CODY’S TALESPIN REVIEW

Bad Reflection on You
5 out of 5 Krakatoa Specials

Summary

Shere Khan’s been losing money and he is less than amused.  His planes keep vanishing along a ‘super secret cargo route’ known as the Master Run.  At a very late (3 am!) board meeting, Khan watches a radar as the plane vanishes. 
Gidget:  Nothing on TV, I guess.
He and his employees brainstorm to try to figure out what could be the cause, but the head of his pilots finally admits that they are “completely baffled.”  Khan decides he needs a patsy.

Enter Baloo.
Cody:  Hee, hee.  What a chump. ;)
Gidget:  I thought you said ‘chunk’.  ;)
Cody:  He’s that, too. :D

He and Kit have been up for three days, transporting eucalyptus leaves back to the Cape Suzette Zoo for a koala bear.
Cody:  So this is a non-speaking koala, right?
Helen:  Aye, luv.  Not all of us talk. J
They’re flying through a thunderstorm with Kit constantly splashing Baloo with orange soda to keep him awake.  A bolt of lightning knocks out the lights, so Kit slaps on some goggles and sticks his head out the window to give Baloo directions.  Finally, they make it safely back to Cape Suzette where Rebecca schmoozes with the customer while Baloo and Kit sleep.
Gidget:  Sounds sticky.
Cody: (as Baloo) That’s what Becky said on the honeymoon.

The next morning, she calls reporters in and insists on a photo session and story of how the ‘brave’ pilot saved the poor koala.  Shere Khan reads it and decides that he’s found his patsy.  In the meantime, Baloo and Kit are making downtown deliveries on a redesigned tricycle --- designed by Wildcat.  Kit saves a baby who falls off a building, landing in a fountain while Baloo catches the baby and, again, gets all the publicity.
Gidget:  So where are that kid’s parents?  They should be shot.

Furious, Kit disappears for a while, which makes Rebecca worry.  Baloo finds him on the Cape Suzette cliffs and they have a heart-to-heart chat about fame.  The pilot, shockingly enough, manages to convince Kit that fame doesn’t mean anything.  Pride goeth before a fall.
Gidget:  Maybe you should see about that lisping impediment of yours, Cody… ;)
Cody:  But it makes such a great weapon.  How else are you supposed to guarantee you’ve got at least 3 feet of personal space? ;)
Gidget (as Baloo):  There are other ways, too. (raises his armpit and watches the crowd disperse).

After a meeting with Shere Khan in which the tiger super-inflates Baloo’s ego and gives him a trophy for being the Best Pilot in the World, the pilot gets too big for his nonexistent britches. 
Gidget:  LOL!! And how long have you been waiting to use that phrase? 
Cody:  I could tell you, but then I’d have to shove you headfirst into Krackatoa Special till you couldn’t breathe. :D

Khan sends him to fly the Master Run.  With dreams of grandeur dancing through his head, Baloo stops by Louie’s to brag and finds out how dangerous that route is and that Wiley Pole has gone to the area to look for salvage.  Over Kit’s protests, he decides to go ahead with the mission.  Then the world turns upside down… literally.




Quibbles and Bits

Cody: The thunderstorm at the beginning was awesome.  I especially loved the detail of the lighthouse in the harbor as the scene switches from Baloo and Kit to the Khan super-late business meeting.

Cody: I thought it was funny when Rebecca snatched the money from the zookeeper’s hand, saying, “We’re just glad we could help that poor, starving little animal.”  And did you notice that the money was practically the size of her torso?  How can you stick that in your pocket?
Gidget:  Whoa! 

Cody: When Rebecca says that Kit tossed his airfoil in the corner and left, it’s unfolded and huge.    Another thing about Rebecca—her waistline keeps expanding and shrinking.  When she’s laughing at Baloo about the stupid picture, it’s disproportionately small (her head looks huge!!) 
Gidget:  A common error with her design.  L
Cody:  Or maybe not…

Cody:  Wildcat’s delivery bike scene is hilarious.  Love the way he careens around the room, then is stopped by sticking his head through the back of Baloo’s chair.  When the paper lands on his face, he observes, “Hey, the Socks won again last night!”  Is it the same paper Baloo looks at in Plunder and Lightning?
Gidget:  I bet it is!  An in-joke, I think.

