Plastics play a minor but funny role in 1967's The Graduate. They play a more prominent role in this underrated next-to-last episode of GI. This entry does its best to remind viewers of the classic screwball comedies of the 1930's with its broad sight gags and verbal routines. Bang, Bang, Bang! may not be as clever or original as V is For Vitamins or The Producer, but it's fun, quick-paced, and rates above average. It gives us plenty of bang for our buck.
The cold open feels straight out of a Bond film...a second rate Bond film. A Q-like scientist explains to a secret agent about thenaformaldehyde, a form of plastic that can be molded into just about anything. Once the plastic hardens, it explodes on impact. During this dry exposition, they learn a crate of the stuff has been lost at sea. (Of course it has. Can't trust the government to hold onto anything in this series).
Not surprisingly, the crate washes up onto the beach of our favorite isle, where we have the trope of Gilligan discovering it, this time with his random monkey pal in tow. Once again, he completely misses the warning label on the side marked Top Secret. The Skipper dismisses the find as junk, but the Professor believes the putty can be used for all sorts of useful items. The putty is molded into plates for Mary Ann; costume jewelry for Ginger; nails for the Skip; and golf balls for the Howells. Most importantly, after a banana mishap with the monkey, the plastic is used as fillings for Gilligan's teeth.
This first act is a bit slow and feels random at times. There are a couple of mild attempts at humor with near misses with the now hardened plastic. The Howells have a golf routine that shows why they're not Burns and Allen. The Professor and Ginger team up to perform dentistry on Gilligan in a similarly mediocre bit.
Our lead is next the guest of honor in another trope-the party of the week-where everyone raves about their plastic doodads. His monkey shows up to demonstrate their explosiveness. The castaways respond in a cute moment where they take turns exclaiming how their doodads are now lethal. Gilligan, of course, draws the toughest assignment. If he even as much puts his teeth together, his fillings will explode.
The second act is more fun and tension-filled than the first. Gilligan's monkey keeps the suspense going by sneaking off with the plastic items and stockpiling them on the roof of the supply hut. Scenes of his scavenging are intercut with scenes of Gilligan stressing over his teeth. The Professor increases the tension by failing to pull them. His failure leads to an excellent scene where our lead mistakenly thinks his bubble has burst. The monkey then reappears to fling the plastics at the hapless castaways, who run like headless chickens and deliver one-liners. Gilligan nobly marches into certain doom to retrieve his pet, and we have a funny and dynamic conclusion.
COCONOTES:
The secret agent in the cold open vaguely resembles George Lazenby.
Gilligan's monkey and ape pals show up whenever the plot calls for it. This little tyke was last seen as Boris in Ring Around Gilligan.
Major plot hole: The Professor first states he doesn't want to risk drilling or pulling Gilligan's teeth, then reverses himself, puts him to sleep, and tries to pull them anyway.
Ginger's towel and Mary Ann's sleepwear make welcome reappearances.
Chuckle-worthy gag when Gilligan's clothes are instantly shredded.
The cold open feels straight out of a Bond film...a second rate Bond film. A Q-like scientist explains to a secret agent about thenaformaldehyde, a form of plastic that can be molded into just about anything. Once the plastic hardens, it explodes on impact. During this dry exposition, they learn a crate of the stuff has been lost at sea. (Of course it has. Can't trust the government to hold onto anything in this series).
Not surprisingly, the crate washes up onto the beach of our favorite isle, where we have the trope of Gilligan discovering it, this time with his random monkey pal in tow. Once again, he completely misses the warning label on the side marked Top Secret. The Skipper dismisses the find as junk, but the Professor believes the putty can be used for all sorts of useful items. The putty is molded into plates for Mary Ann; costume jewelry for Ginger; nails for the Skip; and golf balls for the Howells. Most importantly, after a banana mishap with the monkey, the plastic is used as fillings for Gilligan's teeth.
This first act is a bit slow and feels random at times. There are a couple of mild attempts at humor with near misses with the now hardened plastic. The Howells have a golf routine that shows why they're not Burns and Allen. The Professor and Ginger team up to perform dentistry on Gilligan in a similarly mediocre bit.
Our lead is next the guest of honor in another trope-the party of the week-where everyone raves about their plastic doodads. His monkey shows up to demonstrate their explosiveness. The castaways respond in a cute moment where they take turns exclaiming how their doodads are now lethal. Gilligan, of course, draws the toughest assignment. If he even as much puts his teeth together, his fillings will explode.
The second act is more fun and tension-filled than the first. Gilligan's monkey keeps the suspense going by sneaking off with the plastic items and stockpiling them on the roof of the supply hut. Scenes of his scavenging are intercut with scenes of Gilligan stressing over his teeth. The Professor increases the tension by failing to pull them. His failure leads to an excellent scene where our lead mistakenly thinks his bubble has burst. The monkey then reappears to fling the plastics at the hapless castaways, who run like headless chickens and deliver one-liners. Gilligan nobly marches into certain doom to retrieve his pet, and we have a funny and dynamic conclusion.
COCONOTES:
The secret agent in the cold open vaguely resembles George Lazenby.
Gilligan's monkey and ape pals show up whenever the plot calls for it. This little tyke was last seen as Boris in Ring Around Gilligan.
Major plot hole: The Professor first states he doesn't want to risk drilling or pulling Gilligan's teeth, then reverses himself, puts him to sleep, and tries to pull them anyway.
Ginger's towel and Mary Ann's sleepwear make welcome reappearances.
Chuckle-worthy gag when Gilligan's clothes are instantly shredded.
