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Come on everybody, think it's time we get together and get
Our toes a-tappin'
Then before you know it, you'll be goin' with the flow and barely notice
Your fingers are snappin'
So come along with me, your buddy Chuck E. Cheese,
I'd like to be your captain,
If you climb in the Adventure Machine!
Chuck E.

Chuck E. Cheese in the Galaxy 5000 is a 1999 direct-to-video film produced by Funimation.

It follows Chuck E. Cheese and his friends traveling to a far-off planet to participate in the Galaxy 5000, an intergalactic race to win $50,000 for their friend Charlie Rockit's aunt and uncle to buy a new tractor. They face many challenges, with Chuck E. having to deal with the wicked Dr. Zoom who is captain to the race's champions, the mean and arrogant X-Pilots, who have cheated every time by achieving Vega-2 speeds, while also getting stuck in a love triangle between his closest friend Helen Henny and the beautiful but scheming Astrid. This leads Chuck E. on a journey of self-discovery as he learns to believe in his true inner strength and teamwork, while Helen tries to uncover the secret behind the X-Team's cheating.

Basically, this is what happens when you send the mascot(s) of a children's pizza joint to an F-Zero race.

The entire film is available on YouTube.


Chuck E. Cheese in the Galaxy 5000 provides examples of:

    A-M 
  • Adaptation Dye-Job:
    • Helen and Munch's outfits were altered to avoid interfering with the green screen. Helen's bows, dress, and shoes were all changed to purple rather than green (a change that would be carried over to puppets and walkarounds a few years later), and Munch's cap, shorts, and shoes were made yellow and red, respectively.
    • Helen's hair is a yellowish-orange, rather than yellow or black-and-white.
    • Munch has blue eyes rather than green, again to accommodate the green screen.
    • Charlie is a brunette, compared to his original light blonde or red-headed look from his puppet form.
  • Adaptation Personality Change: Charlie Rockit looks and behaves nothing like he does in the showtapes.
  • An Aesop:
    • If you trust in yourself and your inner strength, you can do almost anything.
    • Things get better with practice.
  • Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Chuck E. briefly musses Charlie's hair during "The Galaxy's for You and Me".
  • The Ahnold: The X-Pilots have thick Austrian accents and very muscular physiques, parodying Arnold Schwarzenegger (though with very different mannerisms).
  • Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: The moles in Harry's cave that pop out of their hill during Chuck E.'s training are varying shades of red, yellow, and orange.
  • And That's Terrible: The X-Pilots are called "jerks", "buffed-out buffoons", and "bullies" within their first three minutes of screentime; granted, those descriptions are entirely accurate.
  • Applied Phlebotinum: Zoom Gas, the fuel used by the X-Pilots to cheat at races and "break" speed records.
  • Are We There Yet?: Munch asks this just after the Songbird takes flight during the qualifiers, which leads to Jasper giving the following statement.
    Jasper: We're not goin' anywhere, Munch! This race goes around in a big circle!
  • Ascended Extra: Charlie Rockit was just a minor character who appeared in-between the restaurant's main show segments in puppet form. This film changes him into a live action child and makes him a major supporting character who joins Chuck E.'s team for the race.
  • Award-Bait Song: "The Real Me", which Helen sings on the balcony of the soda shop at night after Chuck E. meets Astrid for the first time.
  • Beauty Is Bad: Astrid's looks hide her true colors as a deeply unpleasant woman.
  • Berserk Button:
    • Don't ever bring up the mention of chickens being cooked and sold in a restaurant within Helen's earshot; once Jasper made that mistake (by saying he saw a "Help Wanted" sign at the Chicken Palace), it sets her off.
      Helen: Oh, where do humans get off anyway, eating poor little defenseless birds?! Are they crazy?!! Where would they be without their eggs for breakfast every morning? And how do they repay us?! By giving us the deep fry?!! OHHHHH!!!!!
      Jasper: Uh, Miss Helen? As a member of a non-human species, I can relate.
      Helen: Yeah, right, Mr. Man's Best Friend! OHHHH!!! (clucks furiously)
    • The X-Pilots really hate it when you bring up accusations of them cheating. Just ask the poor reporter they beat up when he asked them to comment on why they were disqualified at last year's event for cheating.
  • Betty and Veronica: Helen becomes the Betty to Astrid's Veronica, toward Chuck E.'s Archie.
  • Beware the Nice Ones:
    • When the X-Pilots insult Helen and Jasper during their first encounter, Chuck E. is not amused and bravely stands up to them, nearly picking a fight before Dr. Zoom interrupts.
    • Jasper accidentally pushes Helen's Berserk Button when suggesting they get jobs at a chicken restaurant, which causes the normally nice and friendly hen to scream a furious tirade over harming her kind against him.
  • Big Bad: Dr. Zoom, whom the X-Pilots work for and is the creator of Zoom Gas.
  • Big Finale Crowd Song: "We Did It", the end finale song led by Chuck E. during the post-race celebration as the entire cast celebrates his racing victory and their true teamwork.
  • The Big Race: The film revolves around the titular Galaxy 5000, a sky race on Planet Orion where people fly in space jets to win pride for their home planet. The first part is a qualifying practice round, while the real race is the day after. Becomes the main central part of the movie as Chuck E. needs to win in order to help Charlie.
  • Big "SHUT UP!": After the X-Pilots accidentally expose their Zoom Gas secret to Helen and they argue, Dr. Zoom appears and yells, "ENOUGH, YOU FOOLS!" to stop them, segueing into the Villain Song.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Astrid, the girl Chuck E. falls for, looks nice and beautiful on the outside, but she is really a mean and manipulative Gold Digger who is only using her relationship with him to get the coveted prize money.
  • Bland-Name Product: Chuck E.'s racing suit has several parodies of real-world brands on it. These consist of Snap-Off (Snap-On), Stop (STP), Wide (Tide), Castoroil (Castrol), Good Steer (Goodyear), Mobile (Mobil), Pennyoil (Pennzoil), America Onhold (America Online), Dinky (probably DuPont), and a Tommy Hilfiger-style Chuck E. Cheese logo. They were also seen on the car sections of the SkyTubes in Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants at the time.
