A 2006 CGI short film from Blur Studio about two gentlemen
(the Englishman Weatherby and the French Dubois), rivals for the love of a beautiful and wealthy woman, who find that the only way to settle their grievances is with a duel. With giant steam-powered robots.
This animated short provides examples of:
- Abnormal Ammo: Fifi, Dubois' poodle.
- All There in the Script: We never actually hear the names "Dubois" and "Weatherby"— they only insult each other (Weatherby calls Dubois "the Marquis du Manstrumpet" and Dubois calls Weatherby "Sir Dingleberry").
- Bad Vibrations: The woman's chest is stirred by the footsteps of the mechs.
- Big Red Button: Dubois' mech has one, which combines Ejection Seat and Human Cannonball to launch Fifi at Weatherby as a final attack.
- Bring My Brown Pants: Used as an insult by Dubois."Fifi says she can smell the fear (Fifi yaps)— in your pants!"
- But Liquor Is Quicker: Used as an insult by Weatherby when Dubois offers the lady champagne:"Oh, of course, alcohol— the French recipe for romance!"
- Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys: Defied by Dubois:"Fifi, we shall never surrender!" (launches her at Weatherby)
- Compete for the Maiden's Hand: The duel. However, neither party bothered to ask what the lady's opinion of the matter was, or even try to avoid trashing her home during the fight. They flee when they think she was killed in the scuffle, but it turns out she decided to have sex with the butler.
- Did Not Get the Girl: Both men sheepishly run off when they think they've killed the lady.
- Distant Reaction Shot: When the two mechs slam into each other and explode.
- Distracted by the Sexy:
- Weatherby when he first arrives.
"Ah, m'lady, your grace is matched only by your boobies, I mean beauty."- The butler when the lady's breasts jiggle from the mechs' footsteps shaking the ground.
- Dog Stereotype: Fifi embraces poodle stereotypes wholeheartedly.
- French Jerk: Dubois, in spades. Though Weatherby can't really make any claim to superior moral fiber here...
- Freudian Slip: Weatherby makes one because he's Distracted by the Sexy:"Your grace is only matched by your boobies— I mean your beauty!"
- Glove Slap: Made funnier by the fact that while both men keep unwittingly clobbering the lady as tensions escalate, the slap itself barely disturbs Dubois' mustache.
- Good Old Fisticuffs: Before the judo, wrestling, and missile attacks are broken out.
- Groin Attack: Both on the mechs and on Weatherby himself (when his mech breaks he ends up with an electric eel in a very bad place).
- Hair Reboot: After Weatherby's Glove Slap musses his mustache, Dubois somehow wills it back into place.
- Humongous Mecha: As the two gentlemen walk ten paces and begin to face each other, they dash in the opposite directions, jump into giant Steampunk robots, and begin a robot hand-to-robot hand duel.
- Impossibly-Low Neckline: The lady's dresses.
- The Jeeves: The lady's butler is very good at protecting her from collateral damage.
- Kick the Dog: The butler throws a shoe at Fifi for interrupting his vigorous bout of sex with the lady.
- Living MacGuffin: From a narrative perspective, the lady exists purely to be an object for the gentlemen to fight over. If she had been replaced with a piece of valuable artwork or antique furniture, the story wouldn't change that much.
- Male Gaze: A lot of attention is given to the Lady's ample bosom, including in-universe by the butler during the breast bouncing moment, and from both gentlemen prior.
- Marshmallow Hell: For the butler, when the lady panics during the climax of the mech battle.
- Mid-Battle Tea Break: They are gentlemen, after all. When tea ends, they pick up exactly where they left off, screams and all.
- Mister Muffykins: Dubois' poodle Fifi.
- National Animal Stereotypes: In addition to Dubois having a French poodle, the head of his mecha has a decidedly amphibian appearance.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Rivals!: Over the course of the short film the gentlemen manage to sock the lady in the face repeatedly, destroy much of her estate and part of her mansion... and seemingly kill her.
- Nice to the Waiter: Not these two! They don't even acknowledge the butler, treating him little more than a walking hat rack.
- Phallic Weapon: Dubois' final attack extends a cannon from the groin of his mech, then launches Fifi like a mortar.
- Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: Both men get pretty ridiculous ones.
- Psycho Electric Eel: Weatherby's mech uses them to power a Shock and Awe attack.
- Pun:
- As Dubois launches the fist-rocket at Weatherby, he taunts "How about some break-FIST?"
- Weatherby's retort just before his eel attack: "How about some French toast?"
- Rescue Sex: The mechs cause immense collateral damage to the lady's home, so the real gentleman would be whoever shows enough care for her self-being, yes? That honor goes to her butler, with her suitors none the wiser.
- Rocket Punch: Dubois' mech has one, with the fist attached on a chain.
- Ten Paces and Turn: The two gentlemen take ten paces, then dash off into the woods to get to their Humongous Mecha.
- Third-Option Love Interest: The duelists disregard the safety of the lady and her property, proving that neither Weatherby nor Dubois are deserving of her affections. The reveal at the end shows she and her butler are disrobed and having sex.
- This Means War!: Uttered by Dubois.
- Title Drop:Dubois: So, you wish to meet on the field of honor, monsieur?
Weatherby: Yes, a duel... a gentlemen's duel. - Toilet Humor:
- The Distant Reaction Shot at the end shows a bird drop a turd from a tree branch.
- After Fifi is ejected from Dubois' mech and slams into Weatherby, she stands on her target and pees on his face.
- Tom Kenny: The voice of Weatherby.
- Troperrific: Look at this list, and consider that the film runs a bit under eight minutes.
- Un Evil Laugh: Weatherby, who has a high-pitched "haw haw haw!" that borders on a Noblewoman's Laugh.
- Urine Trouble: Fifi adds insult to injury after being fired at Weatherby.
- Volleying Insults: "Knicker nibbler!" "Poodle piddler!" "Monkey spanker!" "Cheese pirate!"
- X-Ray Sparks: When Dubois is hit by Weatherby's eel-powered attack.
- You Can Barely Stand: After their mechs blow, both men crawl towards each other to fight to the end — until they realize they might just have killed the woman they fought over, and then find the strength to run off.
- Your Mother:Dubois: What would you know of love?Weatherby: Your mother can answer that, Monsieur le Poopypants!
