Peter Pan was also a thoroughly evil villain in the ABC drama series Once Upon a Time, so there's probably some leeway on what Disney and/or its subsidiaries can do with him.
Disney+s Live Action Rescue Rangers Is Not What You’re Expecting
- Thread starter Master Fwiffo
- Start date
A friend noted that the version of Tigra they used is from an otherwise "that didn't happen, you imagined it, we never made that cartoon" version of Avengers, signalling some sort of Sign of the Apocalypse. 
(I kinda liked that cartoon, but boy was the animation cheapo at times.)
---Dave
(I kinda liked that cartoon, but boy was the animation cheapo at times.)---Dave
I was a little disappointed that they didn't get Lenore Zann back to voice her, since she is coming back to voice Rogue in X-Men '97.A friend noted that the version of Tigra they used is from an otherwise "that didn't happen, you imagined it, we never made that cartoon" version of Avengers, signalling some sort of Sign of the Apocalypse.
---Dave
Could've been a scheduling issue.
Scheduling might always be a potential concern, but now that the vast majority of voice work is done remotely, and assembled later, it's much less of a concern than it used to be.
ESPECIALLY for cameos.
Lenore Zann is presumably not ******* the director
Finally got around to seeing this, full on spoilers ahoy. I actually watched every single episode of the original Rescue Rangers during that marathon on Disney XD. Did that color my opinion of the movie? Eh...yes and no. It helped me remember some things, since it's been so long.
TLDR? It's not perfect by a long shot, but I think most people will find it a real hoot.
Okay, let's get the bad out of the way first.
Structurally, this movie is a bit of mess. Things kind of just happen. The pacing is pretty quick, but not terribly well done. You could argue it's too quick. And the plot, when you boil it down, is pretty stock and full of overdone cliches. And Peter Pan as a villain is a little bit of a letdown, but I blame that on the trailers.
There are times when the characters are WILLFULLY stupid. Like the time with Chip and Dale in the CGI surgery machine. They activate it...and then jump DIRECTLY into it. If they had just stayed on the computer console they would have been fine, but they jump right onto it and get themselves trapped...DUMB! And why would they even suspect Lady Cop, they were with her all day and didn't smell anything, it was clearly Claymation Cop just by simple process of elimination...DUMB!
And calling out the overplayed tropes doesn't excuse you from just going ahead and doing them anyway, like the Claymation Cop being the bad guy (and that NEVER happened on the original show, what are they talking about with that happening "All the time").
And the "rules" for this universe make NO SENSE. It seems like ALL cartoon characters start off as kids, but then some seem to stop aging at some point and only ONE character doesn't and it's never explained why. My headcanon? As long as you stay more or less true to your "core identity" you stay young. If you lose your way or become a corrupted version of yourself, you lose your immortality. But that's just a wild guess.
I'm not sure if the "bootlegs" REALLY make sense in the context of this movie. Most of the time, bootlegs get made for...current, popular movies. Not 30 year old or more cartoons. I don't think there are a lot of studios making knock offs of Hunchback of Notre Dame RIGHT NOW, for example. They'd be more likely to make a knock off of Turning Red or Bob's Burgers or something.
And then there's times when they REALLY dig deep into the original show for references and sometimes they just straight up make things up with no rhyme or reason. For example:
The movie completely ignores Chip and Dale's original theatrical cartoons, just having them be born in the 70s I guess. Even the original Rescue Rangers had a tip of the hat to those with Donald Drake (Donald Duck) and Plato (Pluto) in the 5-part origin story.
They just straight-up make up like...300 episodes that never happened in reality. And this show still supposedly only lasted 3 years like the "real" show did, according to their own backstory. All the while still referencing actual episodes of the show. It's a weird choice and I have to wonder if they were combining scripts as much as they were combining cartoon characters in this movie.
The map of places that broadcasted Rescue Rangers is likely complete bunk. It began airing on the Disney Channel, which was likely available to ANYONE with a satellite or cable hookup, which wasn't common in the 80s but still possible for anyone to have, and while the Disney Channel was probably still a premium channel at the time, I doubt it was completely unavailable. And even if the map WAS accurate, it doesn't take into account the re-runs on other channels over the years, like Fox or ABC.
Rescue Rangers didn't really have a dedicated Arcade cabinet, but they did get a port of the NES game on one of those PlayChoice-10 systems Nintendo had. But, I'm willing to say this is a custom set-up Dale had commissioned and leave it at that.
