éééé
Things I liked in the movie:
The time machine’s proximity to the volcano.
Ape fashions.
Wacky zoom action.
Overall, a very funny episode. The movie is a knock off of Planet of the Apes. In fact, this is the worst movie panned by the crew yet! Disclaimer. It looks and feels exactly like a Godzilla or Gamera movie just with apes instead of monsters. The host segments were very sharp and entertaining and added a lot to the fun.
Some kids tour a Japanese space science facility (apparently to make sure the government is meeting with their expectations). Due to an unfortunate choice of building the science facility right on top of a currently erupting volcano, the lab is crushed when the volcano erupts. The kids are sent into what appears to be the future, but could be the past or some other dimension. This is contrived by having them duck into some suspended animation chambers. As rocks fall through the ceiling, they conveniently strike all the levers and buttons in perfect order to start the suspended animation. As Crow noted, “It fell on the plot contrivance lever.” When they wake up, the world is controlled by apes who wear funny clothes and speak English. There is one lone man, unfortunately named Godo, living in the forest protected by a bunch of traps he set around his cave. He explains that he was born here but his mother is dead. They get captured by the apes and have various misadventures trying to escape. They run around in circles for a while and don’t seem to go anywhere, but in the end they find a storage unit with some pods in it. They get in the pods and go back to the past. But wait! They actually were already in the past and the present is the future! There’s a long explanation at the end by a random scientist that confuses the issue enough that you feel satisfied that it was somehow scientifically plausible but you’re too dumb to understand why. It’s obvious this movie was the inspiration for such derivative films as Planet of the Apes, Contact (with Jodie Foster) and Back to the Future. Finally, to wrap things up logically, Godo is sent to some time where the world is just sand and it looks like he’ll die in a couple of hours. But not to worry, he’ll always be in our hearts. (Maybe this special ability to be suspendedly animated to the wrong place is how he got to the ape world in the first place?)
Segment one: Invention exchange – Frank invents a growth formula that makes a baby grow from what appears to be 6 months old to about 30 years old in a few seconds. Frank is holding the fully grown “baby” who is wearing only a diaper.
Segment two: Why doesn’t Johnny care? A mini-documentary about why Johnny doesn’t care. Servo narrates a school public service style film. This is based on a moment during the movie when Johnny’s mother says she doesn’t want him to go outside because it’s too dangerous and he says, “I don’t care!” and goes anyway.
Segment three: Scopes monkey trial re-enactment. Joel narrates. The bots play the parts. The judge is a cardboard cutout of Judge Wapner. It’s pretty good. To learn more about the Scopes trial, Joel recommends reading Curious George Rides a Bicycle.
Segment four: Fashion Minute with Crow T. Robot. Clips of the movie showing “fashions” worn by the apes. Crow explains the styles and touches as if he’s a professional fashion reporter. Not particularly funny, but very clever. It does make you realize how silly the apes’ clothes were.
Final: The end is a music video about Sandy Frank. Servo is wearing an adorable monkey mask. It’s set to a catchy instrumental tune from the film.
Don’t dub with your mouth full!
Monkey army boss: Kill them!
Joel: Good plan.
Crow: Come on! Run! Try and run faster than the plot!
20 ape soldiers surround Godo and aim their guns at him.
Ape Officer: Kill him! Don’t let him get away! (Long delay) Kill him!
Servo: Use the guns! That’s what they’re for!
An ape is riding down the road on a motorcycle
Crow: Meanwhile, on C.H.I.M.P.S.
Servo: He’s pointing a duck call at him!
Bots: Quack quack!
Monkey boss: You will regret your behavior
(Camera zooms crazily)
Crow: There will be more zooms like this!
Johnny runs into the monkey compound.
Joel: Is he going to tell them someone spilled Nair on his face?
Crow: To our death then!
Servo: Wheee!
Crow: She’s going to be grounded until she’s 30
Servo: It’s a she?
Godo: Pepe, you must be a good girl and stay with your mother
Servo: Stay! Stay, Pepe, stay!
Gabar: I will not listen to you any more!
Joel: My name is Inigo Montoya!
The apes for some reason put handkerchiefs on their faces.
Joel: Put on your face diapers!
Crow: Shouldn’t we be using these to cover our red butts?
Saucer: Eucon has ordered that there be no more killing
Joel: Or you will be killed.
A flying saucer appears and shows a movie to Gabar so that he’ll see he killed his own son and Godo wasn’t responsible. The next four riffs are during and after this little “movie.”
Crow: He’s an ape and he can’t hang on to a rope?
Servo: Somepin’s wrong!
The movie from the saucer shows Gabar shooting his own son, which, for some reason is a surprise to him.
Joel: Oh, it’s Earl Warren’s single bullet theory.
Joel: I hope you enjoyed today’s matinee movie!
Gabar: I killed my own son!
Joel: Hurts don’t it? Bye!
Ape leader shakes hands with Godo.
Joel: I’d wash that hand if I were you, that’s my throwing hand.
In about one second, the camera jumps back and forth between two characters about 10 times.
Joel: And the editor goes for an Oscar.
Crow: She passed out from the sheer length of the film!
Lady is slapping the little girl to wake her up.
Servo: She woke up about 10 slaps ago!
Crow: Our mystery guest is . . .. who’s that?