it! The helicopter's porpellers start turning as the guards attempt to latch onto the helicopter. One of the guards gets onto the front wheels of the helicopter as it takes off and that causes major problems for Baloo as the helicopter goes into an acute tailspin (BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!); causing Kit and Buzz to take wussy bumps in the process. Oh, and I see that Buzz is back in regular gear. (Well; only Buzz was in gear as Baloo took his off on screen and Kit already took his off off-screen.)
The Cuisinart takes a really nasty bump onto the ground just to cause more damage to the panther hanging on. What a trooper indeed?! Baloo thinks it's the low octane fuel. (Octane was important during the late 1930's; but I'm certain low octane fuel wasn't available to airplanes until much later.) I think it's a Khan guard on the control stick Pop-a -Bear. Perry demands his two other guards to shoot the helicopter down which causes the guard on the control stick to panic. They fire one bullet each (Toon Disney didn't cut out this shot. Double Standarding the double standard again methinks.) which forces the guard to let go (After a great effort to hang on...) and squash the two other Khan guards. Sadly; the animators screwed up because Perry didn't get it either despite being beside them and close enough to take the shot. Baloo thinks he's finally got it mastered (Much to Kit's pain and suffering...) and manages with some effort to get the helicopter out of the hole and into the blue sky. Now they are going to Khan Industries as Perry is not amused so he goes to the telephone (Which is clearly a makeshift piece judging by the big ass screw near the dialer...) and calls for Shere Khan's CLONES OF ABOMINATION air force to shoot down the helicopter. You can tell it is working because the CLONES OF ABOMINATION are seen on an airfield going to their planes and taking off. Their orders are simple: MURDER those thieves. Okay; Perry really told them to blow them out of the sky; but you get the picture. Scene changer as we see the Cuisinart flying in the sky above the clouds. Kit plays around with the rear view mirror and looking for signs of heels. Baloo is now flying the thing like an airplane now (Logic break number four: The control stick is mostly the same idea; but it changes from a straight bar control stick to a U stick inbetween shots.) as he asks how Buzz is feeling. Buzz has his notepad on as the ringing has stopped and he has his memories back in full as he has another invention: clothes that ring when they need washing. Well; Concordia Unversity was working on interactive clothing which has LED lights on them; so it's not the stupidest thing I have ever seen. Baloo proclaims that he's all right and wants him to take the stick; but Kit blows off that idea because here comes the WRAITH OF KHAN in pentagram formation.
Not quite; it's more like pentagon formation (five planes) as they surround the CuisinArt and Baloo takes the transmitter to inform them that they are here to return Khan's helicopter. (Why five airplanes when you only need four of them to do the job? It's not like there are any spots that require five planes anyway? It's not a logic break; it's just silly.) Sadly; they shoot and do about a 0.3 Trigun on the Cuisinart. Red flashes indicate that Sunwoo Animation and not Walt Disney Animation Japan is animating. Baloo is not amused as they apparently hate overtime. Baloo flies around and manages to do his trademark planes-crashing-into -each-other spot which works to perfection. Two Khan pilots bail out as a result. At least we actually see them bail out; unlike in Starblazers where we are merely told that they are alive, even though they are really dead. Baloo manages to fly the thing past the Cliff Guns and through Cape Suzette as three planes persue the helicopter. The BRASS EGG BEATER OF DEATH makes it into Cape Suzette as one of the pilot continues to shot at the helicopter. Baloo goes around and around a green building as the plane follows him foolishly. Baloo manages to get the helicopter under the plane and slices the underbelly. The CLONES OF ABOMINATION attempts to shoot again; but that causes the plane to split in half and forces the pilot to bail. Baloo loves this and wants one for Christmas. Like Rebecca would give you a gift that is more expensive than the SeaDuck?! This is one of those "when real pigs fly" type of deals. We are up to 0.5 Trigun now. We head to a shot of Khan's office door and then inside Khan's door (ah; I see it's four o'clock already) as we hear Corey Burton's voice-over while we see a tiger furry in a suit with a real daisy flower in his pocket (sitting in a purple love seat) apologizing for Khan losing his secret project in the most condescending matter possible. Needless to say Khan is not amused as the tiger sniffs his daisy to boot. Thank goodness that it is a real flower because the last time someone sniffed a dead flower; some activist accused Mighty Mouse (1980's edition) of promoting the use of crack cocaine. The tiger fury calls it funny because he has a project of his own that it top secret and in development any minute now. (Geez; he's not even trying to pretend that the project has been stolen. What an idiot?!)