I'm not sure if the Lady Cop's clue to Dale actually makes sense with the episode they went with. Gadget wasn't really "double-crossed" in "When You Fish Upon A Star" (That's the one where Fat Cat uses fire flies to create fake constellations to get ships to crash on a island, and Monty thinks this is a different island and the boys question his memory). Though, Monty throws out Gadget's navigation equipment because he thinks he can use the stars to find their way, but that's not exactly a double cross. And Gadget does get used as bait to trap the other Rangers, so that fits with the situation at least. I think a better fit for that might have been "Chipwrecked Shipmunks" (The one where they get stranded on a island, Monty and Dale discover Pi-Rat treasure, and in order to hide it they smash up the boat that Gadget was working on).
The climax of the movie revolves around the Cat Chimera trying to eat the boy's concussion birds...WHICH NEVER HAPPENED ON THE ORIGINAL SHOW! I'm pretty sure concussion birds showed up on the show at least once, but no cat ever tried to eat the imaginary birds, as far as I remember from my rewatch. It's just weird to have such a big set up for something that NEVER happened on the show proper, even if we did see it in the opening.
But, you know what? I don't really care about ANY of that, because this movie is just WAY too much fun. I bet you feel pretty foolish for having read all that, huh? (Imagine how I feel having typed all that, geez).
From start to finish this movie is hilarious. The jokes just work. While the pacing doesn't help the storytelling, it definitely helps the jokes. They come fast and furious (babies). And while the characters are stock, they're likable.
And oh dear...the CAMEOS. It's just pure fun trying to spot all the cameos of everyone in this movie. I really have no idea HOW they managed to get He-Man and Skeletor, the My Little Ponies, Doug, Johnny Bravo, the Coca-Cola Bear, Bevis and Butthead, Tigra from Avengers United They Stand, Voltron, Blaster from Transformers, Ash Ketchum from Pokemon, South Park...just WAY TOO MANY to list. And not just animation, there's Keyblades from Kingdom Hearts and not-Bullet Bills from Mario. And they turn this enjoyable but so-so movie into something special. It's shallow, but I love it.
And the breakout star of them all...Ugly Sonic. This is tour-de-force. The greatest comeback of all time. A redemption that will inspire songs that will be sung for generations. Ugly Sonic, you might be ugly on the outside...but not on the inside.
Even some of the background extras that don't seem to be direct references seem to be nods to other things. I think I see a reference to Daria and Petrie from Land Before Time at the school, for example. And they do the Flinstone slide down a dinosaur at the convention center.
And all the mixed media they use in this movie. Traditional animation, 2D, 3D, CGI, motion capture, claymation, puppets. This is just a joy to look at.
And, you know what? This movie might come across as "random" or "reference heavy" sometimes...but the original show wasn't afraid to shove logic out the window, or make a bunch of references either (like Ed Sullivan Kiwis, or Abbot and Costello Snakes and Spiders). I feel like this movie at least captures the "spirit" of Rescue Rangers more often than not.
Random thoughts and observations:
Chip's puppy is cute.
Lady Cop's story about the Paw Patrol ruining another cop's chances of having kids is disturbing.
You can see two of Fat Cat's minions on Main Street. And I think that dog blowing bubbles might be from "Pound of the Baskervilles".
Monty seems to have a painting of Desiree from "Love is a Many Splintered Thing" on the wall of his apartment.
That scene where the Cheese-selling puppet narrows his eyes is hilarious to me. "You cops?"
Gadget and Zipper...I didn't see it coming. But...I don't hate it I guess? I might still be too shocked, to be honest. I guess Zipper's the only one that DIDN'T get shipped with Gadget on the show. Both Chip and Dale kissed her, and even Monty kind of had a surrogate father thing going on with her from time to time. And Zipper's new voice is a cheap gag, but I don't mind it. And we get to see what happens when two species get together...and it's not as nightmarish as it could have been. There might be hope for Foxglove and Dale, yet.
I wonder why the episode "Double'O Chipmunk" got referenced SO MUCH in this movie....oh, wait right. That's the episode that debuted the best character in the entire show.
You know, the original show really DID give Dale a hard time sometimes. Especially in "Le Purrfect Crime" (The one where he gets amnesia and gets tricked by a French Fat Cat into becoming a bean-toting baddy Ram-Dale.) Even GADGET said he was a joke in that one, it's brutal. So, it kind of makes sense of that he would think he could go off and no one would really miss him.
They subverted the accursed "rap" trap well. I mean poorly...but in a good way.
*Motion Capture Dwarf gets surrounded by Live-Action Pumba, Mantis from Kung Fu Panda, and BOB from Monsters vs Aliens*...cute.
How DARE they besmirch the good name of Jack Skellington?! He's no embezzler. Knives for Kids is a perfectly legitimate charity!