  • Book Ends:
    • In the opening scene when Chuck E. decides to sign up for the Galaxy 5000, he cues the song "The Galaxy's for You and Me", in addition to starting a Flash Mob with various patrons dancing along with him. The final song "We Did It" also involves Chuck E. starting a flash mob with a majority of race spectators, who dance with he and his teammates to celebrate their racing victory.
    • Only Jasper sits out of the first song number "The Galaxy's for You and Me", due to being skeptical over entering the Galaxy 5000. In the end finale song "We Did It", Jasper does join the song with the others in celebration over winning.
    • At the beginning of the movie when Chuck E. first appears, he is shown coming into the diner arm-in-arm with Helen. After winning the Galaxy 5000 and the whole team meets up at the front gates, Chuck E. and Helen link their arms as she congratulates him.
    • The first time the X-Pilots are seen, they headbutt one another during the commercial broadcast, followed by angrily attacking one of the reporters when he brings up they were disqualified from last year's race. Their final scene has them taken away by the police while angrily butting one another like before.
    • When Chuck E. falls for Astrid, she drops her handkerchief, he and Jasper stumble over picking it up, then Helen takes it and gives it back to her. Astrid's final scene has her march up to the X-Pilots and take her handkerchief back before ditching them.
    • The first scene of the movie at the diner ends with a freeze frame of the patrons dancing behind Chuck E. and friends as they depart for the Awesome Adventure Machine. The ending scene features two of these the same way; first before the interruption to the X-Team being arrested, and one more at the very end which overlaps with Group Picture Ending.
    • Both the first and last musical numbers feature an instance of Chuck E. announcing, "Come on, everybody!" and embracing Charlie somewhat; he sings the line and pats Charlie's head in the former, whereas he puts his arm around him and simply shouts the line before the latter.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: In the opening scene, several restaurant patrons wave "Hi!" to the viewer, and Pasqually invites the viewer to join Chuck E. and co. in his eatery.
  • Break the Cutie:
    • Failure at attempting Vega-2 causes Chuck E. to gradually lose hope at ever winning, and the crash at Dead Man's Canyon is what causes him to fall to his lowest point and suffer a near-Heroic BSoD. It's only when Harry gives him advice and helps him train does he get his spirits lifted and feel more confident in himself.
    • Helen doesn't take it well when Chuck E. calls her "one of the guys" when falling for Astrid, making her jealous as she stomps off, but he doesn't understand how it made her feel. This doesn't last long, as after learning Astrid didn't like him as he thought, he goes back to liking Helen more.
  • Broken Pedestal: After realizing Astrid was only liking him to win the prize money and she ditches him for the X-Pilots, Chuck E. immediately loses all admiration of her.
  • Character Development: Chuck E. starts out as indecisive and fearful of himself upon realizing he can't hit Vega-2 like the X-Pilots can, given that he doesn't cheat with Zoom Gas. After a visit with Harry in addition to a long night of training, Chuck E. becomes more self-assertive and confident, allowing him to handle the speed properly during the Galaxy 5000; after falling to last place, while having a little doubt at first, Chuck E. finally realizes his true potential and puts it to good use by activating Vega-3, showing he's not afraid anymore and can do anything he thinks of.
  • Classy Cane: Dr. Zoom brandishes a cane at all times.
  • Comically Missing the Point: Twice in a row. During the emergency meeting at the start when Pasqually announces Charlie needs dough (the $50,000), Jasper misinterprets the scenario as the kind of dough used to make pizza with before Chuck E. corrects him mentioning the "other" kind. Jasper and Munch then lapse into a round of "Do-Re-Mi" thinking Charlie needs a "doe", referring to a female deer, before Pasqually cuts in admitting he meant the kind of dough that means "cash" or "moolah", and Jasper realizes.
  • Cool Old Guy:
    • Pasqually reveals that he participated in the Galaxy 5000 five times when he was younger.
    • Flapjack, the mechanic who was Pasqually's co-pilot in the past and who leads the gang to the Songbird.
  • Counterpoint Duet: The final part of "I Know I Can" has Chuck E. and his gang singing about his confidence with the X-Team singing a Dark Reprise of "Zoom Gas", as they go neck-and-neck before the finish line.
  • Covers Always Lie: The cover shows Chuck E. in his then-current walkaround head (albeit with slight alterations to his eyes) which is used for the background shots, rather than his animatronic walkaround head used for most of the film.
  • Credits Montage: The end credits are interspersed with a series of freeze-frames showing notable moments throughout the film, from beginning to end.
  • Crowd Song:
    • "The Galaxy's for You and Me", an upbeat dance number led by Chuck E. in the restaurant at the beginning as he decides to enter the Galaxy 5000 and the rest of the patrons cheer him on. It even begins with the patrons clearing the tables to allow Chuck E. and others to dance.
    • "We Did It", the closing number sung by the whole team of heroes over Chuck E.'s victory at winning, and they are joined by a majority of other spectators who sing and celebrate with them.
  • Crystal Ball: Harry has a crystal ball in his cave. It shimmers like a disco ball to help Chuck E. relax and feel more focused during his Training Montage; later he uses it to watch the Galaxy 5000, only to lose reception due to being outdated.
  • The Cynic: Jasper can be this at times. Special mention goes to this remark he makes after Chuck E. and the others finish the first musical number (as Chuck E. wants to go to Orion but Jasper doesn't):
    Jasper: How come common sense goes flyin' out the window every time he (Chuck E.) sings a song? Brother.
  • Damned by Faint Praise: When Chuck E. and co. first see the broken-down Songbird:
    Chuck E.: It's, uh, green...
  • Damsel in Distress: Helen ends up as this, courtesy of Dr. Zoom deciding to use her alongside the other trapped poultry to mass produce his Zoom Gas. She eventually becomes a Damsel out of Distress when she uses one of her feathers to pick the lock and get herself freed.
