Spring is coming early this year...figuratively speaking. It all began one snowy morning in February, when Rusty woke Buttons out of a sound hibernation to go visit Jonesy. They go via their new escape route: down a hill and across an icy pond. Unfortunately, Buttons was too busy showing off to look where he was going and thusly fell through a patch of thin ice. Thankfully he didn't freeze to death, for along came someone that really made him feel warm: a female bear cub. Buttons was instantly smitten. Her name was Bearbette, and her family just moved to Chucklewood Park from Crystal Bayou. Fearing his friend may be sick by the way he was making googly-eyes at Bearbette, Rusty rushed Buttons to Jonesy, who diagnoses him with Spring Fever. Despite initially scaring Rusty by making it sound sinister, Jonesy explains that's simply the time that marks the beginning of spring and love is in the air, and such an occasion is celebrated as Valentine's Day. A day when you give a special token to that special someone. So, Rusty and Buttons leave, the latter wondering what he would give Bearbette, when suddenly they meet up with her again. She happens to mention the sweet honey from Crystal Bayou, and how much she misses it. So Buttons decides they should go there and get some. But how? Why fix up the Adventure Machine of course. But how would they find the place? They ask their pal Turner the turtle for assistance, but both he and Rusty are reluctant to carry out this plan. But Buttons is persistent, because even though they only met twice, albeit briefly each time, and because she's a female bear cub, she HAS to be the one.
So, bear, fox and turtle take off in a flying soapbox car. Yes, I really just said that. They fly and they fly until they finally find Crystal Bayou. On a small patch of land in the middle of the swamp was a beehive, where the deliciously sweet honey was produced. But how do they get across the swamp? Why convert the Adventure Machine into a boat and have Turner pull it, of course. Unfortunately, half way across they run afoul of a hungry alligator named Lester Eli Gator, protector of the swamp. The car goes out of control and is damaged in the process. Rusty suggests they just cut their losses and go home, but Buttons insists on getting some honey for his honey. First he tried catapulting, that didn't work. Then he tries snorkeling under water, and that didn't work either. Even stilts and a bush couldn't fool Lester. But the notion of becoming gator chow didn't sway Buttons a bit, as he, Rusty and Turner construct a fake female alligator out of wood...just go with it, and have Turner wear it as a disguise to try and woo Lester...again, just go with it. He falls for it, because he's either an idiot, blind, or really lonely. So with the guardian distracted, Rusty and Buttons prepare to procure that honey. Naturally, Murphy's Law sets in motion as Lester sees through Turner's disguise, especially when the turtle freaked out over turtle snakes... ('the hell is a turtle snake?) and successfully foils Buttons' attempt to get that beehive. Y'know, Buttons, maybe this girl isn't really worth all this trouble. Are you willing to risk bee stings and becoming gator chow for her? And plus, you're a kid. Girls still have cooties. But anyway, Rusty and Buttons take off, abandoning poor Turner I guess, and aptly get stuck in quicksand. As they sink to their doom, Buttons laments he'll never see Bearbette again. By sheer coincidence, Lester just happened to be a friend of Bearbette's, and started guarding the honey when she left. So Les is a good guy now, as helps the cubs out of the quicksand, gives them a pot of honey and even fixes their Adventure Machine. So the three fly off for home and arrive just as Bearbette's family was visiting their own. Buttons gives his sweetheart the honey...and she doesn't believe him when he says he actually got it from Crystal Bayou! She appreciates the gesture anyway, and silly Buttons is flattered. Rusty leaves the cave with Turner, grumbling about their fruitless efforts and hopes he never gets Spring Fever... cue attractive, cute girl fox and Rusty is bitten by the love bug.
