Woo-oo! is the pilot episode of DuckTales 2017. It aired as an hour-long special and was later split into two half-hour episodes, with the second half being titled "Escape To/From Atlantis!" on August 12, 2017, on Disney XD (broadcasted repeatedly for a full 24 hour marathon) in the USA.
Synopsis[]
While running late on a job interview, Donald Duck reluctantly takes his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck to the home of their reclusive great-uncle Scrooge McDuck. Enthralled by their once legendary great-uncle and the wonder of McDuck Manor, the triplets and their newfound fierce friend Webby learn of long-kept family secrets and unleash totems from Scrooge’s epic past, and also enroll an adventure of a lifetime to the Lost City of Atlantis to find the Lost Jewel.
Summary[]
Part 1 (Woo-oo!)[]
With Donald getting ready for a job interview, he is dismayed to find that the babysitter he hires is unable to reach him. While Huey and Louie try to usher him out, Donald becomes suspicious and realizes Dewey was missing once he heard the engine to the boat start. With the nephews having shown their uncle their incapability of handling themselves without an accident occurring, Donald decides to resort to drastic measures.
He drives the nephews to Scrooge McDuck's residence at McDuck Manor, and reunites with his uncle Scrooge after having not seen one another face-to-face for 10 years. Soon after some minor back and forth bickering, Donald ends up manipulating Scrooge into agreeing to take care of the triplets for him. When inside, the nephews get excited and asks him a lot of questions (some of which were especially disturbing to Scrooge), which prompts him to throw them into an empty room with only a pouch of marbles to play with (which Mrs. Beakley confirms have been counted). Scrooge, upset that the nephews stated that he "used" to be a big deal, stares at one of his old diving costumes feeling nostalgic and sad.
Dewey smashes the doorknob open with the marbles, but the nephews are immediately captured and strung up. Their captor turns out to be Webby Vanderquack, the granddaughter of Mrs. Beakley, who has been studying the family tree of Clan McDuck for years, having admired them for most of her life. She eagerly befriends the nephews, wanting to know as much as she can about them, and they leave through a vent to explore.
Meanwhile, Scrooge is putting on his diver suit, and shows Mrs. Beakley a news report on Atlantis, explaining how it may be just the right time to find it. He denies Mrs. Beakley's comment that his desire to seek out the city is due to the nephews making fun of him, and goes on to say that family is nothing but trouble when she suggests spending time with them. But Dewey overhears him as he passes along through the vent above them, angering him.
Webby and the nephews finally arrive at a room, and they start exploring. They locate an image of Scrooge and Donald fighting Captain Peghook together and are surprised when Webby tells them that their uncle Donald is an amazing and daring adventurer himself, but Dewey, still upset, claims everything in the room to be a fake. Meanwhile, Donald is seen at his job interview throwing a tantrum over a stapler unable to clip his papers together. In Webby's attempt to prove that they weren't fakes, she opens a treasure chest which releases the ghost of Captain Peghook. Dewey, now believing of the stories, grabs Deus Excalibur, which tries to slay Captain Peghook. In the scuffle, a gong is slammed, and Webby warns the nephews not to let it happen 2 more times, or it will unleash a great source of evil. Louie then trips over the Headless Man Horse, and awakens him. The Horse accidentally strikes the gong a second time.
Scrooge arrives and sees the mess the kids have caused, and takes immediate action. With Captain Peghook wanting Scrooge's head before he will rest, Scrooge tricks him into slicing the head off a statue of himself, and hands it to the Captain. As he disappears, it lands on the Headless Man Horse, who is happy to no longer be a freak, and gallops away. Scrooge then reveals that they're actually in a garage. Angry at them all, Dewey quotes him from earlier, which infuriates Scrooge, causing him to bang the gong, unaware that it has already been struck twice.
This unleashes Pixiu, the gold hunting dragon, who seeks out Scrooge's Money Bin. Scrooge grabs on to the dragon's tail and ascends to the air, telling them to get back to their rooms. But the youngsters wish to help, and Launchpad appears to help them.
Scrooge fights in the air with the dragon, but is knocked away. He lands on Launchpad's plane, and the nephews help him get inside. Webby then lists items that could help, and Louie just happens to have one (which he states he was going to give back) - the Medusa Gauntlet. Launchpad flies in closer to the dragon, who has opened up a hole at the top of the Money Bin, and Scrooge is swung closer to him using a hose pipe. Scrooge grabs the dragon by the tail, and the gauntlet takes effect, turning him to stone again. Scrooge falls down into the bin and starts swimming around in his gold. Busy enjoying the scene, Launchpad crashes the plane.
When he gets out, he starts to inform them of all the danger that they started. But to their surprise, he laughs, finding the whole thing exciting. He then phones Mrs. Beakley and tells her that he's taking the children on a "field trip". Meanwhile, Donald has been given the job of 'sailor'. It is revealed that his new employer is Flintheart Glomgold, who asks Donald what he knows about Atlantis.
