So far, I have reviewed at least three educational videos. So why stop there?
Now I came across this educational video through Youtube back when I was a freshman in college.
-Somewhere in 2011...
In fact, I didn't know that this educational video existed until that year. Now before we move on, let's get a little background.
Once upon a time, there was Operation Lifesaver, an organization that involves educating people about railroad safety. In 1992, the Union Pacific Railroad Company wanted to talk to kids about this issue. So they decided to create a short animated PSA video involving two animal characters talking about railroad safety.
Now personal, I love this video. However, that's a personal preference. I've decided to dawn my critic persona and possibly make fun of this video that I have fun watching. For this review, I'll be aware of the video's quirkiness, as well as its educational value. Do all of the quirk and lessons still hold up? I mean, sure, this video spawned an updated version somewhere in 2006, but you still get the feeling of nostalgia out of it somehow.
So, here it is! This is Sly Fox and Birdie.
Opening Scene:
So the video wastes no time giving us the video's title, as we see a yellow bird named Birdie (voiced by Jeanette Barnhouse), waking up from her nest and flying up above public areas and some railroad tracks.
Near the tracks is her friend Sly Fox (voiced by Otis Twelve)...
-Wait. Barnhouse? Otis? Don't those names remind you of the movie Barnyard? And Barnyard came out in 2006... way after this video came out! How about it? Do you think that was a coincidence?
Birdie: "Is that my friend Sly Fox down there? Hey! What's he doing by those railroad tracks?! That's scary!"
Railroad Tracks Scene:
Sly Fox is obviously up to no good by placing objects onto the railroad tracks.
Sly Fox: "Oh, hello Birdie! Just havin' some fun!... Yeah, I'm gonna put some stuff on the train tracks... When the ol' train comes roarin' by, it'll squash 'em to pieces!"
-(mimicking Sly Fox) Just like what I saw in a cartoon! I know I have nothing better to do like play an Xbox or PS4. Those weren't invented yet, so eh. Thank God for the stuff I've seen in Looney Tunes... NOT the newer version but the old one. I'm inspired!
-By the way, is it me, or is this video remind me of two characters from Five Nights at Freddy's? You know, a bird and a fox? But hey, this video came out way before Five Nights at Freddy's. Maybe Scott Cawthon got some of his inspiration for the game here... Just a theory.
But leave it to Birdie to tell Sly Fox that what he's doing is dangerous.
Birdie: "That's a dumb idea! It doesn't even sound like fun!"
Sly Fox: "Well, says you, Birdie-brain! I'm doing it anyway! So there!"
-How much you wanna bet that the fox is gonna be the one doing the don't's of railroad safety, while the bird is practicing the do's?
-Plus, is it weird to say that this also reminds me of the Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons? Those cartoons were around way before this video. But what's stranger is that there's an old PSA commercial on railroad safety featuring Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner! Seriously, look it up!
Birdie: "What you're doing is scary! You could get hurt or... or even killed!"
-That won't be the last time she mentions the word "killed."
The Thinking Cap:
So Birdie has Sly Fox put on a thinking cap...
-...literally.
-And, hi. How did she get that hat? Was it just there for convenience?
...and Sly Fox is shown what would happen if the objects stayed on the track as the train goes by.
Birdie: "...instead of crushing the junk... it shoots out like bullets!"
-Just think of it as a shootout... but with a train.
Sly Fox: "That was close! A fox can get hurt around here!"
-You? What about Birdie? There was stuff thrown at her too!
Birdie: "...it could even make the train turn over. People could get hurt... or, or killed!"
-Might as well keep the "Killed" Tally on stand-by, just in case she says that again.
"Killed" Tally: 2
Seeing the consequences live from the Thinking Cap, Sly Fox agrees not to put anything on the tracks.
Birdie: "Now you're thinking, Sly!"
-Watch that compliment be for nothing in 3... 2... 1...
Sly Fox: "Hey! Wait a minute! Why don't we just throw this stuff at the train when it goes by? Now that would be fun!... I'll give the choo-choo my ol' knuckler!"
-Yep. All bets are off. Sly Fox is this video's reckless smart-ass, while the bird is trying to make him wise up.
This, of course, leads to another rule about railroad safety.
Birdie: "It's bad enough being hit when you're standing still. But if you're on a fast-moving train and get hit by something..."
Sly Fox: "...it can hurt!"
...
Birdie: "Then why throw things at a train she's riding on?"
-Yeah! That's a lawsuit waiting to happen!
Sly Fox: "Well, I didn't want to hurt anyone! I'm just lookin' for a little fun!"