Well, what can I say about this one? Eh, not that great. Again, I'm disappointed by how much they dumbed down this series. It's written and directed by the same people and made by the same company as the '80s specials, so why were the '90s ones so lackluster? I mean, I like the concept of a girl coming between Buttons and Rusty, which would give their friendship some friction. But they didn't go that route. Even when sinking in the quicksand and all Buttons could think about was Bearbette, Rusty didn't try to snap him out of it. And this might sound weird, but until the introduction of that female fox, I had thought Rusty was a girl. I'm serious. I know both he and Buttons are voiced by women, but Rusty's voice is higher and he seemed to be the more feminine of the two. Glad to get confirmation. So anyway, The Honey Bunch is nothing special. I recommend sticking to the 4 '80s specials, and maybe School Daze as that one was kind of good. But The Adventure Machine sucked, What's Up Mom was weird, Twas the Day Before Christmas was decent, and this one... dull, and frustrating. Happy Love Day!
So, bear, fox and turtle take off in a flying soapbox car. Yes, I really just said that. They fly and they fly until they finally find Crystal Bayou. On a small patch of land in the middle of the swamp was a beehive, where the deliciously sweet honey was produced. But how do they get across the swamp? Why convert the Adventure Machine into a boat and have Turner pull it, of course. Unfortunately, half way across they run afoul of a hungry alligator named Lester Eli Gator, protector of the swamp. The car goes out of control and is damaged in the process. Rusty suggests they just cut their losses and go home, but Buttons insists on getting some honey for his honey. First he tried catapulting, that didn't work. Then he tries snorkeling under water, and that didn't work either. Even stilts and a bush couldn't fool Lester. But the notion of becoming gator chow didn't sway Buttons a bit, as he, Rusty and Turner construct a fake female alligator out of wood...just go with it, and have Turner wear it as a disguise to try and woo Lester...again, just go with it. He falls for it, because he's either an idiot, blind, or really lonely. So with the guardian distracted, Rusty and Buttons prepare to procure that honey. Naturally, Murphy's Law sets in motion as Lester sees through Turner's disguise, especially when the turtle freaked out over turtle snakes... ('the hell is a turtle snake?) and successfully foils Buttons' attempt to get that beehive. Y'know, Buttons, maybe this girl isn't really worth all this trouble. Are you willing to risk bee stings and becoming gator chow for her? And plus, you're a kid. Girls still have cooties. But anyway, Rusty and Buttons take off, abandoning poor Turner I guess, and aptly get stuck in quicksand. As they sink to their doom, Buttons laments he'll never see Bearbette again. By sheer coincidence, Lester just happened to be a friend of Bearbette's, and started guarding the honey when she left. So Les is a good guy now, as helps the cubs out of the quicksand, gives them a pot of honey and even fixes their Adventure Machine. So the three fly off for home and arrive just as Bearbette's family was visiting their own. Buttons gives his sweetheart the honey...and she doesn't believe him when he says he actually got it from Crystal Bayou! She appreciates the gesture anyway, and silly Buttons is flattered. Rusty leaves the cave with Turner, grumbling about their fruitless efforts and hopes he never gets Spring Fever... cue attractive, cute girl fox and Rusty is bitten by the love bug.
Well, what can I say about this one? Eh, not that great. Again, I'm disappointed by how much they dumbed down this series. It's written and directed by the same people and made by the same company as the '80s specials, so why were the '90s ones so lackluster? I mean, I like the concept of a girl coming between Buttons and Rusty, which would give their friendship some friction. But they didn't go that route. Even when sinking in the quicksand and all Buttons could think about was Bearbette, Rusty didn't try to snap him out of it. And this might sound weird, but until the introduction of that female fox, I had thought Rusty was a girl. I'm serious. I know both he and Buttons are voiced by women, but Rusty's voice is higher and he seemed to be the more feminine of the two. Glad to get confirmation. So anyway, The Honey Bunch is nothing special. I recommend sticking to the 4 '80s specials, and maybe School Daze as that one was kind of good. But The Adventure Machine sucked, What's Up Mom was weird, Twas the Day Before Christmas was decent, and this one... dull, and frustrating. Happy Love Day!
