So, what are those adorable cubs Buttons and Rusty up to this time? If you're like me, you'll find them irresistible, and if you've followed them through their holiday specials in the '80s, you can't wait to see what they're going to do next. Well, this one starts off in the spring, and the kids amuse themselves by going down a logging chute, which to them was like a water slide. Meanwhile, Ranger Jones was having a problem keeping those pesky crows out of his garden, so he installed a robotic scarecrow that vocally ordered them to shoo, but of course the birds ignored his goofy contraption and kept chomping away at his vegetables. So, Jonesy set it to 'freak out' mode which did little to help matters, because even though it did make the crows scatter, it chased a frightened Buttons and Rusty away, before jumping in the pond after them and shorting out. The crows found this very amusing. Hope Jonesy can get a refund. Nope, turns out he invented that automated scarecrow himself. As Rusty and Buttons watch him fix it, they discover a soapbox derby car in his garage. Fascinated, they ask if they can help him finish building it. He says okay, but to be careful with it. So naturally, he's never going to see it again. The kids push it to the top of a hill and take it for a "test drive", only to crash into the home of their bunny pals Skipper and Bluebell, demolishing the car. They all agree to work together to fix it, so Buttons and Rusty "borrow" Abner's tools and, together with Skipper and Bluebell, repair the racer good as new, and even add wings so they can fly.
To gain enough speed to achieve flight, the four take their contraption to the top of Storm Mountain, Chucklewood's answer to Mt. Everest. Then the kids jump in and go zooming down the mountain, right onto the ski jump and sail through the air. It's at this point they find they can't stop... say, didn't the car have wings on it earlier? Where did they go? Anyway, they sail through a tornado, fly through a vortex, and wind up in a far off forest where they finally come to a stop, destroying a beaver dam in the process. Oh, when those beavers saw the dam damage, they turned a dark angry purple, because this incident instantaneously screwed up the beavers and the opossums' very way of life as they depended on that water. Wait a minute, a dam blocks water, doesn't it? So why would destroying a dam stop water from getting anywhere? This sure is one backwards-ass land Buttons and Rusty have landed in. So they're taken before the leader of "Enchanted Valley", Mr. Ricky, who demands they be thrown into the pit. However one of the beavers, who was earlier screaming and turning purple at the kids for what they did, now tries to stand up for them, as do the others for some reason. As a result, grumpy Ricky demands they rebuild the dam. How do you rebuild a dam? I dunno. Well, damn. So Buttons and Rusty gather as much wood as they can, but discover building a dam is hard work. So, ever the thinker, Rusty tries to think of a shortcut: they cut down a large tree, which causes a gigantic tidal wave. As a result, Ricky has the kids imprisoned in a cave, which turns out to be the home of some weird old guy named Barnabus who's been following the kids this whole time. He's an inventor and is willing to help Buttons and Rusty fix their flying machine. But they need a lot to help, so they appeal to Mr. Ricky and the beavers. They agree to help, only because it means getting that pesky bear and fox out of their fur. So they fix the flying machine, Buttons and Rusty become airborne as they're launched down a mountain, which conveniently causes a rock-slide that fixes the dam. They fly through the vortex and make it back to Chucklewood Forest. Despite being gone all day, Jonesy, Skipper and Bluebell inform them that they had only been gone a few minutes. Huh? Oh, that explains it. They were in the Twilight Zone. Rusty gets mad and turns purple, then everybody has a good laugh and the cubs head off to do...something else.
Um... what the hell did I just watch? Seriously, nothing about this cartoon made any sense. The Buttons and Rusty cartoons that came before this had a charm to them. This thing was all over the place! How did they get to Enchanted Valley? Was it like going to Oz? Maybe, but they didn't explain it. Why did destroying the dam cause the beavers such hardship? I can accept the beavers not staying mad at them, because they're Buttons and Rusty and they're so adorable in their naiveté, but everything else? No. What a letdown. The pacing was even faster than in Christmas Tree Train. The Adventure Machine never stops to catch its breath, it's just constant running and yelling. While CTT was charming and cute and entertaining, The Adventure Machine falls flat. If you saw the other cartoons, I recommend them, but not this. This was a mess. A complete and utter, nonsensical mess.
To gain enough speed to achieve flight, the four take their contraption to the top of Storm Mountain, Chucklewood's answer to Mt. Everest. Then the kids jump in and go zooming down the mountain, right onto the ski jump and sail through the air. It's at this point they find they can't stop... say, didn't the car have wings on it earlier? Where did they go? Anyway, they sail through a tornado, fly through a vortex, and wind up in a far off forest where they finally come to a stop, destroying a beaver dam in the process. Oh, when those beavers saw the dam damage, they turned a dark angry purple, because this incident instantaneously screwed up the beavers and the opossums' very way of life as they depended on that water. Wait a minute, a dam blocks water, doesn't it? So why would destroying a dam stop water from getting anywhere? This sure is one backwards-ass land Buttons and Rusty have landed in. So they're taken before the leader of "Enchanted Valley", Mr. Ricky, who demands they be thrown into the pit. However one of the beavers, who was earlier screaming and turning purple at the kids for what they did, now tries to stand up for them, as do the others for some reason. As a result, grumpy Ricky demands they rebuild the dam. How do you rebuild a dam? I dunno. Well, damn. So Buttons and Rusty gather as much wood as they can, but discover building a dam is hard work. So, ever the thinker, Rusty tries to think of a shortcut: they cut down a large tree, which causes a gigantic tidal wave. As a result, Ricky has the kids imprisoned in a cave, which turns out to be the home of some weird old guy named Barnabus who's been following the kids this whole time. He's an inventor and is willing to help Buttons and Rusty fix their flying machine. But they need a lot to help, so they appeal to Mr. Ricky and the beavers. They agree to help, only because it means getting that pesky bear and fox out of their fur. So they fix the flying machine, Buttons and Rusty become airborne as they're launched down a mountain, which conveniently causes a rock-slide that fixes the dam. They fly through the vortex and make it back to Chucklewood Forest. Despite being gone all day, Jonesy, Skipper and Bluebell inform them that they had only been gone a few minutes. Huh? Oh, that explains it. They were in the Twilight Zone. Rusty gets mad and turns purple, then everybody has a good laugh and the cubs head off to do...something else.
Um... what the hell did I just watch? Seriously, nothing about this cartoon made any sense. The Buttons and Rusty cartoons that came before this had a charm to them. This thing was all over the place! How did they get to Enchanted Valley? Was it like going to Oz? Maybe, but they didn't explain it. Why did destroying the dam cause the beavers such hardship? I can accept the beavers not staying mad at them, because they're Buttons and Rusty and they're so adorable in their naiveté, but everything else? No. What a letdown. The pacing was even faster than in Christmas Tree Train. The Adventure Machine never stops to catch its breath, it's just constant running and yelling. While CTT was charming and cute and entertaining, The Adventure Machine falls flat. If you saw the other cartoons, I recommend them, but not this. This was a mess. A complete and utter, nonsensical mess.