  • Dance Party Ending: The film ends with Chuck E. and friends singing and dancing to "We Did It" to celebrate their victory at winning the race and not giving up.
  • Dance Sensation: "The Galaxy's for You and Me" contains some dance instructions from Chuck E., such as "Get our toes a-tappin'", "Barely notice your fingers are snappin'", and "Get those legs a-kickin'".
  • Dark Reprise:
    • A repeat of "Zoom Gas" is heard as the counterpoint during "I Know I Can", as the X-Team is close to yet another consecutive win before the Songbird catches up.
    • From the point where Chuck E. flies to Dead Man's Canyon alone to practice Vega-2 only to lead to the big crash in Harry's cave, the usual rock/fanfare leitmotif associated with the racing scenes is played in a slow, apprehensive, frightening, and urgent manner.
  • Darkest Hour: Chuck E. has crashed, having nearly lost all hope he can win, and Helen is trapped by Dr. Zoom to be reduced to juice next day. Had not Helen used one of her feathers to break out in time, and Harry hadn't shown up to give Chuck E. some training, the X-Team would've gotten away with their cheating again.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Chuck E. gives us this line when he sees Astrid and the X-Pilots, which also serves as a sign of the end of his crush on her:
    Chuck E.: Well, looks like Astrid found what she was looking for.
  • Demoted to Extra: While Charlie is given much more focus than in the animatronic shows, Pasqually is only present for about the first eight minutes, and stays behind on Earth while Chuck E. and the rest of his gang go to Planet Orion.
  • Didn't Think This Through: Dr. Zoom doesn't account for the fact that Helen, an anthropomorphic chicken, can use a feather to escape from her cell. Sure enough, she does so easily.
  • Distant Duet: A four-way variation occurs with "I Know I Can"; one portion is sung by Chuck E. and his team in the Songbird, another by Dr. Zoom and the X-Pilots in the X-Racer, a third by Harry in the caves, and the last by Helen in the wings watching Chuck E. on the jumbotron.
  • Drugs Are Bad: Zoom Gas, created by the Big Bad Dr. Zoom, is meant to represent steroids and narcotics, especially given how Zoom talks about it:
    Dr. Zoom: "So what if it makes mush of your brain? Would you rather have a high IQ or go on to money and fame?"
    • Not to mention the contrast at the end between the X-Pilots trying to win by using the stuff and Chuck E. beating them via his own hard work.
  • Dumb Jock: Despite their strength, the X-Pilots aren't really the brightest bulbs in the lamp. When they rub Chuck E.'s loss in his face, they spell "loser" as "L-O-S-U-R".
  • Earn Your Happy Ending: Chuck E. faces loads of obstacles, being betrayed by Astrid and getting advice from Harry, which he uses to finally surpass the X-Pilots' Zoom Gas and win the Galaxy 5000; the bad guys are also arrested for their Zoom Gas scheme, and Chuck E. makes amends with Helen and the gang before everyone celebrates their victory.
  • The Eleven O'Clock Number: "I Know I Can", sung by Chuck E. and his teammates during the climatic final race of the Galaxy 5000 against the X-Pilots.
  • Establishing Character Moment:
    • The X-Pilots are introduced in the news report as they are shown hitting each other while shouting "Ya!" repeatedly, and after a series of poses, Ivan flexes his muscles and Peter points at him, showcasing their arrogance, stupidity, and ruthlessness.
    • Dr. Zoom is shown to be a cold Pragmatic Villain when, in his introductory scene, he stops the X-Pilots and Chuck E. before they can fight, telling the X-Pilots that they can show their superiority on the course.
  • Evil Is Hammy:
    • The X-Pilots are extremely boisterous.
    • Dr. Zoom really hams it up in his Villain Song.
  • Evil Old Folks: Zoom is an old man and the Big Bad.
  • Extreme Close-Up: One showing Chuck E. can be seen briefly when he uses Vega-2 during the qualifiers at Dead Man's Canyon and right before he crashes into Harry's cave.
  • Extremely Short Timespan: The whole film is set over a period of three days.
  • Extreme Sports Plot: Chuck E. and co. join the race in hopes of using the prize money to help Charlie's aunt and uncle buy a new tractor. This point is only brought up once other than in the first scene and the ending.
  • Fantastic Measurement System: Vega is a fictional measurement of speed, similar to Mach.
  • Fictional Currency: Planet Orion uses keylars: 30 keylars equal 52,000 US dollars.
  • Flash Mob: Chuck E. starts one in Pasqually's diner in the beginning, rallying everyone there to cheer him on at the Galaxy 5000, accompanied by his song, "The Galaxy's for You and Me".
  • Flying Car: The space jets, vehicles ridden by the Galaxy 5000 participants that resemble futuristic cars themselves. The Songbird's original form resembled a run-down jalopy from the '90s, but becomes more contemporary after Chuck E. tricks it out.
  • Foreshadowing:
    • In the opening scene at the diner when Jasper suggests getting jobs at a chicken restaurant, Helen is against it and goes on a rant over how cruel it is to harm her kind. After being captured and brought to Dr. Zoom, it is revealed chickens are being juicified to create the Zoom Gas.
    • A few during "The Galaxy's for You and Me":
      • While the line "I know I'll do the right thing!" shows Chuck E. wants to win the race to help Charlie, it serves as a Double Meaning toward him learning to prepare himself before the final race, as he doesn't do any training before the qualifiers which also leads to the big crash at Dead Man's Canyon. He actually does do the right thing by getting some training from Harry.
      • In the final verse, Chuck E. says, "There's just no need to worry!"; Chuck E.'s inability to handle Vega-2 is what eventually leads to him breaking down.
    • Note that when Chuck E. is around Astrid, neither engage in any "close friend" behavior like how he did with Helen, nor does she show any hints of a romantic side like how Helen does. While Chuck E. was with the former, they put their arms around each other, Chuck E. gives her flowers, and feels comfortable with her sitting on him after landing on Orion; when with the latter, Astrid only kisses Chuck E. on the nose and doesn't hold his hand or put her arm around him, nor does he give her any gifts. Also, she doesn't look at Chuck E. during the soda shop scene, instead looking at her mirror compact the whole time. This is a clue that Astrid is only interested in the prize money and doesn't mutually love Chuck E. like Helen.
