Genre: Animated/Adventure/Comedy
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Writer: Jacob Jones
Cast: Thomas Middleditch, Seth MacFarlane, Zac Efron, Miranda Cosgrove, Wayne Brady, Harrison Ford, Zoe Saldana, John Cena, Ned Beatty, John Oliver, Tabitha St. German, Ramin Karimloo, Mr. Lawrence, Maurice LaMarche
Plot: The year is 1956, a man (Ned Beatty) stands proudly by a red ribbon, behind him a train ride along with several other interesting attractions. The man declares that Greenwater Amusements is now officially open to the public and cuts the ribbon, a white light flashes and the wonderful moment is taken in photo.
In the present day, a youngish men are shown reading a 1956 yearbook, seemingly at awe over how different the park was when it started. Another tells him that The Creator always had high aspirations for them all. The two then revel in a tale that has been known to only the staff. As an employee was working on one of the rides, he discovered that it and all the other rides had obtained human like traits. Upon further investigation it was revealed that a special magic brush had been used to paint the attractions, said brush had the power to turn any ordinary item and give them the mind of a human. It was said that employees insisted The Creator use it as a selling point for the park. But he refused, feeling it would taint it's magic and made everyone promise never to reveal the truth. In the morning, they would remain amusement park rides. At night, they would turn into their human form and sent to live with 'The Creator'. Today Greenwater Amusements reigns as North Carolina's finest amusement park, but who knows when or if the secret can be kept.
Tommy Twister (Thomas Middleditch) then checks his watch and finds that the park is set to open and he, along with his best friend Cactus Clyde (John Cena) head off to Tumbleweed Gulch, the children's area of Greenwater transforming into their ride-form. Several rides are seen transforming along the way like the operatic Martin Merry (Ramin Karimloo), business executive Elijah Enterprise (John Oliver) and the curmudgeon Ferris Wheele (Mr. Lawrence).
As the park goes about its day, Tommy can't help but notice one of the most popular roller coasters in the park, the Carolina Cobra, or as Tommy lovingly refers to her as Caroline (Miranda Cosgrove). Tommy yearns to one day get to know her more, something Clyde finds insane as she is currently dating the biggest and most beloved roller-coaster here, C.J Cyborg (Zac Efron). He gives a lecture explaining that kiddie rides don't hang out with the big rides because they think it hurts their image. He uses longtime stalwart Ralph Riverback (Harrison Ford) as an example, saying he was the first major coaster the park ever had, giving him special billing and the right to treat anyone however he wanted. In the case of children rides, he didn't like 'em. Though he seems to have mellowed out in recent years. Clyde then reminds Tommy of the benefits of being a kiddie ride, that being he can entertain anyone no matter the age and never worry about his standing. The lecture ends with Barnstormin' Benny (Marcus LaMarche) breaking down in front of everyone.
That night however, when no one is looking, Tommy Tumbleweed sneaks off and sees Caroline Cobra transform into her human form and hides behind the hot dog stand. Unfortunately for him, he is caught by Selena Sizzler (Zoe Saldana) who hollers that Tommy is on the lookout for a snake. Tommy flees the scene just before anyone can notice and soon finds Elijah Enterprise going over statistics and stock prices with scientist Sidney Shockwave (Tabitha St. German). He begs them to let him stay with them for the night, Elijah harshly rejects the offer but Sidney offers to let him stay with her.
Clyde is shown searching for him, finding himself going up against C.J Cyborg, being tasked to get him, Ralph and Caroline some hot dogs and soda. He does so, only to forget the hot sauce and get the wrong kind of soda. Tommy and Sidney soon see C.J picking on Clyde and rushes towards the scene, demanding he leave his friend alone only to crumble under the pressure when he sees Caroline. After she expresses her disgust, C.J and Ralph throw their food all over the two kiddie rides, laughing like hyenas as they walk off (C.J noticeably winks at Sidney as he does so). Caroline scoffs at Tommy and Clyde before sashaying off to join the others.
