"Baloo Thunder" is the fifty-third episode of The Disney Afternoon animated series, TaleSpin. It premiered on February 6, 1991.
Plot[]
When Professor Buzz, who works in Shere Khan's research and development section, is framed for stealing a top secret research project, Baloo and Kit work to clear Buzz's name and find out who the real culprit is.
The episode begins at Shere Khan’s conference room. “Like a jungle, a corporation is only as healthy as the green it produces. Last quarter, our green dropped a leaf. I trust that won't happen again,” Shere Khan said, expressing his disappointment with the company's recent financial performance.
Shere Khan then asked Wilbury to give an update on a top-secret project, but Simon Perry, a cheetah standing beside him, accidentally bumped into Wilbury's briefcase, causing him to think he had forgotten his report. Impatient with waiting, Shere Khan pushed a button that opened a trapdoor under Wilbury's seat, causing him to fall down. Simon Perry then claimed he had a backup report, which was actually Wilbury’s report.
“As you see, Khan Industries will set record profits this quarter due chiefly to the top-secret flying project, which, once in mass production, will definitely give us the edge over our rival, the Miniversal Corporation,” Perry said.
Meanwhile, in the lab, Buzz had Baloo and Kit as visitors, but it wasn't clear why they were there. Baloo was curious about what was behind a "Top Secret" door, but Buzz warned him not to approach it. Baloo and Kit eventually decided to leave.
Buzz was then shown searching for uranium-238 in the lab, when Perry snuck in. Buzz overheard Perry on the phone saying, “No, Khan doesn’t suspect a thing. By this afternoon, Miniversal will have in their possession one top-secret project.” Realizing the situation was bad, Buzz ran out of the lab to warn someone.
However, when Buzz tried to warn Mr. Khan, he was prevented from doing so by Mrs. Snarley. The guards then took Buzz away, but soon realized that he had been falsely accused by Perry. Buzz hit the guards with one of his inventions and ran away, with Snarley ringing the alarms and the guards chasing after him.
Perry then called Shere Khan and informed him that Buzz had stolen their top-secret project. Shere Khan demanded that Perry post a reward for Buzz’s capture and made sure he didn't disappoint him. Kit then found Buzz’s face on wanted posters and alerted Baloo to save him.
Baloo didn't believe that Buzz was a crook, so he and Kit flew to Buzz's hiding place in the No Smoky Mountains. There, they discovered that the top-secret project was the invention of the helicopter.
Baloo went to Shere Khan’s Tower to correct the misunderstandings and prove that Buzz was not a spy. However, Mrs. Snarley kept him away from seeing Mr. Khan, and after several failed attempts to sneak into the elevator, Perry appeared and insisted that he handle Baloo after Mrs. Snarley asked if she could call security.
Perry, who is a criminal businessman, trying to steal a helicopter from Buzz, who is a friend of Baloo's. Baloo is also friends with Buzz and when Perry asks Baloo to take him to see Buzz, Baloo agrees, thinking that Perry just wants to help a friend. However, Perry is actually using Baloo to lead him to Buzz's hiding place so that Perry can take the helicopter. Baloo suggests they take his plane, the Sea Duck, but Perry insists on taking his own plane and brings three bodyguards with him.
When they arrive at Buzz's secret lair, Perry betrays Baloo and his bodyguards tie Baloo, Kit, and Buzz up. However, the three of them are able to untie themselves and outwit the bodyguards by knocking them unconscious and taking their uniforms as a disguise. Baloo accidentally hits Buzz on the head, leaving him with amnesia. Without Perry realizing that the three are in disguise, Baloo, Kit, and Buzz sneak into the helicopter to escape. Baloo has no clue how to operate the helicopter, so he tries every possible button to see their effects. He has a rough amateur takeoff, causing panic among his companions. After a short while, Baloo gets the hang of it.
Perry orders his bodyguards to shoot them down, but they manage to escape. Perry then phones Khan's air force, informing them that he has found Baloo and his companions and accuses them of being thieves. Perry orders the air force to blow them out of the sky. Baloo recognizes Khan's men and thinks they are friendly, but Khan's pilots are hostile because of Perry's accusation against them. So, the unarmed helicopter is chased by firing airplanes.
Meanwhile, in Shere Khan's office, his rival businessman, Mr. Sultan, is present and attempts to mock him by saying he's sorry that Shere Khan lost his secret project. Mr. Sultan also brags that he has his own secret project.
Back in the chase, Perry is on a plane chasing Baloo relentlessly and shooting at him. However, Baloo is able to outsmart Perry by flying a loop, causing Perry's plane to crash into the water.
A while later, Baloo accidentally crashes the helicopter in Shere Khan's office, breaking the glass window. Baloo tells Shere Khan that the helicopter belongs to him, and Buzz straightens out the misunderstanding, explaining that he tried to stop Perry from stealing it and selling it to Miniversal. Perry arrives at Shere Khan's office all dripping wet and tries to tell Shere Khan that he's the one who returned the helicopter to its rightful place: Khan Industries. Not realizing that Mr. Sultan is present, Perry's act of being a double-agent is foiled.
Mr. Sultan is outraged and blurts out, "What kind of double-cross is this? I paid you a million dollars for it!" As a result of the events, Buzz gets his job and reputation back, and Shere Khan shows his gratitude to Baloo by handing him an envelope of money. However, when Baloo and Kit head to the door, Shere Khan orders Snarley to collect money as a charge for Baloo's damage to his office and the helicopter.
Cast[]
- Michael Bell as Mr. Perry
- Corey Burton as Mr. Sultan, Mr. Wilbury
- Jennifer Darling as Mrs. Snarly
- Ed Gilbert as Baloo
- Tony Jay as Shere Khan
- Kenneth Mars as Buzz
- R.J. Williams as Kit Cloudkicker
Home video releases[]
DVD
- TaleSpin: Volume 2
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