    • Before the qualifiers, when Jasper says the Songbird is fully tuned-up and they should take it for a test ride, Chuck E. says no, because the race is starting very soon and they don't have time. This is a verbal foreshadowing of Chuck E. being unprepared for the race and his inability at handling Vega-2, which later results in him crashing at Dead Man's Canyon; Harry brings this up much later when Chuck E. tells him said flaw.
  • Frying Pan of Doom: Once Helen gets out and Dr. Zoom arrives to juicify her, there is a whacking sound as Dr. Zoom comes out before fainting; when Helen arrives on the scene, she reveals a frying pan which she used to knock Dr. Zoom in the head.
  • Funny Background Event:
    • A foreground example; after Munch and Jasper's brief round of "Do-Re-Mi" in the diner, Chuck E. can be seen shaking his head exasperated as Helen corrects them.
    • During "The Galaxy's for You and Me", after the patrons clear the tables to give Chuck E. room to dance, the girl dancing with him on the far right is noticeably dancing freestyle unlike the others in sync with him.
    • Also during "The Galaxy's for You and Me", among the patrons in the background swaying and clapping along, the brunette girl in the yellow shirt (just to the left of Chuck E.'s booth) is just lounging and tapping her foot.
    • When the qualifying race begins and Jasper tells Munch to hold in his Potty Emergency, Charlie can be briefly seen giggling slightly.
    • When Jasper is explaining the yellow button turned on the internal fan to rid the smell of Munch's stinky feet, Charlie has his face scrunched up from the stench.
    • When the Songbird wins the Galaxy 5000 and Chuck E. is shown cheering happily in the pilot's seat, Munch covers his eyes for no reason behind him.
  • Furry Confusion: Helen is captured and imprisoned with non-sentient chickens to be "juicified" to make Zoom Gas.
  • Furry Reminder: Helen clucks furiously after finishing her rant against eating chickens.
  • "Gaining Confidence" Song: "I Know I Can", which starts out with Chuck E. still feeling doubtful over beating the X-Pilots in the final race, and his teammates join in and give him words of encouragement which gradually causes him to increase in confidence until he achieves Vega-3 and becomes full-on fearless and self-assertive, culminating in the Songbird managing to overtake the X-Pilots on the final stretch and crosses the finish line first.
  • The Ghost: We never see Charlie's aunt and uncle.
  • Gold Digger: Astrid turns out to be this in the third act, revealing she wasn't interested in Chuck E. as he thought and was only liking him (and presumably the other racers) for the coveted prize money. After Chuck E. does not show up at the soda shop the following day due to training with Harry, she moves on to the X-Pilots, only to ditch them after they lose and are taken to prison.
  • Good Colors, Evil Colors:
    • Chuck E.'s racing uniform is patriotic-based, complete with red on the top and blue on the bottom separated by black and white checkerboard, while the X-Pilots wear all red and black.
    • Kindhearted Helen wears her dark purple cheerleader outfit with gold sashes and trim, while the Rich Bitch Astrid wears shocking pink and slate grey.
    • The jovial and wisecracking Flapjack has a cowpoke outfit and hat with shades of brown, red, and tan; the scheming and blackhearted Dr. Zoom wears a white and silver business suit and fedora.
    • The Songbird is bright yellow with orange lightning and blue flames; the X-Racer is dark maroon with hints of navy blue and black. When in Vega-2, the tailpipes of the former shimmer with hints of sky blue, while the latter's turns fiery red.
  • Group Picture Ending: The last shot of the movie is a flashing freeze-frame on Chuck E. and friends celebrating their victory which segues into the end credits.
  • Hammerspace: During "The Galaxy's for You and Me", Chuck E. does a magic trick where he produces a bouquet of flowers out of nowhere behind his back before handing them off to Helen.
  • Harmless Electrocution: Jasper experiences this as he re-connects the wires to the Songbird when it doesn't start off when the qualifiers begin. The resulting effect leaves his body inverted in color for a few moments, and everyone in the vehicle stares at him.
  • The Heavy: While Dr. Zoom is the Big Bad, the X-Pilots are the most active in the plot while Zoom never directly interacts with Chuck E. Cheese himself.
  • Helium Speech: A non-helium induced example: During the second training montage (when Chuck E. has mastered all the training aspects), he has a chipmunk-like voice when he runs on the hamster wheel, as he's running fast enough his voice has to be sped up.
  • Hope Spot:
    • After escaping the Black Forest, Harry calls Chuck E. over the Songbird's CB radio to give him helpful advice when he's nervous over activating Vega-3, but the radio loses reception before he could get the words out, and Chuck E. begins to lose hope all over again. But then Charlie and the others give him words of encouragement, which in turn cues the "Gaining Confidence" Song.
    • When Peter and Ivan are being arrested, Astrid walks up to them, and they are excited that she's come to rescue them... only for her to swipe her neckerchief from Peter before stepping on his foot and running off.
  • Huddle Shot: While Flapjack is meeting Chuck E. and the gang, the quintet are seen huddling in a circle as they introduce themselves, complete with a shot from his P.O.V. Cam which shows them standing around him and peering down at him.
  • "I Can't Look!" Gesture: Jasper covers his eyes in fear during the qualifiers when the Songbird gets sent falling down a canyon after getting hit and diverted by the X-Racer.
  • Identical Stranger: Harry, the cave-dwelling hermit Chuck E. meets after crashing into the underground caves, looks very much like Pasqually back on Earth, complete with a similar-looking mustache, but has longer and messier hair. The first time he sees him, Chuck E. even notices the resemblance, and after saying goodbye to Harry, Chuck E. says "Pasqually" to himself.