He then cuts a Boston promo on Khan and Khan isn't amused. (Geez; I guess Khan doesn't like the King Of The Apples. Even funnier, Mr. Pomeroy cameoed in this episode. Start sending that resume KOTA; your job at Khan Industries is going to be cut soon.) You know you are weaksauce when Khan doesn't scratch his chair railing. We return to the sky above the city of Cape Suzette as the BRASS EGG BEATER OF DEATH continues to be assaulted by Khan's CLONES OF ABOMINATION. We are up to 0.7 Trigun now. However; Baloo has a plan and it is called "follow the leader". Baloo then flies the BRASS EGG BEATER OF DEATH underneath a railroad tunnel and the Khan pilots foolishly follow; which results in the clipping of their wings. What a bunch of idoits?! However; Perry was waiting for them in his plane and manages to force Baloo towards Cape Suzette harbour with just one shot. Oh and he breaks the rear view mirror which would have clipped Kit's head if it were on screen. Logic break; number five for the episode; but forgivable in this case. (The real logic break is that they are over open water despite being in Cape Suzette harbour. Not a good choice of backgrounds there, guys.) Baloo decides to see if this baby can fly like a plane; so he does the Loop-de-Loop for only fifteen cents and it works. Then in one of those screwups that makes you shake your head in shame; the BRASS EGG BEATER OF DEATH bops Perry's plane and it falls into the water. Sadly; the bump was so wussy that it couldn't even do a needle's worth of damage. (Even Dumptruck would bop this animation team harder than that weak spot.) I suspect Sun Woo is animating this episode now. Really bad bump there guys. We return to Khan's office as the tiger CEO of Miniversal (I guess) is really soaking up this whole "victory" and puts his feet up on the chair arm which somehow teleports to Khan's desk. Oy vey, Sunwoo. Khan then hears Miss Snarly come in proclaiming that there is someone to see him.
Khan tells him that he's busy with Mr. Sulton, the head of Miniversal. However; in one of those neat visuals; the BRASS EGG BEATER OF DEATH appears and shatters the window behind Mr. Khan's desk. I'm shocked that no one was wounded by the flying glass. (BS&P Rulez!) The helicopter turns around as it nears the back wall and finally lands touching the front of Mr. Khan's desk. (Which at least there was a better bump than Perry's plane.) Baloo opens the window to inform Mr. Khan that he's here to return the secret project. Buzz then tells Khan that he stole it (!!) to prevent Perry from stealing it and giving it as a gift to Miniversal. (I don't think the courts would accept that line of defense there, Buzz.) Mr. Khan then starts getting a clue and Mr. Sulton basically incriminates himself by waving like a moron. Asoaked Perry barages in -- whom probably the guy Miss Snarly was refering to -- (Nope. She was referring to Baloo all the way. By the way; Perry was able to get in with no sounds of a door opening and/nor closing.)) and states to Mr. Khan that he risked his life to get the helicopter back to him. UH OH! Mr. Sulton then realizes that he's been double-crossed because he paid him a million dollars to steal it as Miniversal's cover is blown. (Wow; Perry was the smart one and acting like nothing is amiss; and yet Mr. Sulton takes everything Perry says seriously and kills off his creditability. What an idiot Mr. Sulton is?!) Perry is dumbfounded as he realizes that Mr. Sulton is in the room. Khan is amused as he picks a shard of glass from his suit in response. We return to the main entrance as Baloo and Buzz exchange notes and say their goodbyes. Sadly; Buzz geekiness allows him to think of another invention: shoes which walk on water. What is Buzz think he is now; Jesus?! Baloo just gets used to being ignored. The door to Khan's office cracks open and Mr. Khan decides to give him a reward which is in a letter. Baloo takes it and thanks Mr. Khan because it is filled with MONEY, MONEY, YEAH, YEAH.
