Bubblevision

(Opening shot: the city skyline in the morning.)

 

Narrator: The city of Townsville. And it looks like it’s gonna be a calm, peaceful, uneventful day, as long as you ignore the GIANT ANT!

(On the end of this line, turn down quickly to a huge ant caught in the act of chewing up a building. At ground level, people scream and  run just before its feet slam down. It lifts a truck with its jaws and roars.)

 

Narrator: This looks like the end!

(The ant crushes the truck. Cut to the girls in flight, with Bubbles in the foreground.)

 

Narrator: Ah, what a sight for sore eyes! The Powerpuff Girls will see to the end of this beast! (Bubbles squints for a moment.)

Blossom: Okay, girls. Let’s give him a power kick to his temple.

(She and Buttercup fly o.c. on the end of this line, and Bubbles follows. We  see the ant on top of another building. Blossom and Buttercup slam into  its head and bounce off as it screeches in pain. Bubbles goes right past it; quick cut to ground level, where she slams into the pavement. She emerges, angry, and takes off—away from where the ant is perched.)

(Close-up of Blossom and Buttercup, preparing to launch a double flying kick. After they both connect, pull back as Bubbles pops into view, facing away from the ant and wearing a surprised expression. She turns around and starts a kick of her own, but hits the side of the building the ant is eating.)

(Close-up of Blossom and Buttercup again; this time they land a pair of flying punches. Bubbles climbs out of her hole and darts in to attack, but misses the ant once again and begins swinging at air instead. A crash causes her to look all around her, and she finally spots the ant and her  sisters. They are now firing their eye lasers at its head. Bubbles rushes in and fires a blast of her own, which hits them instead of the ant and burns them to a crisp.)

 

Blossom, Buttercup: Bubbles!

(Close-up of Bubbles, once again punching wildly at nothing.)

 

Bubbles: Hah! Yah! Boom-chick-e-aka! Take that, giant ant!

(On the end of this line, pull back to show all four—Bubbles on the left, her sisters in the middle, the ant on the right—then close-up of Buttercup and Blossom. They look left o.c., worried, then right o.c. Pan  over to the ant, still roaring and snapping its jaws, then back to them. They look at each other for a long moment before flying o.c. left.  The camera shifts to show them hauling Bubbles away by her arms, past the ant.)

 

Bubbles: (surprised, angry) Hey! What’s going on? Wh—where are we going? (fading out) WHAT ABOUT THE GIANT AAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNTTTT?!?!?!

(The ant roars, snaps, and begins eating another building. Cut to the exterior of the girls’ house, zooming in slowly.)

 

Blossom: (from inside the house) Professor, there’s something wrong with Bubbles.

(Inside, Bubbles is sitting on a chair in the lab. She is pointing and gesturing angrily and is looking left o.c.)

 

Bubbles: I’m fine!

(Cut to a side view of the chair. Bubbles is now seated at the left of the frame and looking toward the camera; Blossom, Buttercup, and the Professor are at the right, looking on.)

 

Bubbles: There’s nothing wrong with me! Don’t make me come over there!

(Blurry head-on view of the Professor and the other two girls—we are now seeing the world through Bubbles’ eyes.)

 

Blossom: You see?

Professor: Hmmm…

(Side view, in focus, of him taking a few steps toward her.)

 

Professor: Okay, Bubbles, I’m just gonna do a couple of tests. (Pan to Bubbles, now facing away from the camera.)

Bubbles: But, Professor— (Close-up of her, looking right o.c.) —we don’t have time! We have to stop the giant ant!

(His hands come into view and turn her head so she faces the camera. This is his perspective.)

 

Professor: I know, but this won’t take any time at all.

(Close-up of him, holding a pointer; as he speaks, pull back to behind Bubbles. He is standing next to an eye chart, and Blossom and Buttercup are next to him.)

 

Professor: Okay. Now, tell me what you see.

(Brief close-up of Bubbles, smiling, then a series of blurry shots of the following letters: B, Q, T, S, G—her perspective. As each new letter comes up, she guesses.)