  • I Don't Like the Sound of That Place: Dead Man's Canyon, a canyon which takes up the last stretch of the Galaxy 5000 before the finish line. The X-Pilots were able to easily achieve Vega-2 through it with the Zoom Gas, but when Chuck E. attempts at it, he loses control which leads to the big crash. After getting some training from Harry, he tries again at Vega-3, and is successful.
  • Incredibly Long Note:
    • "True Potential" ends with Harry drawing out the final word "win" for several seconds, as Chuck E. goes through his training routine a second time.
    • In the final chorus of "I Know I Can", Chuck E. shows his newly established confidence by drawing out: "IT'S TIME TO TAKE A STAAAAAAAAAAAND!!!!!"
    • Dr. Zoom hits a few drawn-out notes during his Villain Song "Zoom Gas", especially the choruses.
  • Insecure Protagonist, Arrogant Antagonist: Chuck E. takes on the role of the insecure protagonist who feels unsure and nervous of himself and his piloting skills, and facing the fact he's racing against the X-Pilots Peter and Ivan, who serve as the arrogant antagonists who are always gloating about their past victories and rubbing it in his team's faces, just before the reveal they were cheating by using Zoom Gas to achieve a speed of Vega-2.
  • Internal Reveal: While the audience sees Helen get kidnapped and brought to Dr. Zoom where she learns of the Zoom Gas and that the X-Pilots are cheaters, the heroes don't know this until after Helen has broken out and she lets them in on it all.
  • Ironic Echo: During the qualifiers after the X-Pilots activate Vega-2 to get away from the Songbird, a surprised Chuck E. says to his teammates that they activated Vega-2 and they must do the same. Later during the final race when Chuck E. activates Vega-2 to escape the X-Racer without a hitch, Ivan says the exact same thing to Peter before catching up.
  • Kick the Dog: While thinking Helen has betrayed Chuck E. to hang out with the X-Pilots (which she was faking), they just had to go to the Soda Shop and rub it (along with their qualifier victory) in his face.
  • Letting the Air out of the Band: When the Songbird is first revealed in its original form, the background music is playing an out-of-tune rendition of "Alouette" which winds down to a stop.
  • Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: The kind, supportive Helen is the Light Feminine to the manipulative, selfish Astrid's Dark Feminine.
  • Light Is Not Good: Dr. Zoom, the villain, wears a white suit and hat.
  • Loose Lips: After the Villain Song when the X-Pilots seize Helen, Dr. Zoom mocks her with the idiom, "Loose lips sink ships." Then Helen points out she doesn't have lips, prompting Zoom to make up, "Loose beaks cause leaks that sink ships."
  • Love Interest vs. Lust Interest: Helen Henny and Astrid are the Love and Lust Interest respectively to Chuck E. The latter seems to immediately click with the friendly mouse who forms an instant attraction with her but is revealed to be a manipulative Gold Digger who was only liking him for the prize money, and he is devastated upon finding out. Helen on the other hand, is a true friend to Chuck E. who secretly crushes on him and is caring of him in any way, and despite their Unresolved Sexual Tension, he admits he never lost faith in her and makes up with her after he returns from training.
  • Meaningful Name: Zoom Gas helps the X-Pilots cheat by making them see better, thus zooming quicker.
  • Medium Blending: Scenes on Planet Orion (as well as the Awesome Adventure Machine laboratory) mix Chuck E. and friends in live action with CGI surroundings.
  • Melancholy Musical Number: Helen's solo "The Real Me", as she expresses her jealousy of Chuck E.'s relationship with Astrid and her being called "one of the guys" by him, which leaves her left out and wished Chuck E. would see her as how she truly thinks about him.
  • Misspelling Out Loud: Ivan misspells "loser" as "L-O-S-U-R" when insulting Chuck E. at the soda shop.
  • The Mole: Helen becomes this to the X-Pilots in order to find out the secret to their cheating. Unfortunately, Chuck E. took this as a form of betrayal and felt humiliated even more when they mock his qualifier loss.
  • Musical World Hypotheses: Alternate Universe. This was even lampshaded as a snide comment by Jasper after "The Galaxy's for You and Me".
  • Mythology Gag: Chuck E. and co. enter Orion through the Awesome Adventure Machine; its name was previously used for a test stage from 1996 to 1997.
    N-Z 
  • Near-Villain Victory: The X-Team was close to winning and getting away with yet another Zoom Gas scheme, if it hadn't been for both Helen breaking out and exposing them to the police, and Chuck E. believing in himself and his hard work.
  • Never Say "Die": Averted; during the qualifiers when Chuck E. is crashing at Dead Man's Canyon nonstop, Jasper can be heard screaming he doesn't want to die. Later on when waking up in the caves, Harry quips to Chuck E. he could've been killed in the crash.
  • Nice Mean And In Between: Of the major characters on Orion:
    • Harry is nice; he's a wise and jovial hermit who helps Chuck E. train for the race.
    • Both Peter and Ivan are mean; they're the obnoxious and villainous champions of the Galaxy 5000 whom Chuck E. is up against.
    • Astrid is in-between; while Chuck E. is initially unaware she is secretly a manipulative Gold Digger, she can put on a facade of niceness when she wants.
  • No Celebrities Were Harmed: Dr. Zoom's white suit and his association with chickens can bring to mind Colonel Sanders; Helen saying "Deep fry chickens, will ya?" after whacking him with a frying pan also helps.
  • Non Sequitur, *Thud*: After getting hit in the head by Helen's Frying Pan of Doom, Dr. Zoom briefly sings a mangled version of "Zoom Gas" before passing out.
  • Not So Stoic: While Zoom maintains a cold, stoic demeanor throughout the film, his "Zoom Gas" song has him raise his voice constantly. He also has a breakdown once the Songbird wins the final race.
  • Oh, Crap!:
    • Jasper in the beginning when he makes the mistake of mentioning chickens being cooked in front of Helen, setting her off. Cue his shocked "Oops!"
    • Chuck E. and co. when they see the X-Pilots overtake them in the qualifiers, leaving them in the dust.