Cody:  Baloo thinking he was upside-down bugged me.  He’s not the brightest, but wouldn’t even he be able to tell that the plane wasn’t really upside down?  What about his hat falling off?  Or the way the seatbelt would have cut into his stomach if they were flying in reverse?




Neat Little Details
Cody:  Khan’s late night business meeting reminds me of some super-secret club.
Gidget:  All they need are the pots to wear as helmets.  J  




Quotes

“Baloo!”  Kit douses the pilot with orange soda. 

“I’m awake!”

Kit is remarkably sympathetic.  “I know it’s been three days without sleep, but we’re almost home.  Can you hang in there?”

“I can fly this baby in my sleep.”  Baloo yawns.  “Which is not a bad idea.”  He starts to doze off when a clap of thunder and flash of lightning startle him.  “I’m awake!”

 “Are we the only stores offering nutmeg?” Khan asks.

“Yes, sir,” a lackey assures him.

“Excellent.”  Languidly, Khan waves a paw.  “Raise the price twenty-five cents a tin.”

The lackey is aghast.  “But sir!  Won’t the consumers be upset over the---!”

“Yes,” Khan interrupts him calmly.  “But they’ll pay anyway.”
Gidget:  I swear that tiger’s going to be assassinated someday…
Cody:  *hides her knife behind her back* Oh, Mr. Khan!

They go on to other business and Khan catches a couple of his employees sleeping.  As he glares at them, one of the other panthers leans over to his neighbors and whispers, “Three a.m.!  Doesn’t Mister Khan ever sleep?”

His fellow employee chuckles.  “Ever heard of vampires?”
Gidget:  LOL!  That’s my favorite line!
Cody:  Mine, too!

Later on in the meeting, after they have witnessed the plane disappearing, the sleep deprived employees brainstorm a solution to the problem.

“Why not just send out another plane?” one of the employees asks.

“Negative.”  The Commander looks grim.  “I know my pilots and none of them will volunteer for a jinx run.”

Khan leans back complacently.  “Hmm… well in that case, we’ll have to find a patsy, a chump, a flying fool…”

Meanwhile, back on the Sea Duck, lightning has knocked the lights out and Kit is instructing Baloo on how to fly.  The boy puts on a pair of goggles, grabs a flashlight, and leans out the window, becoming a mini-lighthouse.
Gidget:  Gee, I thought he was playing ‘Gynecologist’.
Cody:  LOL!  And the real truth about Kit’s career aspirations come to light…

“That’s using your headlights!” Baloo says approvingly.

“Port, Baloo!  Port!”

Baloo pulls hard on the wheel.  “I’m porting, I’m porting!”
Gidget: (as Rebecca) I’m inning, I’m inning!

The next morning, Baloo is awakened by flashes from all sides.

“Lightning!” He bolts upright.  “I’m awake, I’m awake!”

He sees Rebecca surrounded by photographers.  “Good morning, Fly Boy!” she says cheerfully.

After he gets his picture in the paper, Baloo studies it from every angle. 
Gidget:  Baloo doesn’t have angles! ;)

“It’s a good picture,” Rebecca reassures him.

“It’s a stupid picture,” Baloo grumbles.

She doesn’t quite contain a snicker.  “No, it’s a good picture of you looking stupid!”

Wildcat shows them the new delivery bike—a tricycle with a motor on it --- and no brakes.

“Baloo is supposed to make our downtown deliveries on that?” Rebecca is incredulous.

“I couldn’t find a regular bike, so I put a motor on this one.  Snazzy, huh?”  Wildcat says proudly.

Rebecca smiles at Baloo. “Well, what do you say, Hot Shot?”

“Me? On that?” Baloo laughs.  “Hoo- hoo, baby!”  Looking at Kit, he says, “Partner, this looks like a job for the pros from Dover.” 

“Contact!” Kit gives him the thumbs-up.

Cody:  I’m surprised he didn’t give him the other finger.