-You know, that's what all drunk drivers, people high off their rear, and... pretty much anyone reckless says.
Away from Railroad Tracks:
So Birdie leads Sly Fox away from the railroad tracks, saying that there are alternatives when looking for fun. In return, Sly Fox suggests that she go find something good to eat.
Birdie: "See you around, Foxy. Up, up and away!"
Sly Fox: "(chuckling) I'd thought I never get rid of that pesky chirper."
-That's great, but... what are you gonna do about it?
Sly Fox: "Boxcars! Big ol' standin' boxcars surely can't hurt ya!"
-(sigh)
The Boxcars:
But it isn't long before Birdie catches onto Sly Fox's antics.
Sly Fox: "I thought I got rid of you, Beak Head!"
-Take that, Toy Chica!
How dare you show off in the hallway with only a bib and panties on!
-And boy, Sly Fox sure gets moody every time Birdie tries to spoil his "fun."
Birdie: "A boxcar just standing still doesn't seem dangerous, but it sure can be!"
Sly Fox: "Here we go again! How's that?"
-You see? Moody as heck!
So Birdie explains that the boxcars can move at any time, and...
Sly Fox: "I could get hurt!"
Birdie: "Or killed!"
"Killed" Tally: 3
Hiking on the Tracks:
So Sly Fox is talked off the boxcars, but then he decides to walk on the railroad tracks instead.
Sly Fox: "Come on! There's no trains comin'!"
...
Birdie: "Oh, I'd better tail him before he gets in more trouble."
-So now you're his babysitter?
Now, like a doofus, Sly Fox comes across a railroad bridge and decides to cross it.
Sly Fox: "Aha! A bridge! Bridges are made for crossing!"
-And they're also made for committing suicide. You know that, right?
Then Birdie offers some more advice:
Birdie: "Bridges don't have sidewalks. If a train were to come..."
(a train comes and Sly Fox freezes in fear)
-Well, I've seen scarier dramatic freezes in fear...
(reference)
Birdie: "Oh, Sly Fox has two choices now!
One... get hit by the train... Two... jump off the bridge..."
-Cartoon suicide in 3... 2... 1...
(Sly Fox jumps off the bridge)
Sly Fox: "AAAAAAH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOO!"
-Whoa. His Goofy impression needs some work.
The Railroad Tunnel:
We then cut to the dangers of train tunnels.
Birdie: "The trouble with being around railroad tracks is getting yourself in a place where you can't get away from the train. Take this railroad tunnel for instance.
It's only wide enough for the train. Like the bridge, there's no sidewalk."
-Hmm... we already know that Sly Fox has already broken a few rules on railroad safety.
So telling by what's he's already done to disregard railroad safety, how do you think he did with the railroad tunnel?
Birdie: "If you're caught in a tunnel when... a train comes...!"
Sly Fox: "CLEAR THE WAY!!!"
Birdie: "...you can't run or ride fast enough to get out of the way!"
(train runs over Sly Fox)
-A moment of silence for Sly Fox...
Sly Fox: "If I weren't a cartoon character, I'd be dead as a door nail."
-Oh, wait. Sly Fox is still alive... and he broke fourth wall.
Birdie: "You are seeing the light, my friend!"
-And all you had to do was cheat death twice!
After Incident:
After Sly Fox admits to his wrong-doings, Birdie also tells him not to stand too close to the tracks.
Sly Fox: "You mean, that isn't safe either?"
Birdie tells Sly Fox to stand way back from the train, especially when there's cargo on board.
Birdie: "Right-o! It's fun to watch a train go by!"
Sly Fox: "But do it from a safe distance."
Birdie: "You got it, Sly!"
-(gasp) The fox is learning now? I guess his transformation came after he got run over by that train. Hmm... I wonder if getting run over by a train would change people. Think of all the villains that'll repent if they just got run over by a train!
Ex. 1:
Freddy Fazbear used to haunt a pizza restaurant... but then he was run over by a train... and now he graciously does stand-up comedy at an old folks' home.
Ex. 2:
Bowser used to kidnap Princess Peach on a weekly basis... but then he was run over by a train... and now he's a regular guest at the princess's tea parties.
Ex. 3:
Drake used to bully people to a tee in order to show them that he loves a girl that clearly doesn't love him back... but then he was run over by a train... and now he's taking counselling to question his own manliness.
-Well, to be fair, his death involved a boulder landing on hims, so he's already dead.
No transformation.
Ex. 4:
Dr. Blowhole used to plot world domination with a mutated iPod... but then he got run over by a train... and now he's happily performing tricks at an aqua-theater.