Embarrassed, Tommy apologizes to Clyde and decides to take a walk to get this mess off his mind. He winds up taking a wrong turn, finding himself in Jungle Junction and nearly being attacked by crocodiles before Mambo Jambo; better known to others as Mashu,(Wayne Brady) fends them off and leads him to safety. After taking a ride to Mashu's grove on an elephant, Tommy explains the situation to Mashu and admits he should've known better being a kiddie ride and all. Mashu tells him to chin up and have hope within himself, knowing that one day he can impress Caroline. He also admits that he finds the kiddie ride vs. big ride feud silly. After all, Greenwater Amusements is more than just a collection of rides, it's their home. And they should be willing to stick up for one another as a family. Mambo then offers Tommy a ride home, which he greatly appreciates.
The next morning is special as the popular and controversial businessman Eddie Rich (Seth MacFarlane) arrives via his fancy (and large) limo, hoping to find a new investment. Every ride is at their best to ensure a successful visit at awe at the reputation he carries (especially Elijah). All seems to go normally until Eddie sits down, finding Martin Merry out of his ride from singing up a storm. Selena sees this and tries to distract him with some dancing, only succeeding in intriguing him further. He sets off to find 'The Creator' to discuss 'important business arrangements'. During the meeting, Eddie commends him for his ‘historic’ achievement in amusement but that a unique talent like this should not go unknown. The world should have the right to know about the ‘secret double life’ the park has. The Creator respectfully declines, reminding him of the promise he made. Claiming that he knew this would happen, Eddie offers to buy the park and give The Creator twenty-five million dollars. All cash.
Stunned, all The Creator can say is that he’ll think about it. Eddie then gives him a one week deadline. Should he either accept or decline the offer, he will keep the secret. However, if The Creator does not reach a decision by then, he'll have no choice but to reveal the secret and tear the park down to make room for an Eddie Rich Mexican Restaurant and Spa. As Eddie leaves, Caroline is shown looking quite concerned. That evening, C.J rounds the other rides up for an emergency meeting where they learn the news. Everyone is shocked, outside of a delighted Elijah who tries to debate the positives of working with him before being reminded that he could also be scrapped if Eddie has his way. C.J then takes over, demanding to know who tipped Eddie about the secret. Martin and Selena are then sent up and are taken to task until Mashu comes to their defense, claiming to have seen everything. Martin had misplaced his organ sheet music and figured the best way around it would be to use his voice instead.
Opinion over the selling becomes more divisive as some begin to realize the benefits of being sold to a businessman like Eddie. As the debate grows more heated, Mashu and Caroline manage to regain order saying that there is still a week to persuade The Creator to decline the offer, but an anonymous writer would be needed to make it happen. Ralph is swiftly nominated as he was the first roller-coaster to be built for the park. When the meeting is adjourned, Mashu watches Caroline come up to Martin and Selena, apologizing for how C.J acted and nods to himself. In another part of the park, Ralph asks C.J if he ever thinks he takes himself too seriously, only for him to reply that he has no choice but to. He's the most popular ride here, so he's free to do whatever he pleases, an image Ralph once held himself. C.J walks off, claiming to have a meeting with someone. Confused, Ralph sneaks off to see what he meant by a meeting. To his concern he finds C.J being very affectionate towards Sidney..
Life seems to go on normally the next day, the evening however tells a different as Mashu and Ferris catch a glimpse of Caroline and Selena talking to each other when Caroline admits she may have a soft spot for Tommy, urging her not to tell anyone. Mashu rushes off to Tumbleweed Gulch to alert Tommy about her secret crush. Feeling he may have a chance, Tommy goes to write a love letter. Early next morning, Ralph is shown working on a speech for 'The Creator' on why he should reject Eddie's offer when he sees Elijah writing a counter speech for accepting the offer. Ralph decides to humor Elijah, listening to his explanation. To his shock, Elijah’s reasons are well-written and articulate, praising Eddie as a visionary and someone they could turn to. Ralph heads off, fearing his miniscule paper may not be enough.
That evening, Tommy sets off to find Caroline, love letter in hand. He doesn’t have to look for long as they bump into each other. After being flustered for a few seconds, Tommy nervously hands her the love letter. At first, it seems Caroline is appreciative of the letter, but when she sees C.J coming up towards her she angrily condemns the letter, ripping it to shreds and calling Tommy nothing more than a pathetic kiddie ride. Caroline storms off, feeling somewhat guilty as she watches a heartbroken Tommy get on his knees, crying as he picks up the pieces.
