I really should refrain from labeling these as 'reviews' since I'm not really 'reviewing' the material. 'Re-viewing', perhaps, but not 'reviewing'.
Anyway...
There truly aren't many animation specials devoted to Thanksgiving, yet one cannot count how many exist for Halloween, nor those for Christmas (which seem to outnumber the stars in the sky)!
My guess for why this is so has to do with two factors:
1. Thanksgiving is an exclusively American holiday
2. The 'caricatures' of thanksgiving are considered historically inaccurate and culturally offensive (facts I addressed in my TtaW review) :P
Notwithstanding, there are a few (harmless) Thanksgiving specials out there, the majority of which ignore history and focus instead on either the expected gluttonousness of its celebration, and/or on that which is (usually) consumed, i.e., the turkey.
For those who don't know, the turkey is a large game bird traditionally eaten at Thanksgiving. ...I'm not a turkey person. Turkey, to me, is very dry and generally inedible---I was raised on chicken and remain faithful to it. :3
Anyway, the special we're looking at today is 'Buttons and Rusty: the Turkey Caper'. ...Yeah, these are the same characters from the 'Chucklewood Critters' series---I've reviewed some of the Critters' antics before, albeit 'Buttons and Rusty' (the show) is the original series, so the writing is different from the Chucklewood incarnation
*early start---I'm not scrambling this year to get a holiday review out on time!
Our caper begins with introductions to Abner and George (the respective fathers of Buttons and Rusty, building food storage crates for the winter); Bridgette and Rosie (the respective moms, collecting berries), and of course: Buttons and Rusty.
What are Buttons and Rusty up to today?
RUSTY: "Hey, Buttons, remember that old cabin we saw down at Wild Turkey Valley? Let's go explore it!"
Do they distill bourbon in said cabin? If so, I'm game (and I ain't even feathered)! :3
En route to Wild Turkey Valley, the cubs hear the calls of some wild turkeys ...and they seem oddly surprised by this.
Anyway, the two cubs discover the calls aren't those of just any wild turkeys,
BUTTONS: "Marty and Priscilla!"
I have a suspicion we've met these two before---these turkeys have personalities similar to those of the bunnies, Clover and Bluebell, from 'A Chucklewood Easter' (all Priscilla needs is a Southern accent).
So what are Marty and Priscilla up to?
MARTY: "Looking for grub"
PRISCILLA: "But so far we've only found a handful of cranberries"
Cranberries? In the forest? Hm... Anyway, the cubs invite the turkeys to join them on their adventure. Upon arriving at the cabin, the four began riffling through its contents. Rusty discovers an old book about Pilgrims and Native Americans. Interested, Buttons and Rusty decide to take the book to their human friend Ranger Jones, believing he could explain it to them. Marty and Priscilla opt to not leave the valley (their parents forbid it), hence the turkeys part with the cubs at the logging road.
After saying their adieus, Buttons and Rusty are nearly run over by a large box truck (which will be relevant later).
The cubs arrive at the ranger's station, and tell Ranger Jones about the truck.
JONES: "The way I figure it, that big truck must have been hauling supplies to the lumber camp ...and the driver decided to take a shortcut"
...How is the logging road a shortcut to the lumber camp----wouldn't the road link to the camp directly?
Either way, that's our explanation (for now). The cubs show Ranger jones the book, 'PokeMario pt. 3: How Luigi Met Zubat and Turned Evil' ...No, I'm kidding. The book is titled, 'A Child's Primer of American History'.
We're treated to a concise telling of the Thanksgiving mythology. As jones reads the story, the cubs fall asleep. They dream themselves in the roles of Pilgrims, seeking turnips and firewood. The cubs, donned in their green Pilgrim costumes (complete with buckle shoes) convey them more as leprechauns than as Pilgrims. Moreover, the cubs in this sequence speak in a very contrived version of 'Ye Olde english'. :P
While out gathering supplies, the cubs are startled by some human Indian child. The cubs run away and become lost, consequently. ...And most anytime cubs become lost in a scenario like this, the weather turns against them, in this case: driving wind and snow. Of course, the cubs are soon rediscovered and subsequently rescued by the Indian child and his family. Once the snow abated, the cubs were returned to the Pilgrim colony,
JONES: "And from then on, a friendship between the Indians and the Pilgrims flourished"
Cue syrupy musical number about peace and togetherness (albeit, I've heard much worse---I don't dislike this song at all! XD).
JONES: "And that's one version of how the first Thanksgiving came about"
Again, I've gone into detail about this before, so... :P
The cubs wake up,
RUSTY: "I think Thanksgiving's a terrific idea! Let's tell our folks; maybe we'll have a celebration, too!?"