-And actually, he did! (pause) Well, in reality, he wasn't hit by a train, but fell victim to his own Mind-Jacker, and now doesn't remember who he is. Either way, he had it coming...
Railroad Safety with Cars:
Then our characters move onto railroad safety involving cars.
This leads to a lesson on railroad signals and signs.
Birdie: "Let's say you're riding along in a car, and you come upon this railroad crossing... Now, Foxy pal, what do the gates, red lights, and bells mean?"
Sly Fox: "Stop."
Birdie: "Yeah! I thought you'd say something like, 'It means hurry and get across,' or... or 'Slow down' or something."
Sly Fox: "Nope. It means 'Stop,' period!"
-(mimicking Sly Fox) Yep. I'm now on my best behavior.
Then Sly Fox begs the question of what to do if your car happens to stall on the railroad tracks.
Birdie suggests that you get out of the car immediately get out of the way.
(train runs over car)
-Well, I sure hope Sly Fox has car insurance...
Sly Fox: "Whoa! Glad I was out of the way!"
-I gotta say: The fox can drive?
That could've been in memo. But to be fair, they demonstrated a point about railroad safety involving cars. So fair enough.
Reviewing What We've Learned:
Sly Fox: "Birdie, old pal! You've really been a lifesaver today!"
-(mimicking Sly Fox) Did I forget to mention that this video is sponsored by Operation Lifesaver? Just wanted to point that out to you, kids!
Birdie: "A lifesaver, huh?"
Sly Fox: "You betcha! And I wanna tell everyone I know about safety around trains and tracks and railroad crossings and everything!"
-Well, good news, Sly Fox. Y'all...
Birdie: "...already have!"
-See?
Birdie: "Look out there! They've been watching and listening to you and me!"
Sly Fox: "You mean, they saw everything we did?"
Birdie: "Yes!"
-Another fourth wall breakage...
-Plus, I can totally see so many characters from different movies, shows, etc. watching this video, and Birdie and Sly Fox saying all this... Just look!
Birdie: "Look out there!
They've been watching and listening to you and me!"
Sly Fox: "You mean, they saw everything we did?"
Birdie: "Yes!"
Sly Fox: "Well great! I hope you girls and boys learned something today!"
Birdie: "Let's talk about we've learned."
-Oh no! Now they're satirizing a catchphrase from a kids' show that won't come out until 1993!
(referring to Veggietales) I mean, did this video time-travel or something? 'Cause they seem to know a lot of pop culture!
So our characters review what we've learned today, and then they fit to leave each other.
Birdie: "It's about time for me to get back to my nest."
-(mimicking Birdie for fun) I have a worm casserole in the oven!
Sly Fox: "Well thanks again for everything, Birdie!"
Birdie: "See you tomorrow, old friend!"
Sly Fox: "Bye, bye, Birdie!"
-(mimicking Sly Fox)... until 2006, where we rap to an updated version of this video... which almost no one will see, or be familiar with!
And that was Sly Fox and Birdie, a video on railroad safety. I like it actually. But my main concern was if it still held up or not.
Well, it did the right thing on being animated, unlike the educational videos from Disney that I've already reviewed in this blog. You'd think Disney would know better than to have those videos filmed in live-action.
I'd say this educational video seems a little outdated because time went on; and plus, the statistics on railroad accidents have changed over time. However, it still holds the same vintage message that people need to be aware of railroad safety and to not be reckless around railroad tracks, whether you're a bystander or a driver. So that works.
However, if this video had any value at all, then it would be the writing. The jokes, the overall quirkiness, and the characterization wasn't so bad, even though it had this habit of referring to pop culture from the here-and-now, its own time, and from stuff that came out before this video.
As a whole, whether you're familiar with Operation Lifesaver or not, this video wasn't too bad. If your kids ask you about railroad safety, I guess it's safe to say that showing them this video would be no harm, but only if you have a discussion on railroad safety afterwards.
Whatsoever Critic
Sources:
Sly Fox and Birdie (video)
Five Nights at Freddy's 2
The Pebble and the Penguin
Five Nights at Freddy's
Super Mario Bros. (video game franchise)
Penguins of Madagascar (TV Show)
Chuck E. Cheese
Too Smart for Strangers with Winnie the Pooh
Veggietales
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
LarryBoy the Cartoon Adventures
Courtesy: Union Pacific Railroad Company and Operation Lifesaver; Scott Cawthon; Don Bluth/MGM Studios; Nintendo; DreamWorks Animation; CEC Entertainment; Disney; Big Idea/DreamWorks; and Disney Junior.