On Old Man Pan's operating table, when he's threatening Chip, you can see a bottle of Dip from Roger Rabbit!
"The worst thing is you made me doubt myself" ...So...not getting a guy "neutered" by a pack of underage cartoon dogs?
"I guess my character in real life and in the show are basically the same" Convenient!
Random Hidden Mickey in the fireworks. I wonder if anyone else noticed that (/sarcasm.)
This is maybe the first time a pog has actually been useful for anything, ever.
That weird Bambi/Pegasus from Hercules combination at the end was actually kind of pretty.
Oh, and there's Bonkers! As a half-walrus thing. But he's here!
Structurally, this movie is a bit of mess. Things kind of just happen. The pacing is pretty quick, but not terribly well done. You could argue it's too quick. And the plot, when you boil it down, is pretty stock and full of overdone cliches. And Peter Pan as a villain is a little bit of a letdown, but I blame that on the trailers.
There are times when the characters are WILLFULLY stupid. Like the time with Chip and Dale in the CGI surgery machine. They activate it...and then jump DIRECTLY into it. If they had just stayed on the computer console they would have been fine, but they jump right onto it and get themselves trapped...DUMB! And why would they even suspect Lady Cop, they were with her all day and didn't smell anything, it was clearly Claymation Cop just by simple process of elimination...DUMB!
And calling out the overplayed tropes doesn't excuse you from just going ahead and doing them anyway, like the Claymation Cop being the bad guy (and that NEVER happened on the original show, what are they talking about with that happening "All the time").
And the "rules" for this universe make NO SENSE. It seems like ALL cartoon characters start off as kids, but then some seem to stop aging at some point and only ONE character doesn't and it's never explained why. My headcanon? As long as you stay more or less true to your "core identity" you stay young. If you lose your way or become a corrupted version of yourself, you lose your immortality. But that's just a wild guess.
I'm not sure if the "bootlegs" REALLY make sense in the context of this movie. Most of the time, bootlegs get made for...current, popular movies. Not 30 year old or more cartoons. I don't think there are a lot of studios making knock offs of Hunchback of Notre Dame RIGHT NOW, for example. They'd be more likely to make a knock off of Turning Red or Bob's Burgers or something.
And then there's times when they REALLY dig deep into the original show for references and sometimes they just straight up make things up with no rhyme or reason. For example:
The movie completely ignores Chip and Dale's original theatrical cartoons, just having them be born in the 70s I guess. Even the original Rescue Rangers had a tip of the hat to those with Donald Drake (Donald Duck) and Plato (Pluto) in the 5-part origin story.
They just straight-up make up like...300 episodes that never happened in reality. And this show still supposedly only lasted 3 years like the "real" show did, according to their own backstory. All the while still referencing actual episodes of the show. It's a weird choice and I have to wonder if they were combining scripts as much as they were combining cartoon characters in this movie.
The map of places that broadcasted Rescue Rangers is likely complete bunk. It began airing on the Disney Channel, which was likely available to ANYONE with a satellite or cable hookup, which wasn't common in the 80s but still possible for anyone to have, and while the Disney Channel was probably still a premium channel at the time, I doubt it was completely unavailable. And even if the map WAS accurate, it doesn't take into account the re-runs on other channels over the years, like Fox or ABC.
Rescue Rangers didn't really have a dedicated Arcade cabinet, but they did get a port of the NES game on one of those PlayChoice-10 systems Nintendo had. But, I'm willing to say this is a custom set-up Dale had commissioned and leave it at that.
I'm not sure if the Lady Cop's clue to Dale actually makes sense with the episode they went with. Gadget wasn't really "double-crossed" in "When You Fish Upon A Star" (That's the one where Fat Cat uses fire flies to create fake constellations to get ships to crash on a island, and Monty thinks this is a different island and the boys question his memory). Though, Monty throws out Gadget's navigation equipment because he thinks he can use the stars to find their way, but that's not exactly a double cross. And Gadget does get used as bait to trap the other Rangers, so that fits with the situation at least. I think a better fit for that might have been "Chipwrecked Shipmunks" (The one where they get stranded on a island, Monty and Dale discover Pi-Rat treasure, and in order to hide it they smash up the boat that Gadget was working on).
The climax of the movie revolves around the Cat Chimera trying to eat the boy's concussion birds...WHICH NEVER HAPPENED ON THE ORIGINAL SHOW! I'm pretty sure concussion birds showed up on the show at least once, but no cat ever tried to eat the imaginary birds, as far as I remember from my rewatch. It's just weird to have such a big set up for something that NEVER happened on the show proper, even if we did see it in the opening.