Rebecca is concerned about Kit.
Gidget: *yawns* Whoopie.  More teenage angst.
Cody:  He’s a precocious boy.

“Where’s Kit?” Baloo asks.

“I don’t know.  He stormed in here, threw his airfoil in the corner, and left.” Rebecca gestures towards the airfoil leaning against the wall.  “I’m worried about him, Baloo.”

Baloo sighs, grabs the airfoil, and tosses it to Rebecca, who barely manages to catch it before it topples a huge stack of papers.  “I think I know where he is.”  The pilot heads for the door.  “Keep the bench warm, Becky.”
Gidget:  So she sat down and let a few rip…

He finds the boy at an old airplane wreck on the cliffs (Cody:  No, he’s not about to jump!  Wipe that grin off your face, Gidge.),  angrily tossing rocks over the side.

 “Hey, buddy.  You sore at me?”  Baloo asks.

“No,” Kit snaps.  “But it’s not fair!”

“Oh, you mean all this publicity nonsense?”

“They misspell my name, cut me out of pictures, I fall off a building…!”

“And they give me all the credit, right?” Baloo finishes.

Kit sighs sadly.  “Right.”

“Aw, now listen to me, Kit.  None of that fame stuff means anything.  You know who you are and that’s all that matters.” 
Cody: Great little pep talk, but is Baloo a hypocrite or what?
Gidget:  I know!  I love the guy and all, but one thing he won’t willingly eat is Humble Pie.

“Really?”  Kit looks hopeful.

“Hey, kid.  I think you’re the best.”  Baloo playfully pulls the boy’s cap down over his eyes and the two head back to Higher for Hire.

At the meeting with Khan (which Kit isn’t allowed to go to since his name ain’t on the invitation), Baloo respectfully removes his hat and approaches the desk.

Khan swivels his chair around and steeples his fingers on the desk.  “Ah, Baloo.  A decided pleasure.”

Baloo looks taken aback.  “Uh—di-tto.”

Khan begins, “Baloo, I want to add my thanks to those of the community.”

Baloo points excitedly.  “Hey!  I can see the Sea Duck from here!”
Gidget:  He’s so cute…
Cody:  If you like ‘em big enough to have their own zip code…
Gidget (as Rebecca):  So what’s wrong with a man who owns real estate?

“Yes.” Khan’s expression doesn’t change.  “I know.”

At the docks, Wildcat is loading up the Sea Duck for the next mission and Baloo, Kit, and Rebecca are talking on the dock.

“I knew that newspaper story would be a good idea!” Rebecca gloats.

“But why would Khan want us?” Kit wonders.  “He’s got a million pilots of his own.”

“Hey, he wanted the best!” Baloo says.  “Why, after this run, everyone will want me to fly for them!  People will come from miles!  Baloo for hire!  No job too big!”
Gidget:  If they come from miles, why would they need a pilot afterward?  Why not have Baloo go pick ‘em up?

Cody: (as Baloo) Darned logic!

Frowning, Kit mutters, “No head too big.”
Gidget:  His mom would disagree.

Looking put out, herself, Rebecca reminds him, “It may be your ego, buster, but it’s still my plane.”

“Oh.” Baloo is crestfallen. “Right.”



When they’re loading the cargo, Khan’s employee objects to Wildcat and Kit’s rough handling of the crate.  “Easy!  Easy!  This is, uh, valuable artwork, you know!  A, uh, painting!”

“Must be an awful fat frame,” Kit observes.

Enter Baloo, who suddenly thinks everyone else is incompetent.  “Gotta protect my cargo.  Kit, get the rope. It’s behind the door.”

“I know where the rope is!” Kit snaps.

Baloo’s egomania reaches epic proportions at Louie’s.

Baloo: (patting Kit on the head condescendingly) Make sure they top off the tank, son.  I’m gonna need every drop.

Cody:  I loved the look on Kit’s face—that angry ‘you do that one more time, I’m gonna kill you’ expression is priceless.

He places his trophy on the edge of the table so that Louie is sure to see it.  When Louie asks what he did to get it, he replies modestly, “Not much, really.”