    • Chuck E. when he sees Helen with the X-Pilots, thinking she betrayed him. Jasper, Munch, and Charlie have the same reaction moments before.
    • Helen when she is being caged by Dr. Zoom to become a mass-producing Zoom Gas victim. She also has one when Zoom informs her that the main ingredient of Zoom Gas is extracted chicken.
    • Chuck E. again when he is unable to man the Songbird properly during Vega-2 at Dead Man's Canyon and is about to crash into the caves.
    • Munch, Jasper, and Charlie when Astrid reveals her true Gold Digger nature in the soda shop the morning of the final race.
    • Chuck E. a third time when he sees Astrid flirting with the X-Pilots, realizing she never loved him as he thought.
    • Peter and Ivan when Chuck E. puts the Songbird into Vega-2 and escapes them without a hitch.
    • Chuck E. and co. get a huge one in unison when the X-Pilots divert them off-course during the final race, sending them back to last place until his friends encourage him to not give up.
    • Peter and Ivan again when Chuck E. achieves Vega-3 and surpasses them in the final race, beating them, followed by Dr. Zoom getting the same reaction while simultaneously being seized by the police.
  • Ominous Pipe Organ: Dr. Zoom is introduced with dramatic pipe organ. The pipe organ is also heard in parts of his Villain Song.
  • Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Harry's British accent sometimes slips into the Italian accent of his Earth doppelgänger in a few scenes.
  • Outdated Outfit: While other characters wear more modern clothing, Dr. Zoom wears a suit reminiscent of the early 20th century.
  • Overly Long Gag: Dr. Zoom's henchmen spend a long time trying to deny that they're using Zoom Gas after letting their secret slip to Helen. They get so confused that they spend over 20 seconds going back and forth like this: "Yeah!" "No!" "No?" "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "No?"
  • Ow, My Body Part!: Jasper can be heard mumbling, "My head..." after Chuck E. and the gang's rough landing on Orion. Chuck E. later says the same line while he is waking up in Harry's cave following the big crash.
  • Parodies for Dummies: Once Chuck E. finishes his training, Harry can be seen reading a "Wise Sayings For DoDos" book.
  • Patter Song: "The Galaxy's for You and Me" has Chuck E. squeezing in about 16-18 syllables for every main part.
  • Pep-Talk Song: Harry has "True Potential" to help Chuck E. feel more confident in himself as he trains him for the final race, while showing him the importance of turning believing into knowing he can do it.
  • Post-Kiss Catatonia: A variation occurs when Astrid kisses Chuck E.'s nose following their first encounter. While Chuck E. does not go catatonic, he voices a brief infatuated laugh with a seductive expression on his face.
  • Potty Emergency: After taking off at the qualifiers, Munch suddenly has an urge to go to the bathroom and asks if they pull over, but Jasper insists he hold it in. After the Songbird finishes last, Munch asks if he can go now that they've returned.
  • Potty Failure: Ivan soils himself after he and Peter laugh hard at Helen's remark.
  • P.O.V. Cam:
    • As Flapjack is meeting Chuck E. and friends, a brief point-of-view shot from him is shown as the quintet huddle around him and introduce themselves.
    • When Chuck E. wakes up in Harry's cave after the big crash, we get a brief shot from his viewpoint looking at his feet, while he is wondering where he is after coming to.
  • Pragmatic Villainy: Dr. Zoom stops the X-Pilots from getting into a physical fight with Chuck E., only so they would beat him in a race instead.
  • Reflective Eyes: Seen on Chuck E. in Extreme Close-Up when he first attempts at Vega-2 during the qualifiers and again just before the big crash into Harry's cave, to visually show how blurry it feels to him when going that fast.
  • Rich Bitch: Astrid is wealthy, and she's a rotten person.
  • Rimshot: A brief rimshot is heard when Helen tells Chuck E. "Maybe you could say that today's race separated the mice from the men" while she's pretending to betray him for the X-Pilots.
  • Roger Rabbit Effect: On Planet Orion, while Chuck E. and friends are in live action, everything around them is rendered in CGI and resembles that of a PlayStation game.
  • Romantic False Lead: Astrid, to Chuck E.; while he feels attracted to her, little does poor Chuck know that she is only interested in the prize money. Astrid ends up ditching him for the X-Pilots later on.
  • Rule of Symbolism:
    • Both the Vega-2 and Vega-3 speeds are a representation of Chuck E.'s uncertainty and confidence, respectively. The X-Pilots were able to easily achieve it through using Zoom Gas, but Chuck E. couldn't; when he attempted at it the night before the final race, he loses control and crashes. Then when the Songbird is diverted off-course and falls back to last place during the final race and it came time to achieve Vega-3, this segues into the "Gaining Confidence" Song where Chuck E. finally realizes his true potential and overcomes all his self-doubts, successfully achieving that speed which allows the Songbird to surpass the X-Pilots and win.
    • Dead Man's Canyon, which takes up the last three miles before the finish line, is a visual representation of the final obstacle standing before Chuck E. and the last challenge he needed to overcome in order to win, as he was unable to handle Vega-2 while flying through unlike the X-Pilots, who used the Zoom Gas to help them see better. After Chuck E. returns from training with Harry and activates Vega-3, he was able to make it through this time by using what he learned, and with that, he wins.
    • The exercises Chuck E. goes through during the Pep-Talk Song each represent a key skill he learns to help him win the Galaxy 5000. The flaming geysers represent his agility and alertness; the giant wheel for speed and handling; the whac-a-mole for guts and assertiveness; the lecture on Vega-2 for concentration and focus; and finally the zen lesson with the crystal ball for calmness and relaxation.
    • The crystal ball lights dancing across Chuck E.'s face seem to represent his wandering thoughts and doubts, prior to seeing the light toward discovering his true potential. The faint white glow flashing in his eyes at the end of the song represents him finally understanding the meaning of Harry's words to him.