Part 2 (Escape To/From Atlantis!)[]
Flintheart Glomgold sets out for Atlantis with new employees Gabby McStabberson, Hack and Slash Smashnikov, and Donald while Scrooge, the kids, and Launchpad are heading for the same location in their submarine. Dewey, eager for adventure, is bored by the fact that they are taking a slower but safer route to the sunken city. Louie, meanwhile, convinces Webby that she needs to lie to her grandmother Mrs. Beakley about her whereabouts, as Webby failed to tell Beakley about the expedition but doesn't think her grandmother would approve. Dewey then alters the map of their route to take a more direct course to Atlantis, only for the group to end up facing numerous perils. An annoyed Scrooge fixes the map, confirming Dewey's fears that his great-uncle doesn't take him seriously.
At the insistence of Huey, the group boards Glomgold's tanker so he can use the restroom-as the one aboard the sub is now inhabited by an angry sea creature-and are seen on camera by Glomgold and his crew, including Donald. The villains follow Scrooge's party to Atlantis, which has landed on the sea floor upside down. An inscription reveals that the Atlanteans overtaxed the city's support structure with too much treasure and too many deathtraps, which Dewey quickly dashes off to find. Donald prevents Gabby from taking out the group from a distance, claiming that it will be more fulfilling to torture the rival team later. Dewey, meanwhile, is disappointed to find that Atlantis' new orientation has made it so that many of the booby traps are no longer dangerous, although a group of poisonous snakes is inadvertently unleashed on Launchpad.
Entering another chamber, Dewey encounters a rope bridge with several light beams shining across it that activate jets of fire, and despite Scrooge's urgings to find another path plunges on ahead to prove himself. Donald, having separated himself from Glomgold's party on a pretense, spots his nephew and uses a shield to block the fire and prevent Dewey from coming to harm. Dewey makes it across easily, only to have Scrooge do so even more impressively without even touching the light beams. Scrooge insists that Dewey is too young and needs to learn from a more experienced adventurer, while Dewey argues that Scrooge isn't giving him the chance to do so. With the bridge destroyed by fire, the pair push on ahead while the rest of their party takes an alternate route.
Dewey and Scrooge arrive in the main treasure chamber to find Flintheart's party-including Donald, whom they have recovered-already there and claiming a large red jewel. The pair confront Glomgold, only for Donald to accost Scrooge for bringing the boys to Atlantis; unfortunately, upon learning Donald's relation to Scrooge Glomgold has his henchmen take Donald hostage. The villains then leave the three generations of ducks in the treasure chamber, activating a booby trap as they depart that begins to flood the room. Webby, receiving a call from her grandmother, adds to her claims that she's staying at a friend's house that her friend's Swedish uncle is visiting only for a venom-addled Launchpad to take the phone and break into Swedish right before Glomgold and his henchmen stumble across them.
Back in the treasure chamber, Donald tries to block the incoming water and accosts Scrooge again, claiming that this incident is "the Spear of Selene all over again", which Scrooge denies being responsible for. Dewey then defends Scrooge to Donald, but then spots a large glowing jewel on the ceiling-or rather, what would have been the floor when Atlantis was right side up. Realizing that this is the actual Jewel of Atlantis, Dewey convinces Donald to let the water in so that they can float up to it, and the overprotective uncle heeds his nephew's advice. With the jewel removed they are able to escape the chamber and find Webby, Launchpad, and the others nephews handily dealing with Glomgold's minions; however, Glomgold has escaped with the false jewel and fires missiles from his sub, perfectly willing to destroy Atlantis and his own minions if it means beating Scrooge. Fortunately, Scrooge's party-with Gabby and the Smashnikovs in tow-are able to get back to their sub and make their escape.
Scrooge arrives at Duckburg harbor just in time to show up Glomgold, whose jewel is revealed to be cursed as a tentacled sea creature carries him way. The group is then met by Mrs. Beakley, who hasn't been fooled by Webby's deceits but feels that her granddaughter is safe enough in Scrooge's company, though she insists on her being honest from now on. Donald admits to being overprotective and decides that the nephews can see Scrooge in the future, only for the houseboat to explode due to Dewey leaving the engine running. At Scrooge's invitation, the four move into McDuck Manor with the houseboat being crane-lifted into Scrooge's swimming pool by Launchpad As his brothers and Webby are playing with Scrooge, Dewey reexamines the painting of Scrooge and Donald adventuring together, and upon lifting a drooping corner discovers a third participant: his mother Della Duck.