“Oh.”  Louie starts to walk away, but Baloo grabs his arm and begins his tale—with proper embellishments, of course.
Gidget:  That was hilarious --- talk about a captive audience.
Cody: (as Louie) *grunting* Must… get… away! 

“There I was, Louie, no sleep for days, flying in a raging storm, when a lightning bolt hits the plane, crash!  All the lights go dead, I can’t see a thing, but my cargo must get through, so I muster all my strength, grab the stick (Cody: Dirty bear.  And in front of a kid, too…),  pull the wounded Sea Duck left! Right! Left! Past dangerous mountains until, by the seat of my pants, I manage to pilot her home, saving a poor koala in the nick of time.”

“And all by himself, too.” Kit comes in just in time to hear the tail end of Baloo’s story and he and Louie exchange amused looks.

“Oh, well, Kit was there, too, of course,” Baloo flounders.

Cody:  We also learn that in addition to a raging ego, Baloo is also a lousy secret keeper.  Eager to brag about his oh-so-important mission for Khan, he spills the beans to Louie.
Gidget:  Maybe he should wear a diaper.
Cody:  That’s not the only thing he should wear. 
Gidget (as Rebecca):  Oh yes… and a tie!

“And now, I’m on a mission for Shere Khan.” Baloo says importantly.  “A mission, hee-hee, only a pilot of my stature could handle.”

Cody: I’m surprised he even knows what ‘stature’ means.

“Really?” Louie says dryly.  “What’s that?”

Baloo laughs.  “Well, it’s supposed to be a secret, but, uh, it’s the Master Run!”

Cody:  Must not be too much of a secret since Louie and all his employees know about it.  And since Wiley Pole has gone out to scavenge the area for airplane parts and junk.
 



Commentary

Cody: This is just a great all-around episode.  It’s got good plot , pacing, and character development and the animation is fantastic.  I adore the thunderstorm sequence at the opening and how it switches back and forth between the Khan board meeting and Baloo and Kit.
Gidget:  I liked it better than part two. 

Cody: This episode should really be called Baloo on an Ego Trip, though.  He shows both unexpected depth and shallowness of character here.  With uncharacteristic maturity, he tells Kit that fame isn’t everything and that it shouldn’t go to his head, but the instant he gets the trophy, everything changes — suddenly, Baloo sees himself as too talented to make a mistake and becomes insufferably condescending.  It puts a real strain on his and Kit’s relationship?

Bad Reflection on You II
5 out of 5 Krakatoa Specials

 

Summary

The Sea Duck is upside down, floating on the ocean.  Baloo and Kit are trying to figure out what happened when there’s a knock at the door.  After a quick argument, they both go and find a very smug trio of pirates in a rowboat.  Karnage explains his little contraption —he’s using mirrors set up between the Twin Spires to make pilots think they’re upside down so they’ll crash in the ocean.  Then, Karnage swoops in, plunders their cargo, and throws ‘em in the brig aboard the Iron Vulture.  Baloo puts up a fight when Karnage tries to get the ‘painting’ he’s supposed to be transporting, but Dumptruck bashes him over the head.

When Karnage discovers the homing beacon, he isn’t amused—until he sees Baloo’s gold-plated trophy and realizes what happened.  He deflates Baloo’s super-inflated ego, leaving the pilot too depressed to even think of escaping.

Baloo and Kit are escorted to the brig where they discover not only Khan’s pilots, but Wiley Pole doing laundry.  (Cody:  I’m guessing it’s the pirates’ laundry and not their own.  That’s shocking. I didn’t think the pirates bathed, much less cared about their clothes being clean.)
Gidget:  Except for Don Karnage.

Karnage decides to get the jump on Khan’s gun ship, which will undoubtedly follow the homing beacon Baloo was carrying so he sends Mad Dog and Dumptruck out in a rowboat to make a minefield and tie the homing beacon to a buoy.  Then, they go back to the cockroach races.
Cody:  Big night on the Iron Vulture.

Meanwhile, Baloo’s in a funk and it’s up to Kit to save the day.  He crawls out the window on a laundry chain (Cody: He musta got the idea from Clementine.), plays a dumb game of Mimic with Mad Dog, evades Dumptruck, and finally makes it back to the brig where he frees the Khan pilots, Wiley, and Baloo.
Gidget: (Baloo) Last but not least!