  • Sad Battle Music: The scene where Chuck E. flies to Dead Man's Canyon alone to practice Vega-2 contains a sad driving scene variation. It starts out as a slow and foreboding version of the Galaxy 5000's leitmotif as he is talking to Jasper, grows slightly worrisome as he is flying to the canyon, becomes hopeful just before hitting Vega-2, and when he starts to lose control, becomes progressively more urgent and frightening, finally ending on a depressing note following the big crash.
  • Scene of Wonder: After Chuck E. and co. first arrive on Planet Orion, they take about half a minute to notice its astounding and wild atmosphere around them just before meeting the X-Pilots.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When Helen is denied of her relationship by Chuck E., being deemed "just a friend" and "one of the guys", she angrily stomps off in a jealous fit.
  • Shockingly Expensive Bill: The bill to replace Charlie's aunt and uncle's broken tractor is $50,000; thus Chuck E. and the gang had to win the money in the Galaxy 5000 to obtain that exact amount.
  • Short Screentime for Reality: Pasqually's pizza restaurant and the laboratory where the Awesome Adventure Machine is kept are the only places we get to see in the real world, as opposed to the wild and bright CGI world of Planet Orion which takes up the majority of the film.
  • Shout-Out:
  • Shut Up, Hannibal!: A very minor one done by Chuck E. during his first encounter with the X-Pilots, when he stands up to them for bullying Helen and Jasper and nearly picks a fight with them.
    Peter: Who's goin' to stop us? You?
    Chuck E.: (bravely steps in front of Jasper) I WILL!
    (The X-Pilots burst into laughter)
    Peter: What's this? A little mousey!
    Ivan: Yah, some sort of rodent!
    Peter: Let's crush him!
    Ivan: Yah! Let's!
    Jasper: Uh, Chuck E.? Let's run.
    Chuck E.: Sorry, Jasper! No can do! Somebody's gotta stand up to these bullies!
    Peter: It's all over, Mousey!
    Chuck E.: GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT!
  • Sidekick Song:
    • "The Real Me", sung by Helen the night before the qualifiers, as she expresses her jealousy over Astrid and wishes Chuck E. would see her for who she truly is.
    • "Snowball's Chance in Texas" by Jasper, during his performance at the soda shop following Chuck E. barely managing to make the qualifiers and Helen's supposed betrayal to the X-Pilots.
  • Shoo Out the Clowns: The silly Big Eater Munch disappears during the scene where Helen learns of the Zoom Gas and is locked up. Jasper also disappears after Chuck E. takes off before the big crash at Dead Man's Canyon, and both are not seen again until the next day at the soda shop when Astrid ditches them.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: Pasqually is only present for the first quarter of the show and stays behind while Charlie and the rest of Chuck E.'s gang goes with him to Planet Orion, but he is the one who first brings up Charlie's issue in the beginning, and the one who first mentions the Galaxy 5000, inspiring Chuck E. to decide to enter the race to raise the money.
  • The Song Before the Storm: "True Potential", sung by Harry during Chuck E.'s race training just prior to Helen's breakout scene and the climatic final Galaxy 5000 race.
  • Soundtrack Dissonance: Jasper's song in the soda shop, "Snowball's Chance in Texas", is a lighthearted and upbeat-sounding country song when the lyrics are meant to be tragic and gut-wrenching based on what Chuck E. has experienced.
  • Source Music: The trilling of an old piano is heard in the background when Chuck E. "smells adventure" just before "The Galaxy's for You and Me", and during the zoom-out when the patrons clear the way for him, a pianist is revealed to be playing said piano in the foreground.
  • Stock Audio Clip:
    • Chuck E.'s "Whoa-oa-oa-oa-oa-oa-oah!" is used twice: first when the gang arrives at Planet Orion, and again (at a chipmunk pitch) the second time Chuck E. runs on the giant hamster wheel.
    • Likewise, his "Oh-oh-oh, YEAH!" is heard when he wins the whac-a-mole game and at the beginning of the credits.
  • Sudden Soundtrack Stop: During the team's system check before the final race begins, the background music suddenly stops after a snack vendor shows up with a pizza that Munch has ordered; the music resumes when Munch adds he was just hungry.
  • Super-Speed:
    • The jet-racers are equipped with Vega-2 modes, allowing them to fly twice as fast — so fast that it creates a blur making it hard for their pilot to see. When Chuck E. first tried it, he couldn't see through the speeds and kept crashing, until he got some training from Harry.
    • In the climax, an even faster speed comes into play — Vega-3, which is three times faster than Vega-2. Despite not having any experience, Chuck E. goes through with it anyway and handles it with no problem, granting him the victory.
  • Telepathy: Subverted. Chuck E. assumes during the final race that Harry is speaking to him telepathically, but Harry is speaking through a radio in the Songbird.
  • Tempting Fate:
    • In the final verse of "The Galaxy's for You and Me", Chuck E. sings, "There's just no need to worry!"; turns out he does have something to worry about — the inability to handle Vega-2 at Dead Man's Canyon.
    • Before going to Dead Man's Canyon alone, Chuck E. insists he do it despite Jasper's protests and he'll get with it, once again telling him not to worry. Immediately after activating Vega-2, Chuck E. loses control and crashes violently.
  • This Is Gonna Suck:
    • After Jasper brings up getting jobs at a chicken restaurant to help Charlie which sets Helen off on a tirade, Munch and Pasqually can be seen cringing in fear just before she blows.
      Munch: Uh-oh...
      Chuck E.: Jasper, now you've done it!
    • During the X-Pilots' introductory scene, when one of the reporters mentions their disqualification from last year's race, he has an uneasy expression on his face just before they beat him up.
  • This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself: The evening after the qualifiers, Chuck E. decides to take the Songbird out for a practice flight alone to attempt a speed of Vega-2. Jasper insists he come with him, but Chuck E. denies his help.
    Chuck E.: I've got to do this, Jasper! If I don't try to make it through Dead Man's Canyon at Vega-2 speeds now, we won't have a chance tomorrow!
    Jasper: Well then, I'm coming with ya!
    Chuck E.: Sorry, Jasper, this is something I have to do alone.
