Pit of Peril

All Will Become Clear: It took me ages to notice the blurring effect in the opening credits. Nice idea, good subtle effect. Shame they didn't do around the edges of the characters' photos.

Animal Army: The stock footage of the scared animals is a bit cheesy, but I do like the gradual revelation of the Sidewinder. First you see it's feet, then it's claws ripping up trees... nice sense of scope.

Dr. Claw: Much as I love it's little hands, the claws look wrong. They should be curved inwards, at least slightly. As they are, they look like they'd just slip off. Also there's a lot of claw at the end which isn't ever getting used.

Darling!: "It looks just fine, Sweeney." It so sounds like he says sweetie...

It's a Fashion Statement: The crew of the Sidewinder and the helicopter wear little uniform jackets with hoods, but they've all got hats as well. Bloody army uniform designers...

Power Trip: "Nothing can stop the army now." Great. The US army will be unstoppable. Are we sure we want to rescue this thing?

Great Legs: I love the way the Sidewinder's legs telescope. Makes it seem really heavy.

Helijets: A great idea for a futuristic mode of transport, and also a model with no moving parts, which has to be easier to build and work with. (Witness how badly the copter was shaking when it landed) One question, if these things work by shooting jets down towards the ground, a) is it that good an idea to fly it over a big hole, and b) why don't these jets disturb the smoke?

Vision On: This will mean nothing to a great many people I suspect, but every time they say 'copter watchdog' I get visions of Anne Robinson... (Explanation - knackered old British consumer rights programme, hosted by one of the scariest women on the planet)
(Slightly more up to date explanation - OK, so she's become world-famous for being a freaky bitch, so thankfully now everyone can be as traumatised by her as I was)

Calling Radioactive Man: They're rescuing another thing with an atomic reactor. Maybe it's time for that clean energy source they keep saying they'll invent.

Mead: Obviously a distant relative of Meddings. Why are there so many suicidal idiots willing to give their lives to achieve very little? The future must be a miserable place.

"There goes a brave man, Ralph...": No, there goes a thick man with no sense of self-preservation, whose well-being you are supposed to be responsible for. Maybe the low population is because there was a very specific plague targeting anyone with the 'common-sense' gene.

Critical Timing Malfunction: Someone's really got to have a quiet word with John about his sense of timing. Is this why we hardly ever get to see any rescues during Alan's terms of duty in TB5? He always calls them as soon as it's obvious that someone's in need of rescuing, so there's no drama. If I didn't know any better, I'd think John was just trying to increase the tension.

"Why don't I shoot out there, father? See if they want any help?": Bored, are we, Scott?

Peasant Scum: Hang on, why shouldn't he go down into the pit and get horribly burnt because he's a "technical man"? Surely that would be the best kind? Send someone with a bit of technical knowledge... But wait, he's an officer, and there's still some expendable inferiors to send down.

Insert Foot A into Cable B: Discounting the way the cable and/or foot change size quite drastically, shouldn't they have tightened it around the foot after it had been slipped on? Otherwise it might just slip right off again...

Spoke Too Soon: "Thanks to the Lieutenant and Reynolds, we'll soon be out of here, boys." By now, natural selection should really have dealt with fools that make these kind of statements...

"We've got to get the Sidewinder off it's side...": Bit of a daft name, really. Should have called it Stampy.

"What is your attitude? Over.": "Pissed off, 'copter watchdog, how about you?"

That's a Phallusy: If I was going to make one of those cheesy movies which used shots of trains going into tunnels, etc, to indicate naughty goings-on, I'd use TB1 taking off.

He Did It Again: Scott, love, please wait until you've got there before you start making requests for equipment. You're putting your job in jeapody, here...

Pretty: Full launch sequence for TB2. And it's nice to see Brains arrive carrying a book. We might forget what his role in the organisation was otherwise.

Feelin' Hot Hot Hot: Someone should tell the Sidewinder crew that a good way to cool down is to take off those huge hooded coat things.

Remote Camera: Aw, it's so cute! Do they have a whole range, designed for different conditions? I bet everyone wanted to play with them when Brains first built them.

Okay, Maybe It's Just Me: Were those fire extinguishers they were using on the Sidewinder unnecessarily Freudian?

Patience: "It's about time we had some action from them..." Hey, fellas, let them finish the rescue first...

On a Similar Note: There's a nice shot of Scott and Virgil's arses when they're all in TB2's lab.

Brains' explanation: Boy, he must have had trouble passing basic science. Spontaneous combustion? A new crust of topsoil forming over a bloody big hole? Has he finally lost it?

Girls All Go Crazy 'Bout a Sharp Dressed Man: Still, at least his glasses match his lab coat.

Boom: Is Brains directing operations? Why is Virgil laying charges at the bottom of the pit when they're trying to remove the crust at the top?

I Live in a Hole: First appearance of the Mole. Which rocks. End of story. I especially like the wickle tiny rocket on the back.

Frank: Not only is he a bit of a wuss, but he sounds a lot like Brains...

A Question of Taste: Virgil's all rumpled again, bless. And he looks good in white... him and Alan should trade uniforms.

The Recovery Vehicles: Personally, I'd shoot the lines down, then attatch them to one of the TBs and damn well take off. Would be better than dragging it all the way up the side of the pit when the hull's already cracked. (Though, to be fair, they didn't know that)

Me Me Me: Scott hanging around afterwards, fishing for thanks. "No, no, you fellas head off back to base. I'm gonna get some heartfelt thanks out of them before they can recover from the smoke inhalation."

So Forceful: Hmmm. The general's on first name terms with Scott by the time they leave. And then there's "what I wouldn't give to have those guys in my force..." I wonder...