During the chase to get away from Dumptruck, however, the stupid dog knocks over a pail of water, which prompts an even dumber pirate named Bad Sort to panic.  Karnage dismissively tells him to get rid of the water.  Even though the Iron Vulture isn’t airborne, Hacksaw decides to open the bomb bay doors.  The ship begins to sink and Karnage screams at him and orders Scotty to start the engines.  Since Dumptruck had chased Kit up a propeller, the boy has an easy getaway.

While Karnage and his pirates are occupied with fixing Hacksaw’s slipup, his prisoners escape to a partially submerged Sea Duck.  Kit, ever the optimist, tells them that Baloo can fly the plane with no problem.  Baloo loses it, screams at him, and shakes him.  Kit softly tells him that, “I still think… you’re the best.” 
Gidget (as Baloo):  So do I!
Cody:  Kit’s a glutton for punishment if you ask me.

This is just the boost that Baloo needs and he does the world’s first upside-down, underwater takeoff, much to Wiley and Khan’s pilots’ amazement.  Baloo sacrifices his trophy to save the gunship, which turns at the last second to avoid the mines.  After a few tense moments, Baloo evades the pirates by skating between the mirrors since the pirates’ planes choke at the top of a steep climb, with Kit directing from the Sea Duck’s nose since Gibber had dropped a stick of dynamite on the plane and broken the windshield.

Later, back at Cape Suzette, Baloo storms into Khan’s office and lets the impassive businessman have it—until he notices a pile of cash on the side of the desk.

“I believe this should adequately show my appreciation,” Khan drawls.  (Cody: Does he say that to his mistress, too?)

Baloo starts to leave, then changes his mind and tells Khan that he sacrificed his trophy and would need another one, “a bigger one.”

Later at Higher for Hire, Baloo’s bragging—again—and Kit’s pouting—again.  Until he sees the inscription on the trophy, which says “Kit Cloudkicker, Best Navigator in the World.”




Quibbles and Bits

Cody:  Neat little detail—when Baloo’s on the ceiling, he notices that it could use a new coat of paint.

Cody:  Wouldn’t all those mines have sunk the little dinghy Mad Dog and Dumptruck were in?  And in the brig, the window looks too small for Kit to fit through as he’s talking to Baloo.  Then, he’s suddenly able to slip through the bars.

Cody:  In that scene with Kit tying Dumptruck to the propeller, why didn’t the pirate fall off?  The instant the blade stops moving, the jacket comes undone so it couldn’t have been tied that tightly.  Good thing Kit got rid of that jacket, though.  He looked like a little boy playing dress up in Daddy’s clothes. ;)  But that whole scene with Mad Dog and the whole Mimic game bugged me—it was too hammy.
Gidget:  I agree.  Mad Dog is too dumb --- even for him!

Cody:  Khan’s pilots actually have names—one of them says, “Duane and I can’t leave Mister Khan’s cargo.”

Cody: Jacques from Lady and the Tramp makes a cameo as Karnage’s helmsman.   




Neat Little Details

Gidget:  Anything?
Cody:  Nope.  Zip.




Quotes

“This doesn’t make sense,” Kit says after they’ve crashed.

“There… there was this bright flash and zowie! The whole world suddenly stood on its head!” Baloo sits there, looking dumb and confused. 
Cody: Ya think ol’ Baloo’s been reading too many comic books? J

“That’s just what Wiley Pole said on the radio,” Kit points out.

“Aw, this isn’t supposed to happen to the world’s greatest pilot,” Baloo moans.

“Louie was right.  There’s something weird goin’ on out there.”

“It was like I was… was pulled up into the ocean!” Baloo says dramatically.

Kit’s eyes widen.  “Monsters?”

“Naw, monsters make noise.”
Gidget: *pretends to make farting noises*
Joanna:  Pretends?
Gidget:  Shut up.

There’s a banging from the back of the plane and both pilot and navigator jump. 

“Like that?” Kit asks fearfully.

“It’s…” Baloo gulps.  “It’s coming from back there!”