But, you know what? I don't really care about ANY of that, because this movie is just WAY too much fun. I bet you feel pretty foolish for having read all that, huh? (Imagine how I feel having typed all that, geez).
From start to finish this movie is hilarious. The jokes just work. While the pacing doesn't help the storytelling, it definitely helps the jokes. They come fast and furious (babies). And while the characters are stock, they're likable.
And oh dear...the CAMEOS. It's just pure fun trying to spot all the cameos of everyone in this movie. I really have no idea HOW they managed to get He-Man and Skeletor, the My Little Ponies, Doug, Johnny Bravo, the Coca-Cola Bear, Bevis and Butthead, Tigra from Avengers United They Stand, Voltron, Blaster from Transformers, Ash Ketchum from Pokemon, South Park...just WAY TOO MANY to list. And not just animation, there's Keyblades from Kingdom Hearts and not-Bullet Bills from Mario. And they turn this enjoyable but so-so movie into something special. It's shallow, but I love it.
And the breakout star of them all...Ugly Sonic. This is tour-de-force. The greatest comeback of all time. A redemption that will inspire songs that will be sung for generations. Ugly Sonic, you might be ugly on the outside...but not on the inside.
Even some of the background extras that don't seem to be direct references seem to be nods to other things. I think I see a reference to Daria and Petrie from Land Before Time at the school, for example. And they do the Flinstone slide down a dinosaur at the convention center.
And all the mixed media they use in this movie. Traditional animation, 2D, 3D, CGI, motion capture, claymation, puppets. This is just a joy to look at.
And, you know what? This movie might come across as "random" or "reference heavy" sometimes...but the original show wasn't afraid to shove logic out the window, or make a bunch of references either (like Ed Sullivan Kiwis, or Abbot and Costello Snakes and Spiders). I feel like this movie at least captures the "spirit" of Rescue Rangers more often than not.
Random thoughts and observations:
Chip's puppy is cute.
Lady Cop's story about the Paw Patrol ruining another cop's chances of having kids is disturbing.
You can see two of Fat Cat's minions on Main Street. And I think that dog blowing bubbles might be from "Pound of the Baskervilles".
Monty seems to have a painting of Desiree from "Love is a Many Splintered Thing" on the wall of his apartment.
That scene where the Cheese-selling puppet narrows his eyes is hilarious to me. "You cops?"
Gadget and Zipper...I didn't see it coming. But...I don't hate it I guess? I might still be too shocked, to be honest. I guess Zipper's the only one that DIDN'T get shipped with Gadget on the show. Both Chip and Dale kissed her, and even Monty kind of had a surrogate father thing going on with her from time to time. And Zipper's new voice is a cheap gag, but I don't mind it. And we get to see what happens when two species get together...and it's not as nightmarish as it could have been. There might be hope for Foxglove and Dale, yet.
I wonder why the episode "Double'O Chipmunk" got referenced SO MUCH in this movie....oh, wait right. That's the episode that debuted the best character in the entire show.
Gadget's little red dress.
Now, who wore it best? Gadget Hackwrench or Jessica Rabbit? This show ensured the future of furries just with that one scene, I swear.
I'm both surprised and not that that dress didn't get a cameo, somewhere.
Now, who wore it best? Gadget Hackwrench or Jessica Rabbit? This show ensured the future of furries just with that one scene, I swear.
I'm both surprised and not that that dress didn't get a cameo, somewhere.
You know, the original show really DID give Dale a hard time sometimes. Especially in "Le Purrfect Crime" (The one where he gets amnesia and gets tricked by a French Fat Cat into becoming a bean-toting baddy Ram-Dale.) Even GADGET said he was a joke in that one, it's brutal. So, it kind of makes sense of that he would think he could go off and no one would really miss him.
They subverted the accursed "rap" trap well. I mean poorly...but in a good way.
*Motion Capture Dwarf gets surrounded by Live-Action Pumba, Mantis from Kung Fu Panda, and BOB from Monsters vs Aliens*...cute.
How DARE they besmirch the good name of Jack Skellington?! He's no embezzler. Knives for Kids is a perfectly legitimate charity!
On Old Man Pan's operating table, when he's threatening Chip, you can see a bottle of Dip from Roger Rabbit!
"The worst thing is you made me doubt myself" ...So...not getting a guy "neutered" by a pack of underage cartoon dogs?
"I guess my character in real life and in the show are basically the same" Convenient!
Random Hidden Mickey in the fireworks. I wonder if anyone else noticed that (/sarcasm.)
This is maybe the first time a pog has actually been useful for anything, ever.
That weird Bambi/Pegasus from Hercules combination at the end was actually kind of pretty.