Cast[]
- David Tennant as Scrooge McDuck
- Danny Pudi as Huey Duck
- Ben Schwartz as Dewey Duck
- Bobby Moynihan as Louie Duck
- Kate Micucci as Webbigail Vanderquack
- Beck Bennett as Launchpad McQuack
- Toks Olagundoye as Mrs. Beakley
- Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck
- Keith Ferguson as Flintheart Glomgold, Peghook, Fisherman
- Kari Wahlgren as Roxanne Featherly
- Jason Marsden as GPS, Babysitter, Hack
- Jennifer Hale as Gabby McStabberson
- Marc Evan Jackson as Bentley Buzzard
- Sam Riegel as Slash
Production notes[]
Allusions[]
- The episode is titled "Woo-oo!", a lyric from the "DuckTales" theme song and the franchise's main onomatopoeia.
- In Webby's room, there is a toy of the titular character from Mr. Peabody and supporting character from The Bullwinkle Show.
- Among the monsters in Scrooge's secret museum/garage is the "Headless Man-Horse" is reference to the Legends of Sleepy Hollow segment in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
- As Launchpad takes Scrooge for a drive, they pass a yellow Fiat 500 with an anthropomorphic dog version of Daisuke Jigen from Lupin III standing through the sunroof. The Fiat is an allusion to Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro.
- The lost city of Atlantis has booby traps that are references to both Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
- Gabby McStabberson wears a similar kind of hood to what May Day wore in the James Bond film A View to a Kill.
- The Rock Giant that Dewey claims to have been defeated by Scrooge has a similar appearance to the stone jaguar from that film.
- The lost city of Atlantis in this episode is powered by a large gem, paying homage to the Connect series of Crystals powering the city in Disney film.
Trivia[]
- If one counts the original series, this makes the fourth DuckTales story to premiere as a TV movie, after "The Treasure of the Golden Suns", "Time is Money", and "Super DuckTales".
- The episodes mentions three cities that originated in Disney Afternoon shows in the 1990s - St. Canard from Darkwing Duck, Spoonerville from Goof Troop and TaleSpin's Cape Suzette.
- Launchpad, Scrooge's Limousine driver, is actually driving without a license in this episode, though it is never established whether he's driving with a learner's permit or with no license at all. He won't officially receive his driver's license until "Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!"
- Webby's bulletin board contains several easter eggs:
- A piece of paper with "Friend or F.O.W.L." written on it.
- A crudely drawn picture of Webby wearing pink clothes like her original counterpart.
- One of the equations on the top right of Webby's board has a somewhat referencing the year the original DuckTales cartoon first premiered, which is 1987.
- Webby's Quacky Patch doll from the original show with an arrow through its chest.
- A picture of a glowing orb floating in mid-air with the caption, "Who's cleaning my room?"
- Pictures of Hortense McDuck, Gladstone Gander, Quackmore Duck, Downy McDuck and Fergus McDuck.
- In addition, the names of other McDuck relatives can be seen, including Matilda McDuck and Dingus McDuck (under the name "Dirty Dingus").
- A newspaper clipping reporting on Terra-firmians.
- Dismal Downs, the home of the McDuck clan, is also written down.
- The theme song plays half an hour in.
- However, during a time period having aired separately on Disney XD/Channel, the theme plays in the short version, and the "Woo-oo!" title card can be seen.
- After crossing the booby-trapped bridge in Atlantis, Scrooge tells Dewey to "work smarter, not harder, lad!". This is the same iconic advice that Scrooge's father, gave Scrooge in the original series' episode "Once Upon a Dime".
- The Deus Excalibur was likely named after the Latin phrase "deus ex machina", which has come to mean a plot device that suddenly or even abruptly solves a problem. It is also named for Excalibur, the famous magical sword wielded by King Arthur in various legends.
- Among Scrooge's treasures is possible to see references to the original show. These include:
- Armstrong from the episode of the same name.
- Gene's Lamp from DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp.
- A giant coin from The Treasure of the Golden Suns.
- Both the blue and black versions of Donald's sailor outfit appear - the blue version was shown to be his casual wear prior to "Woo-oo", while the black version came from his temporary employment with Glomgold.
- The painting of Scrooge, Donald, and Della fighting Peghook and his pirates depicts Donald wearing a suit with identical colors as the one Glomgold gave him, meaning he's owned at least two such outfits in his life.
- The second half of the episode airs individually under the title "Escape To/From Atlantis!" in current showings.
- When Launchpad speaks to Mrs. Beakley over the phone to cover for Webby's increasingly implausible lies, he says, in extremely mangled Swedish:
| “ | Åh, hej, Beakley! Subina har berättat så mycket om dig, över fiskbullar. | ” |
| “ | Oh, hi, Beakley! Subina has told me so much about you, over fish balls. | ” |
- Fenton and Gyro were supposed to originally be introduced in the second half of the pilot explaining about the submarine, but the scene for the second half was scrapped.[1]
- Error: the map was re-edited by dewey when it was reverted back into it’s original route.