At the same time, they say, “You go first.  Okay.  We’ll both go.”

Cody:  Wouldn’t you love to have him for a dad?  He’d sacrifice you to save himself!  (thinks about Molly)  Then again… ;)

After they find out it’s just Karnage at the door, they exclaim, “Don Karnage!”

To which the pirate replies, “No, no, no, my friends.  It is the feared pirate, Don Karnage.  And how are you?”

 

When Kit asks what’s going on, Karnage says, “We are stealing your cargo.  We are pirates!  It’s what we do.”

 Exasperated, Kit says, “No, I mean the horizon.”

“Oh, oh, that.”  Karnage looks smug.  “Well, see for yourselves.”

Everybody crowds around the door. 

“Well, how do you like that?” Baloo is awed.  “It’s all done with mirrors!”

“How did you build them so big?” Kit asks.

“Don’t be absurd.  We did not build them!  We stole them!”

 

When Karnage discovers the homing device, he says, “It is a homing device!”

A dazed Baloo says, “No painting?”

Karnage throws the device onto Baloo’s belly.  “Not even a signature.”

 

Karnage inspects Baloo’s trophy.  “Why, this thing is gold-plated!”  He drops it carelessly on the floor.  “Worthless.”  Cruelly, he adds, “Just like you.”
Gidget:  As jerky as Baloo acts in this episode, Karnage went too far.  Nobody deserves that.
Cody: (as Karnage) I am a pirate.  It’s what I do.  J

 

“It is a shame you did not bring me treasure like the others, but I will make a bundle off the scrap metal and parts, oh, yes!”  Karnage says as he escorts Baloo and Kit to the brig and throws them in with the other “has-beens.”

 

“Follow the device and blow those pirates out of my ocean,” Khan orders when the captain of his gunship tells him that Baloo has crashed.

 

Mad Dog and Dumptruck are assigned to put out the mines.

“Hurry up, you oaf!  I wanna get back to the cockroach races!”  Mad Dog lounges in the bow, filing his nails, while Dumptruck flings the mines into the water.

“Then vhy don’t you help me?” Dumptruck grunts.

“Can I help it if I have a hangnail?” whines Mad Dog.

Dumptruck dumps a mine on him and Mad Dog mutters something incomprehensible.  The dog picks up the mine easily and pitches it into the water.  “Sorry, Mad Dog.  Is your hangnail okay?”

“What is the matter with you?” demands Mad Dog.  “Do you want to blow us up?”

“No,” Dumptruck says earnestly.  “That vould be bad.”
Gidget:  No flies on him.
Cody: (as Dumptruck) That’s because I bathed last month.  Or vas it three months ago?

While trying to figure out the lyrics to Old MacDonald had a farm, Dumptruck sees the escaped Kit.

“Hey, you kid, you!”

“Uh, look!  There’s old MacDonald now!” Kit points.

“Really?” Dumptruck turns to look and Kit scrams.  Ripping a pipe from the ceiling, Dumptruck says gleefully, “It’s clobberin’ time!”
Gidget:  It was pointed out that this is a reference from the old cartoon, The Fantastic Four.  It was the Thing’s battlecry.  Voice actor  Chuck McCann voiced both Dumptruck and the Thing, too. 
(thanks, Gabe Bennett!)

He chases Kit through the Iron Vulture, knocking over a pail of water in the process.

 

Karnage vocally dictates his diary as he writes it. “Dear Diary, Today I brought down my fourth airplane.  It was, how you say, like taking candy from a baby-child, falling off a piece of cake, as easy as pie on the log.”

He is interrupted by an extremely overwrought Bad Sort, who grabs him by the lapels and drags him to the hangar. 

Bad Sort points excitedly.  “The ship is taking on water!”

Karnage frees himself from the pirate’s grasp, brushes off his coat, and calmly says, “Well, get rid of it.”

 

Meanwhile, Dumptruck is still chasing Kit.

“Stop!” he yells, crawling across a metal beam and brandishing his busted pipe.

“Give me one good reason,” Kit says.

“So I can hit you very hard.”