Baloo declares victory because he can now buy the SeaDuck. One problem: He crashed the Cuisinart into Khan's building which is a little too close to home after 9/11 and since this would end the series outright. Khan smiles and asks Miss Snarly to escort Baloo on his way out. Miss Snarly nods and can you smell the screwjob coming; or do I have to spell it out for you?! Damn; I'm so good as Miss Snarly backs up Baloo and Kit out the door and takes money for expenses to damages to Khan's window, the office, the project and of course the dreaded parking a Cuisinart in a no-Cuisinart zone. Steet might not like this; but the reset button had to be pushed here because Baloo did damage all of these and hell is paved with good intentions; plus money. HAHA! (Yeah; there was actual negative consequences for his action in spite of his heroic actions. Now; the last violation does come off as dickish, heelish behaviour on Snarly's part; but everything else is perfectly true. If this happened today, Baloo walks off scot-free and the episode ends when Baloo and Kit walk towards the first door. Then we old farts complain about it. It's okay for the babyfaces to smash stuff as long as there are actual consequences attached to it.) Miss Snarly counts the money and tells him to have a nice day. HAHA! I love quality screwjobs when they make sense. Baloo walks into the elevator as Kit asks if he's all right and the elevator closes; Baloo bawls like a baby to end the episode at 21:13. Considering all the breaks; I don't know why I gave this episode **** ½ stars last time. Still a really kick ass story; but marred by Sunwoo's animation and several logic breaks. (I'm lowering this to *** 1/2 (70%) due to a few more minor mistakes; but the story is still pretty good nevertheless.)
Final Note: This episode was also edited as post-production was headed by Larry Latham.
THE REVIEW LINE
Well; it doesn't hold up to a thumbs up; but it still is very good no thanks to Sunwoo Animation. Buzz and Miss Snarly were fleshed out a lot more in this episode as I was loving Miss Snarly kicking Baloo's butt intentionally and Buzz for kicking Baloo's ass unintentionally. Perry was kicking Baloo's ass literally and was playing the sneaky heel who tried to act like a babyface and turn Buzz into a heel which was cute to see. (Strangely; Kit got the Buzz traps for the most part.) Kit was Kit when he was needed and he play some cute spots and sold like a champ. If it wasn't for a few logic breaks and several blown animation spots (including the wussiest bump in the helicopter bopping Perry's plane into the drink); this episode would have been perfect. I do have to say however; is that I fear for the TaleSpin team's well being because they have literally brought in topic that hit way too close to home nowadays which is corporate spying. Plus; we had a helicopter crashed into a building to boot which is quite nasty nowadays due to post 9/11 aftermath. (Not to mention on screen concussions; but it was 1991, so I expected that at least.) Overall; I enjoyed the episode; but the animation mistakes fell it and not the writing as some people felt it did. (So, the episode was pretty much what I expected in 2010; only messier. I still love the fact that this show continues to allow flying machines to be crashed into buildings. Something that will almost never happen today due to 9/11. Then again; now that we have robots and Hulk, there's no need for airplanes anymore to do the smashing. Right?) Next up is the final episode on the TaleSpin DVD's and probably the last DVD I will be doing for the DTVA (Until 2015 when I now have the final 11 episodes on DVD without subtitles. So I'll be doing that DVD last.) which is the awesome Bullethead Baloo which features two new voices that defined the 2000 animation and beyond. One went on to be an jerk ass squid and the other one went on to be a pervert toad sage. So...
Thumbs in the middle pointing up for this episode and I'll see you next time.
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