  • Too Fast to Stop: When Chuck E. first attempts at Vega-2 during the Galaxy 5000 qualifiers, he finds out too late he can't handle it well, and when trying to fly through Dead Man's Canyon, he keeps losing control and hitting the canyon walls. Chuck E. admits afterward that upon activation, he gets scared and everything becomes a big blur. After he gets some training from Harry, his skills improve drastically.
  • Training from Hell: In the way of a crash course in what appears to be physics, dodging randomly occurring explosions while balancing on pillars, running a giant hamster wheel, and playing a game of whac-a-mole where the moles whack back. All in one night.
  • Training Montage: Half of "True Potential" is this, ranging from Chuck E. trying out ridiculous exercises such as geyser jumping, wheel running, and life-sized whac-a-mole, being presented a lecture on Vega-2, and ending with a relaxing zen lesson with Harry's crystal ball.
  • Triumphant Reprise:
    • At the end of the diner scene (after Jasper agrees to join the team and come to Orion), Chuck E. and his friends sing a brief reprise of "The Galaxy's for You and Me" as they leave for the Awesome Adventure Machine.
    • When Chuck E. has mastered all of Harry's training exercises, his success is accompanied by an instrumental version of Harry's "True Potential" song, showing he has finally understood what Harry taught him and is ready for the race.
    • A soft and heartwarming rendition of "The Real Me" can be heard during the scene where Chuck E. and Helen are apologizing to each other.
    • "We Did It" is a triumphant vocal reprise of the leitmotif heard at the start of the film when Chuck E. and friends were entering the diner, which also played when they arrived at the Awesome Adventure Machine and just before the Galaxy 5000 began.
  • Truck Driver's Gear Change: "I Know I Can" shifts back and forth between F major and D minor for the verses with Chuck E. and his team, followed by full D minor for the X-Team's verses and the Counterpoint Duet. After Chuck E. wins, the melody shifts up from D major to E♭ major before it ends.
  • Vague Age: It's unclear how old Flapjack is; he's already shown to be an old man in an old photo with him and Pasqually.
  • Villain Ball: While imprisoning Helen to turn her into Zoom Gas, Dr. Zoom fails to consider that A: he could have imprisoned her in a more secure manner, and B: Helen, being anthropomorphic, can use a feather to pick the lock and escape without any supervision.
  • Villain: Exit, Stage Left: After Astrid sees the Songbird cross the finish line and the X-Team are arrested, she leaves the stadium in a huff and is not seen again for the rest of the movie.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Dr. Zoom and the X-Pilots don't take their loss to the Songbird well.
  • Villain Song: Dr. Zoom and his henchmen sing "Zoom Gas", about the titular Zoom Gas, a G-rated version of steroids that Zoom created for his henchmen to cheat their way to victory in the race. He also sings about how Zoom Gas is made from chicken juice, and immediately after the song, he takes Helen captive to juicify her.
  • Vomit Discretion Shot: Ivan puts a white paper bag over his mouth after Peter blows on Astrid's handkerchief during the Galaxy 5000, but it cuts before we see Ivan vomit.
  • Waking Up Elsewhere: Following the violent crash outside Dead Man's Canyon and getting knocked out, Chuck E. is shown regaining consciousness minutes later in Harry's cave, a rag on his forehead from where he got hit.
  • Wax On, Wax Off: Subverted briefly during Chuck E.'s training with Harry. The last thing he does before leaving for the Galaxy 5000 is waxing his table; Chuck E. thinks this is an exercise to strengthen his arm muscles so he can steer better, but Harry quips he did that because he just wanted his table shined.
  • Whack-a-Monster: One of Chuck E.'s vigorous training sessions with Harry has him stand in the middle of a molehill and whack them with a flyswatter before they whack him.
  • Wham Line:
    • Ivan saying "And we use a lot of Zoom Gas!" is what alerts Helen to the revelation behind the X-Pilots' cheating, and the two try to cover it.
    • The day of the Galaxy 5000, Astrid seemed genuinely disappointed that Chuck E. is not here to race for her, thus she moves on to the X-Pilots. But then...
      Astrid: Sorry, guys. I saved all my money this summer just so I could get here. This is my only chance to find a real racer.
  • What a Piece of Junk: The Songbird is first seen as a beaten-up jalopy. Chuck E. even calls it "a piece of junk". It reaches its full potential once it's tricked out, however.
  • White Flag: When Chuck E. succeeds at the whac-a-mole game, one of the red moles pops up and waves a white flag of defeat signifying their surrender, as he cheers happily.
  • Whole-Plot Reference: The film bears a not-so-subtle resemblance to the podracing sequence from the same year's blockbuster hit, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
  • Wild Hair: Pasqually is shown to have had a really unkempt haircut in his younger years.
  • Would Hit a Girl:
    • The X-Pilots respond in the affirmative when Jasper asks them if they would hit a lady (Helen).
    • Dr. Zoom tries to turn Helen into chicken juice to use in his Zoom Gas. Also of note, Helen refers to the other chickens as girls too.
  • Would Hurt a Child: The X-Pilots don't seem to care that one of the Songbird's passengers is a young boy as that did not stop them from attacking the Songbird or trying to knock it out of the race.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are:
    • Basically this is Harry's message to Chuck E. during the Pep-Talk Song:
      Yes, in each one of us, there lies a great power,
      Don't you see all you need is within?
      But you can't expect it to blossom forth,
      Until all of your hard work
      Turns believing into knowing that you can win!
    • Also during the final race, not just Harry, but all of Chuck E.'s teammates give this encouragement to him during the "Gaining Confidence" Song, which in turn allows him to finally overcome all his fears and doubts to win.

Yeah, yeah, if you're doin' good
Sharin' love
You're bound to get a little
A little help from above, whoa-oh
If you're right, not wrong
Then you'll be strong
And the winds of goodwill will push you along

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The X-Pilots

We get to see how arrogant, haughty, and bullying the Galaxy 5000's champions can really be.

How well does it match the trope?

5 (3 votes)

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Main / EstablishingCharacterMoment

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