Oh, and there's Bonkers! As a half-walrus thing. But he's here!
TLDR? It's not perfect by a long shot, but I think most people will find it a real hoot.
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Oooh I didn't know that. Maybe that set a precedent. Cool info.
Btw, when was Blaster seen? Also Butthead (without Beavis?).
Anybody in the Transformers side cry foul at the transforming leg? Haha
No, I had no problem with it because optimus actually did that before. It was in transformers animated.
Cameo locations:
As for Peter Pan, technically the book is in the public domain in the US and most of Europe (just not the play). The Children's Hospital that got the rights to the play can't technically enforce any of the copyright rules or anything, if you're using your own version of the characters. It's...just a matter of if you're willing to ignore a Children's Hospital or not. It seems like more of a gentleman's agreement, most of the time, rather than a hard and fast enforceable law.
Blaster was in the audience in the beginning during Chip and Dale's high school talent show. When they were juggling stuff.
Butthead was on a random bench advertisement around town after they smell the cologne in the police station and run outside to talk about who their suspects are. He was running for senate and was against bootlegging.
Butthead was on a random bench advertisement around town after they smell the cologne in the police station and run outside to talk about who their suspects are. He was running for senate and was against bootlegging.
As for Peter Pan, technically the book is in the public domain in the US and most of Europe (just not the play). The Children's Hospital that got the rights to the play can't technically enforce any of the copyright rules or anything, if you're using your own version of the characters. It's...just a matter of if you're willing to ignore a Children's Hospital or not. It seems like more of a gentleman's agreement, most of the time, rather than a hard and fast enforceable law.
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That's further enough evidence for me that this is the same universe!
Honestly? Chip, Dale, and Monty all seemed to be based on themselves, so it makes sense that Gadget in the show was written as a gearhead because the actress was one already. I wouldn't be surprised if Zipper was actually an exaggerated version of himself, too.
It was fun, though some of the banter b/t Chip and Dale got annoying. Loved the cameos and was amused at some of the stuff they did. I wonder if the writers saw Amazing World of Gumball. Unfortunately some of the notable points/cameos were spoiled.
Gadget and Zipper having kids, Ugly Sonic, TFs, the history behind Peter Pan's actor being a motive. Avoided this thread and social media but it still popped up within a few days.
A bit bummed that we saw the boss's final form before the movie even came out. I also think it could have used more time with Gadget, Zipper, and giving Ellie more personality rather than so much on Chip and Dale. I kinda wanted them to go darker with the villain plot and cartoon abominations, but I guess they didn't want to traumatize kids like with Roger Rabbit. XD
I think my fave part was the fight with the claymation chief. Also, where were Johnny Bravo and Ash Ketchum? Didn't see them.
A bit bummed that we saw the boss's final form before the movie even came out. I also think it could have used more time with Gadget, Zipper, and giving Ellie more personality rather than so much on Chip and Dale. I kinda wanted them to go darker with the villain plot and cartoon abominations, but I guess they didn't want to traumatize kids like with Roger Rabbit. XD
I think my fave part was the fight with the claymation chief. Also, where were Johnny Bravo and Ash Ketchum? Didn't see them.
I didn't see Ash himself, but did see a convention cosplayer dressed as Ash. He was standing outside the convention chatting with other congoers during the convention chase scene.
Cameo Spoilers:
While Johnny Bravo himself doesn't actually show up, there's a billboard in the background advertising Johnny Bravo Fitness when Chip and Dale are driving around in Dale's kinda-junky car. Right before his bumper falls off and almost hits a Cars car. There's also billboards for Waze The Movie (kind of a parody of the Emoji Movie) and a Doug Billboard (Funnie and Porkchop...Your Injury is NOT Funnie). You almost have to pause the movie to see them. I can't quite make out the billboard right next to the Johnny Bravo one...The *Something* Boys?
And like Sabrblade said, there's a cosplayer Ash. But there's also a animated not-Ash in the classroom during lunch at the beginning of the movie, when little Dale is looking for someone to sit with. He's sitting with a shark and a tiger. Also, take note of what seems to be Kearney (the bald bully from the Simpsons) with impressive hair. And a red-headed not-Daria...it just feels like she has the same "energy" as Daria to me, I'll admit this one is a reach.
And like Sabrblade said, there's a cosplayer Ash. But there's also a animated not-Ash in the classroom during lunch at the beginning of the movie, when little Dale is looking for someone to sit with. He's sitting with a shark and a tiger. Also, take note of what seems to be Kearney (the bald bully from the Simpsons) with impressive hair. And a red-headed not-Daria...it just feels like she has the same "energy" as Daria to me, I'll admit this one is a reach.
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