Chuck E. Cheese brought about the slogan "Where a kid can be a kid" before and after the 90's and let kids have an outburst of excitement in entering at the expense of their parents' money. I however missed out on that opportunity for two sole reasons: I was using my allowance savings on toys and video rentals, and my parents refused to pay for the Chuck E. Cheese admissions themselves. But looking back who can blame them? A single birthday admission would cost almost $150 burning a serious hole in their pocket. It wasn't until late 2003 during a younger cousin's birthday party that I'd get to experience it all, albeit my teenage years starting. While the unappetizing, flat greasy pizzas didn't catch my eye, this advertisement for some bizarre home video did. Originally it released back in 1999 and looking at the trailer it looked like it would have been perfect material for a MST3K episode with its production value. So as the internet slowly opened up to showing some obscure media that I'd begin to know about, I took a gander at this home video movie in all of its cheesiness, known as.....
After a rather lengthy introduction sequence showing the interior of a regular Chuck E. Cheese establishment we're greeted with the ol' Italian stereotype Pasqually as he fills in the Chuck gang about a predicament from a kid named Charlie Rockit who's in trouble about a broken tractor engine, and for some reason needing a whopping $50,000 towards a replacement tractor. Now if you folks out there would know better that's way inaccurate, and with that the money requirement is just used as a plot point to what follows. Apparently Pasqually used to be the pilot of an intergalactic race known as the Galaxy 5000, and to the kids' luck a modern one is starting, and the gang decides to take part to win the race for its prize money as Chuck E. busts out an abrupt singing number.
Fun fact: The pianist seen here performing is actually none other than Christopher Sabat, who if you know your anime voice acting well, voiced Vegeta, but also voices Mr. Munch, Chuck E.'s purple friend in this movie.
So, even though Charlie doesn't question his parents' consent on going on this trip he decides to go with everyone and Pasqually to the "Awesome Adventure Machine" to transport them to the planet where the Galaxy 5000 race is held as Pasqually bids farewell to the others.
The Galaxy 5000 really fits the bill for Playstation video cutscenes.
Thinking their trial will be a walk in the park, the gang meets up with a couple of buff guys known as the X-Racers who are the opposing team in the race and a girl named Astrid who attempts to sweep Chuck. E off his feet before the gang look for a car to race with, which turns out to be none other than a jalopy ship known as the Songbird.
Another song number starts with Helen Henny after storming off confessing her love to Chuck E. (huh, didn't know those two had a love connection before) and following that scene is the day that the first race starts. It's here that we get our first glimpse of the villain while Chuck E. gives the Songbird a new paintjob (and a new design, apparently) before the first race.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!
Pummeling Chuck E.'s car around throughout the race the X-Racers easily win and Chuck E. (totally not drowning his sorrows with beer) goes to an area known as the Soda Shop to talk about it to Astrid and to Chuck's surprise gets a few insult jabs from the X-Racers themselves as well as Helen who just happened to take their side. Disappearing off with the X-Racers Helen meets up with the big bad, Dr. Zoom, going on about his cheating plan for the X-Racers by having them snort up a substance known as "zoom gas" for them to cheat to win. Wait, a drug reference in a kids film?
Going back to Chuck E. he decides to give the Songbird a test drive only to hurl himself over a mountain and crashing into a cave where he meets a hermit, Harry who's basically this movie's version of Yoda, testing Chuck's reflexes and skill to win the upcoming races, meanwhile the others get concerned about Chuck E. while he's been out and Helen gets herself out of a prison cell by using one of her feathers knocking out Dr. Zoom in the process. Going by what he learned from the hermit and dodging whatever obstacles come in his path, Chuck E. overcomes the last race winning the price money and going home with the others.
The celebration begins and..... the credits begin to roll from there.
So from a very belated standpoint, what did I think of the movie? Well since it was aimed towards the kids who are only old enough to have their birthdays at the joint the movie's advertising, the jokes, puns and overall personality of the characters are appropriately dumbed down and I probably would have enjoyed it if I'd seen it at like the age of 4, while looking at it now is good material for taking a jab at for its production and use of special effects.
Well that wraps up this little look at a lost home video item of yesteryear. Although I didn't find out about it until a few years later, I'd say it's still appropriate to the kids of today. What are your thoughts on it? let me know in the comments and until next time, see you next article!