 

Bubbles: G—X—L—V—M.

(Side view of the Professor and the other two girls. Buttercup claps her hands to her face in disbelief. Close-up of a beaming Bubbles, then a blurry shot of the Professor’s face. He is wearing sunglasses and standing in front of what appear to be several light bulbs.)

 

Professor: When you see the light, any light at all, raise your hand.

(He pulls his head o.c.; pull back to show Bubbles sitting on a stool and facing an array of lights. Her back is to the camera. After a moment, the lights come on with blinding intensity. The Professor and the other girls shield their eyes and draw back. Bubbles, meanwhile, does not raise her hand or even blink, but instead turns her head as if looking for the light.)

(Blurry view of the Professor squatting down and holding his hand up. Blossom and Buttercup are hovering over his shoulders. Close-up of Bubbles; we see his hand in front of her face, index finger extended. He moves the finger from side to side, but she turns her head the other way each time  he does so. Blurry view of him and the other girls again; now he slaps his forehead in disbelief.)

(Cut to just behind Bubbles’ head. There is a bullseye in front of her; to the right are her sisters and the Professor, who points to the target. She fires her eye lasers, nailing them instead.)

(Side view of her chair; the Professor leans in close, looking through a magnifying glass. Extreme close-up of her eye, in which he is reflected,  then back to the blurry view of him and the other girls again.)

 

Blossom: Professor, is she gonna be okay? (He stands up and walks o.c. left.) ’Cause we really need to get back and stop that giant ant, and we can’t do it without Bubbles—

(He walks back and squats to Bubbles’ level. Producing a pair of glasses, he reaches toward the camera with them.)

 

Blossom: —so we need to know. (The view snaps into focus.) Is she gonna be okay?

Professor: She’ll be just fine.

(Stifled laughter from Blossom and Buttercup; after a few seconds, they lose control of it as the Professor looks angrily back at them. Close-up of Bubbles, whose eyes now appear even bigger than normal because of the glasses. The laughter continues.)

 

Bubbles: (looking around) What? What? What’s so funny? (Cut back to Blossom and Buttercup, still smiling.)

Blossom: Oh—nothing, nothing.

Buttercup: Yeah, nothing…dork!

(The two begin laughing again, so hard that they fall all over each other. Pan to a side view of Bubbles, looking at the camera in bewilderment.)

 

Bubbles: Dork?

(She flies over to a mirror and sees her own reflection.)

 

Bubbles: (very small voice, covering her mouth) Yipe!

(She flies back over to the rest of the group, her head down, and takes off the glasses.)

 

Bubbles: (sadly) I do look like a dork.

Buttercup: No, you don’t.

Blossom: Yeah, you look like a ner—

(She is interrupted by the Professor’s hand slapping over her mouth. He looks at them crossly and kneels to talk to Bubbles.)

 

Professor: Bubbles—now you know it’s not important what your sisters think.

Bubbles: (raising her head, looking away from him) But, Professor—

Professor: (turning her face to him) Look, Bubbles. What is important is that you always want to be at your best— (Close-up of her; he continues o.c.) —so you can fight that giant ant or whatever and save the day. (She smiles and puts the glasses on.) And these glasses are there to help you be at one hundred percent.

Bubbles: How do I look, Professor?

(Camera shifts to point between his hands, which he is holding up as if framing  a photograph. Bubbles flies up into the space between his fingers. Cut to a side view of the two.)

 

Professor: Bubbles, you look super!

(He gives a double thumbs-up, and she smiles. Cut to Blossom and Buttercup, floating near a hole in the ceiling.)

 

Blossom: Yeah, we were just kidding. (Buttercup nods.) Now let’s get that ant! Come on! (They take off, and Bubbles moves into view.)

Bubbles: Thanks, Professor! (She gets set to leave.)

Professor: Now, Bubbles…

Bubbles: (stopping) Yeah?

Professor: Don’t let anything your sisters say get to you. Promise?

Bubbles: I promise. Bye! (She takes off.)

(A quick flash of the house exterior as she leaves. Cut to Blossom and Buttercup in flight; Bubbles soon joins them.)