Meanwhile, Eddie is shown pitching his ideas to investors who seem awfully skeptical about the idea of an amusement park whose attractions ‘come alive’ at night. As the meeting adjourns, Eddie promises to give everyone proof that such an occurrence is true. Once the investors leave, Eddie calls for the implementing of several security cams so he can garner said proof. Three days go by until Clyde and Mashu come together to console a miserable Tommy. Mashu assures him that even if didn’t work out, he should be proud for giving it everything he got. Clyde then offers to take Tommy over to the ice cream booth to get them something to eat, which he accepts. Along the way, they see Barnstormin’ Benny being taken away by mechanics, panicking about being ‘too unreliable for Eddie’.
Once they arrive at the ice cream parlor, they watch Sidney Shockwave storm off in anger, muttering on about C.J while Ralph goes after her. As Ralph panics, Mashu decides to try and invite him over to the parlor to talk. While Ralph is at first ambivalent about sitting next to Tommy, he reluctantly obliges and tells them about the fight Caroline and C.J had when she found him with Sidney. This, combined with the pressure of being the one to tell The Creator not to sell the park has made him extremely stressed and he shows them the ‘pathetic paper’ he tried to write.
Tommy looks over the paper and offers to help try and revise it. Ralph is again weary over taking advice from a ‘kiddie ride’ but out of desperation accepts his offer. As everyone dines on ice cream and sundaes, Tommy helps him work on his anonymous tip. By the height of afternoon, Ralph’s paper is much improved. He urges Tommy not to tell anyone, but that he thinks he is a good person at heart. As Ralph leaves, Tommy decides to pay a visit to Caroline. During the evening, Tommy goes out in search of her taking in Martin and Ferris’s directions. He soon finds Caroline softly crying to herself and looking over several yearbooks. Concerned, Tommy comes over to her only for her to snap at him. She soon apologizes, being in a bad state of mind.
The two sit together feeling awkward about themselves before Caroline apologizes for ripping up Tommy's love letter, saying the pressure of C.J getting to her. It's at that point Caroline gets out some old yearbooks and reveals what she was like when she was the most popular ride in the park. In the pictures, we see a girl who wore blue and black and commanded respect by being herself. In the late 90s when C.J first entered the park, she grew desperate to win his attention to no avail. So she ditched her look and completely changed her personality to win him over. Sometimes she wonders if she made the right decision.
When asked why she changed, Caroline admits the thrill of fame caught up to her and after spending time with C.J she began to believe that anything less than what she has now is unacceptable. Tommy tells her he doesn't care what he says, she's always been beautiful inside and out and that she can't let C.J say otherwise. Tommy and Caroline agree to meet up tomorrow evening to hang out and get to know each other more. The next evening, the two go forth with their date, going perfectly with them enjoying each other's company. As the two look at the stars, they confess their love towards each other and prepare to kiss…
Only to see C.J storm towards them and nearly get physical with Tommy. Mashu, Clyde and Ralph come up to the scene holding him back as Caroline tells Tommy to run. Once Tommy is out of sight, C.J tries to force himself onto Caroline but she shoves him away, having had enough of his attitude. She dumps C.J right on the spot, leaving him humiliated. Tommy is then shown out in the middle of a highway with no clue as to how to get home when Eddie's limo appears. He proceeds to invite Tommy to his mansion, an offer he graciously accepts. Once Tommy arrives, he is given a grand tour, completed with a look at the conference room where all the 'magic' happens.
Eddie then showcases his blueprint collection, including the one for a Circus D'Burlesque (A circus for strippers). Tommy then sees the blueprint for Greenwater and asks what he plans to do to him and his friends if The Creator sells the park. Eddie reveals that he plans to abandon the amusement park altogether and turn them into a reality show, saying their secret double life could provide excellent TV. Not everyone can make it on the show sadly and some people will have to be cut (including Carolina Cobra and Cactus Clyde). Eddie then warns Tommy that The Creator has until tomorrow to give his decision and orders security to remove him from the premises.