Kit scowls.  “Sorry, not a good reason.”
Gidget:  I thought that was a lame retort.   It’s not even clever.  Bugs me every time I hear it.
Cody:  He’s only twelve.  Give him a break! ;)

 

“Big deal.  So I made a little mistake.  The captain didn’t have to get so cranky!  The ship needed to be washed!”  Bad Sort grumbles as he polishes the mirror as punishment for nearly sinking the Iron Vulture.

 

Karnage answering his door is hilarious: “If you brought a present, come in!”

Contrary to his order, Mad Dog and Dumptruck come in to tell Karnage that the prisoners have escaped.   Then, Mad Dog’s attention goes to the window.

“Hey, look!” he whines, pointing.  “Moby Dick!”

Cody:  For someone who’s only seen a picture of a school once, that was a bit surprising.
Gidget:  Yeah. 

 

After takeoff, Baloo circles the gun ship.

“Baloo, we gotta warn that gun ship!” Kit says.  “Maybe if we set off one of the mines…”
Gidget:  Too easy…

Baloo looks at his trophy.  “Awww, not my trophy!”

“It’s the only way,” Kit says firmly.

Baloo kisses it, says, “Been nice knowin’ ya”, and tosses it overboard.
Gidget:  Baloo sure loves to kiss inanimate objects… his Sea Duck in P&L, a trophy, Louie (by accident when they’re fighting over Lotta in The Road to Macadamia…)
Cody:  LOL!  Inanimate objects are probably the only things that hold still long enough for him to kiss!
 

Kit’s the only one with any brains in this episode.  After saving the gun ship, Kit tells Baloo to fly between the mirrors.

“Why, to see ourselves shot down?” Wiley asks sarcastically.

“No, we’re going to skate between them,” Kit explains.  “The pirates are flying CT-37’s.”

“Yeah?” Baloo asks.

“So, CT-37’s croak at the top of a steep climb.  We fly low along the wire, then swoop up between the     mirrors--!”

Baloo finally gets it.  “They won’t be able to follow!”

“This is insanity!” Wiley protests.

After dynamite busts the windshield, Wiley groans, “We’re finished!”

Ignoring him, Kit says, “Baloo, what if I climb out and be your eyes?”

“This boy’s enthusiasm is gonna get us all killed!” Wiley, the optimist, says.
Gidget:  Wiley is such a dillhole…

Baloo gets up angrily.  “This boy happens to be Kit Cloudkicker, the best navigator in these skies and we’re a team, see, so if he thinks we can do it, we can do it!”  He shuts Wiley in the cargo hold and turns to Kit.  “So do it.”
Gidget:  (Kit) Yessuh, Mistuh Baloo, suh!
Cody:  LOL!

 

Karnage’s proverb after he and his men have crashed onto the flight deck:  “Well, he who steals and runs away lives to steal another day!”  On the bridge, he orders, “Get us out of here, Scotty!”

The terrier wakes up and says, “The name’s Jacques.”
Gidget:  They call me Mister Jacques!




Commentary

Cody:  Nice finish to an overall great episode.  The only thing that really bothered me (and nearly cost this episode a Krackatoa) was Kit’s easy forgiveness.  I really do think he should have stayed angry with Baloo for much longer than he did.  Let’s face it, Baloo goes from being a condescending jerk to being useless as he wallows in self-pity.  I woulda left his fat butt behind.  I mean, if he couldn’t help with the escape effort…! And when Kit tries to get him to help, the stupid pilot picks him up and shakes him!   Kit should have at least bitten him.  Baloo never apologized.  Kit should have held out longer.  Maybe he would have gotten a plane out of it. J
Gidget:  Or a diamond ring?  Or a mink coat?  Box of chocolates?

Again, the animation is practically flawless here—the colors are deep and rich and the animators used shadows to give it a more well-rounded appearance.  The explosion as Khan’s gunship blows up the mirrors is well-done and I love the little details of light moving on the water.  Also, Baloo does learn a lesson and Karnage’s role is great.  He’s like some negligent father to a band of idiots. 
Gidget:  I’d hate to see what their mother looks like!  I really hated Wiley Pole.  He’s as whiny as Baloo and not half as charming.
Cody:  That’s a matter of opinion. ;)


December 2003

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