 

Bubbles: Hi, guys!

Blossom: Ah, what a sight for sore eyes!

Buttercup: It’s old Four-Eyes!

Bubbles: (angrily) Hey! You said you were just kidding!

Buttercup: We were.

Blossom: Yeah, about just kidding!

(The two continue toward Townsville, laughing; Bubbles stops short.)

 

Blossom: (from o.c.) Hurry up, Specs!

(Bubbles hangs her head and takes off the glasses.)

 

Bubbles: I don’t need these stupid glasses to be at one hundred percent. (She starts off again.) I can see just fine! (She runs into a tree.) Ow!

Narrator: (laughing sadly) Oh, boy. Without her glasses, Bubbles can’t see the forest—or the trees!

(As he says this, Bubbles flies through a group of trees and runs into two more of them. Finally, she clears the area and continues toward Townsville. Close-up of her, rubbing her head.)

 

Bubbles: (softly, almost begging) No more trees, no more trees, no more trees…

Blossom: (from o.c.) Bubbles!

Bubbles: (stopping) Huh?

(Cut to Blossom and Buttercup, firing their eye lasers at the ant again.)

 

Blossom: Where are you? (Pan to the ant; she continues o.c.) Our lasers are too weak! (Back to them, retreating o.c.)

Buttercup: We need your help!

(The ant advances into view and starts to back them up against the end wall of an alley. Bubbles is floating high overhead, and she begins to fly randomly about.)

 

Bubbles: Girls! Girls, where are you?

(Close-up of the two, backed up all the way to the wall with the ant’s shadow over them.)

 

Blossom: Where could she be?

(Camera shifts to just behind her head, looking up at the ant, then to one side  as it digs its jaws into the wall. They fly beneath its body, strafing with their eye lasers.)

 

Blossom: Quick! Search for a weak spot!

(One of the ant’s legs pins Buttercup to the ground.)

 

Blossom: Buttercup! (She pulls her sister to safety, and the two fly away.) It’s no use. We’ve gotta find Bubbles!

(Bubbles is still flying randomly around, carrying the glasses. Cut between her and the others.)

 

Bubbles: (with mounting desperation) Girls! Girls!

Blossom: Bubbles!

Buttercup: Bubbles!

Bubbles: Girls? (She runs into a building.) Oof! Girls!

Blossom, Buttercup: Bubbles!

Bubbles: Gi— (She flies up and hits a flagpole headfirst.) Oof!

Blossom, Buttercup: Bubbles!

Bubbles: Girls? (Her face brightens.) Girls!

(She lands on a rooftop, in front of two Powerpuff Girl-shaped shadows.)

 

Bubbles: Oh, thank goodness I found you! Are you okay?

(Blurry shot of the “girls”—actually two vent caps. Cut to a side view of Bubbles next to them.)

 

Bubbles: Did you stop the giant ant?

(We see the vent caps again, then a close-up of Bubbles. Cut back to them during each pause.)

 

Bubbles: What’s the matter? Why don’t you say anything?…Oh, I get it. You’re too cool to talk to a dork like me, right?…Fine!

(The vent caps again. We hear something land o.c.)

 

Blossom: (from o.c.) Bubbles!

(Camera turns around to show Blossom and Buttercup hovering behind Bubbles.)

Bubbles: Nope.

Blossom: Bubbles!

Bubbles: I’m not listening.

Buttercup: Bubbles, turn around!

Bubbles: Huh?

(She turns. Blurry close-up of Blossom.)

 

Blossom: Come on! Put your glasses on and help us! (In-focus shot of an angry Bubbles.)

Bubbles: Uh-uh! You’ll laugh at me! (Blurry close-up of Buttercup.)

Buttercup: We will not! Now put them on!

(In-focus shot of Bubbles again as she puts the glasses on. Camera shifts to behind her head as Blossom and Buttercup once again laugh uncontrollably, then back to Bubbles’ close-up. She takes the glasses off again.)

 

Bubbles: (even angrier) See? (Blurry shot of Blossom and Buttercup.)