The next morning, Tommy rushes back to Greenwater to deliver the horrifying news. Upon hearing Eddie's plans, everyone breaks into a panic except for Elijah who prepares for his new life as a TV star, until he finds out that he's getting sent to a scrapyard. Tommy calls for peace as he feels he may have a way to stop Eddie, but it involves breaking the promise The Creator made. When asked why he should be trusted, Tommy gives a passionate speech on how he has grown to understand and love Greenwater more than ever before, at the end of the day it's not about what type of ride you are, it's about what you are inside. Caroline vouches for him, saying it may be time to put an end to the ride debate for good. Everyone seems to be in on the plan except for a missing C.J Cyborg. Ralph goes off to find him and sees he is stuck in his roller coaster form, claiming he has no reason to ever be human again after what happened yesterday. To C.J's shock, Ralph calls him out for being an insecure bully and praising Tommy for doing everything he can to save this park. He tells him that he can either join the others and prove he is the ride he claims to be or sit alone and be who he claims to hate.
As Ralph walks off, a bulldozer appears on the horizon being helmet by Eddie. He calls for The Creator to make his decision, The Creator begs for him for more time but it proves fruitless. He threatens to reveal that the secret and expose Greenwater Amusements only for Tommy to come out and say that he won't be doing so, because the secret is already out. And one by one every ride in the park comes out, revealing their human form...including C.J Cyborg. Every ride takes a turn telling The Creator to not sell the park for all the terrible things he plans to do and the legacy he would tarnish if he did. This finally pushes The Creator to make his decision, he tells Eddie that if his rides don’t want to leave; then his answer is…
No deal.
To everyone's surprise Eddie is nonchalant, revealing that since the secret has been revealed he has no use for Greenwater Amusements and renders the deal void. He reveals the truth to a group of people who have seen everything. Tommy then comes forth, admitting that Eddie is right. They are rides by day, humans by night. And if this is the end, it was worth it making someone's day that much better. He just wishes to be accepted back. A little kid comes up to Tommy, curious. He looks at the kid, smiling warmly. The two then share a hug. With his plan backfiring, Eddie tries to shill the Mexican Restaurant and Spa only for Elijah and Sidney to come forth, having done some last minute research and having found that Eddie has a history of counterfeit and fraud, revealing his fortune to little more than a sham. Furious at being exposed, Eddie storms off. Greenwater Amusements remains open all day with every ride for free as Tommy and the gang celebrate their victory. As Mashu tells him how proud he is to have pulled this off, C.J comes up to Tommy and buries the hatchet, admitting he's a better role model for the park than he ever was. He stands idly by, smiling as Tommy and Caroline embrace.
A few months go by and it's learned that not only had Eddie been arrested, all the money he had went to Greenwater Amusements. Speaking of which, the amusement park is now the talk of town with it's unique set up and atmosphere. Not only has The Creator been labeled a genius for making this possible but Tommy has become an inspiration to people everywhere. In a montage, the fate of every ride remaining is documented.
Ralph Riverback now serves as a stepping stone for children before they take on the big rides.
Selena was relocated next to Martin and the two have formed a comedy act duo, entertaining those with their song and dance routine.
Mashu was able to convince The Creator to build a zoo next to the park, giving all the animals in his area a new home.
Elijah actually left Greenwater, opting to kickstart his career as an investor. He remains on good ties with the others.
Sidney Shockwave and C.J Cyborg finally went public with their relationship and have been going steady for several months.
Mr. Ferris is still a grumpy old wheel.
Cactus Clyde also departed, deciding to move to a small family park in Montana. He keeps in touch with the others, especially Tommy.
Which brings us to Tommy and Carolina, who have been *the* faces of the amusement park. Their stories inspires millions and people cannot get enough of them. In fact, it's rumored that one day they will get their very own movie. The final shot is the latest in the 'Greenwater Gab' collumn started not long after where we learn that the secret to Greenwater's double life has been made accessible to every amusement park, creating a whole new species in the process.
It's name? The Amusements.
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