The cubs dash enthusiastically from the ranger station. Passing a sign pointing to Wild turkey Valley,
BUTTONS: "Oh boy, I can hardly wait to celebrate Thanksgiving ...maybe we should invite Priscilla and Marty, too!?"
I know Buttons meant 'as guests', but my imagination's pretty dark. ;3
The cubs go looking for their feathered friends. Instead they find the box truck from earlier, loaded with cages imprisoning the wild turkeys of the valley!
Deciding their friends might be captive within, the cubs sneak inside the truck. They aren't disappointed,
PRISCILLA (to the cubs): "Over here!"
RUSTY: "What's going on here?"
PRISCILLA: "We don't know"
MARTY: "We're just scared"
The cubs free their friends, intending also to free the other turkeys. Unfortunately, the poachers return. The four run away towards the ranger's station, but Rusty springs a trap, causing a bottomless cage to drop onto our heroes. This, however, is little more than a minor annoyance, for the animals escape easily.
Seeing the poachers are about to depart, the cubs conclude there's not enough time to inform Ranger Jones, hence the cubs decide to free the captive turkeys themselves. Buttons and Rusty reenter the truck (why was the door left open?), and methodically open each cage. Hysteria ensues as the turkeys race from the truck. The excitement catches the attention of the two poachers. Armed with turkey nets, the poachers go forth after the escapees.
The cubs somehow get the turkeys to follow them to their den (the cubs' parents aren't home---they're out foraging for berries, etc). The cubs hide the turkeys in the food storage crates Abner and George were building.
...again, my imagination's going places (places that don't end well for the turkeys)!
The turkeys are told they won't be in the crates very long---just long enough for the cubs to inform Ranger Jones about their experience.
As the cubs leave, Abner returns home from berry picking. Abner returns alone (unlike the others, he was too lazy to continue working) and promptly plops himself into his chair (Abner doesn't discover the turkeys and nothing of consequence happens).
At the ranger station,
JONES (to the cubs): "You say two men in a big truck, and they were kidnapping all the wild turkeys in the forest? That's mighty strange!"
Jones promises to find out what's happening, before sending the cubs away (for the day is nearing its end). The cubs obey; Jones gets on his radio.
Returning to the den, Abner awakens and determines it's snack time. He opens one of the storage crates...
Gonna pause here to vent about one of my pet peeves: fat characters in animation. Almost all of them think nonstop about food. Food, food, food, food, food---disgusting! Thankfully, Abner (a fat character) is seldom the focus of any of the Chucklewood cartoons, including this one. Yet, he manages to annoy me here just for the stereotype/trope he represents.
...Anyway, Abner opens one of the crates wherein some turkeys are hiding. As expected, panic ensues: the birds run amok as Abner (convinced they're after the food ...which hasn't been brought home yet) gives chase after the turkeys. Abner succeeds in shooing the turkeys from the den, just as the more responsible adults arrive on the scene.
Meanwhile, Buttons and Rusty are racing home,
BUTTONS (running home with Rusty): "I hope we aren't too late!"
On their way, Buttons and Rusty bump into some of the turkeys, including a frightened Marty and Priscilla. The birds tell what happened. The cubs assure them that all will be well, convincing the turkeys to return to the den before the poachers find them.
The cubs (accompanied by their turkey friends) explain everything to their parents ...who express some reservations,
BRIDGETTE: "...How can we possibly look after all these turkeys? They'll eat us out of house and home in one day!"
...Oh, I'm sure some sacrifices on the turkeys' part could be made. ;) *shot*
Right.... *ahem*
Before much more could be said, Ranger Jones appears ...and he's brought the poachers with him! D:
RANGER JONES: "It's all right folks; these men are from the Wildlife Conservation Society"
TRAPPER1: "You see, there wasn't enough berries, corn and other food to last the winter in Turkey Vally"
TRAPPER2: "So, the Society felt it'd be best to move the wild turkeys over to the next valley"
RANGER JONES: "Where there's plenty of food"
...Where do I begin?
First, why was Ranger Jones uninformed---if a conservation society planned some relocation scheme, the park staff would need to be aware of it (at the very least, so as not to interfere). Second, it's clear humans and animals can communicate here---why didn't the men simply explain what was happening? Doing so would save so much trouble (no need for traps, etc)---the turkeys would come to them! Last, if corn is (rightfully) on the menu, these turkeys aren't 'wild'. :P
RANGER JONES (to the turkeys): "Well, let's not keep your friends waiting!"
The turkeys happily board the truck, proving my second point. :3
And so our tale concludes with a toast from Ranger Jones,
"May every heart be filled with joy; may love and trust hold sway. May life feel wonderful to every girl and boy and animal, on this Thanksgiving day!"