Blossom: (still laughing) We’re sorry, we’re sorry!

(They dissolve into laughter again as the giant ant approaches from behind. Overhead, in-focus shot of its jaws opening wide and snapping shut on them, then quickly zoom in on them. They scream in surprise and terror.)

 

Blossom, Buttercup: Bubbles, help!

(Close-up of Bubbles, looking around frantically.)

 

Bubbles: Huh? What? (Pull back; the ant is right next to her, and she screams when she sees it.)

Blossom: Do something!

(Blurry shot of the ant, its image shifting from side to side—Bubbles’ perspective.)

 

Bubbles: (breathing fast) Which one is it? (Cut to the two girls caught in the jaws.)

Blossom: Use your glasses! (Turn down to Bubbles.)

Bubbles: No! I don’t need them!

(She begins to fire her eye lasers at random; pull back to reveal that none of her shots are anywhere close to the ant.)

 

Buttercup: You’re missing!

Blossom: Badly!

Bubbles: I can get him!

(She backs up but trips over a pipe sticking out of the roof and lands on her back. She continues to fire as the ant advances on her.)

 

Blossom, Buttercup: USE YOUR GLASSES!!

Bubbles: No! (She screams as one of the ant’s legs pins her. She struggles for a moment as the camera zooms in on her face.) OKAY!!

(She holds up the glasses and slowly brings them to her face. Her view of the ant snaps into focus. Extreme close-up of her face, her eyebrows lowered, then of her eyes as she begins to fire once again. The beam spreads out when it passes through the lenses.)

 

Narrator: As the crimson beam shoots forth, the sheer thickness of Bubbles’ lenses begins to magnify the red-hot point of energy, until…

(Pull back to show the ant on the roof. It is suddenly engulfed in a wide-angle laser beam and blown to kingdom come in slow motion. Bubbles continues firing for some time, then stops and squints, dazed. Her eyes snap open in surprise, and she begins to point and snicker, finally bursting into a paroxysm of laughter of her own. Cut to Blossom and Buttercup, now covered in brown, smoking ant sludge, as she continues to  laugh.)

(Dissolve to the exterior of the house. The Professor can be heard laughing. Inside, the family is once again in the lab. He is holding Bubbles; the others are on the floor, reenacting the scene. Blossom is standing in for the ant, Buttercup for Bubbles.)

 

Professor: Oh, really?

Blossom: Yeah. The ant had Bubbles pinned, and we were all, “Put on your glasses! Put on your glasses!”

Buttercup: Yeah. But she was like— (Quick shot from Buttercup’s perspective; she imitates Bubbles.) “No, I look stupid!” (Close-up of her; she continues in her own voice.) But then she put them on and ZAP!

(She fires a blast from her eye lasers; it ricochets all around the room as everyone ducks, and it finally catches Bubbles dead in the face. Glass shatters and flies everywhere, and she and the glasses slide across the floor. Everyone else is ready to freak out. Cut to an overhead view of Bubbles, stunned, and zoom in on her eye. Snap to white.)

(Fade into a blurry view of the Professor and the other two girls. The picture gradually comes into focus as they speak—Bubbles’ perspective.)

 

Professor: Honey?

Blossom: Are you okay?

Buttercup: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!

Bubbles: Hey…I can see!

(The others smile. Cut to Bubbles, now sitting up on the floor next to the smashed glasses.)

 

Bubbles: In fact, I can see…better than ever! What happened, Professor?

(Close-up of him, with Buttercup and Blossom on either side.)

 

Professor: Well, as far as I can figure, Buttercup’s blast to your eyes must have hit in precisely the exact spot, causing a sort of corrective laser surgery. I must say, I’m very impressed—

(His voice fades into muffled gibberish and goes on for some time. Cut back to Bubbles on the floor, holding a hand to her ear. We are now hearing the world as she does.)

 

Bubbles: What? What’d you say? I can’t hear you.

(The standard end shot comes up.)

 

Narrator: (laughing) Oh, Bubbles, there’s always something wrong with you. (laughing again) So once again— (He also fades into gibberish.)