Pooh's Adventures of the Wide World of Sports 3: the Foreign Valentine

Written by
 Directed by

***Pooh's Adventures of the Wide World of Sports 3:* the Foreign Valentine** is the eighth episode of the series. It is the third chapter of The Wide World of Sports saga.

## Synopsis

Obama has been falsely accused of freezing two basketball players and stealing the Ruby of Passion, which are all actually done by a masked warrior named Voodoo. He sets out to find the ruby, and believes there would be a connection to his long lost father Rhino. Together with Jade, Heinrick & Clancy, along with Pooh, Bugs, Daffy, Lola & Tina, Obama ventures to Athens, Greece to battle the vain Brandy Vales, the devilish Hades, and Elmer Dimitri, who plots to avenge Driscoll's defeat, while relocating the Ruby, where his fate, and that of his father, will be decided, all in the bumpiest Valentine's Day yet.

## Plot

During a conference of sportsmen held in the Dingo Stadium, (*Pop Goes my Heart)* Simon Hogan is frozen by a mysterious cloaked figure named Voodoo, who stole the elusive Rudy of Passion, shortly after Obama bursts in on the meeting. Due to Voodoo's resemblance to Obama, the champion is blamed for Simon's freezing and the ruby's theft.  Councilwoman Brandy Vales tells the media that Obama is a public menace (despite the president's protests).  Nearby, Pooh has an awry campire with his gang, Bugs, Daffy and their girlfriends, Lola & Tina.  Throughout the adventure, Bugs tries to lure Lola away from addictions to Daffy, and Daffy must learn to be himself, due to Tina's "like a protect" attitude.

Obama is about to date Jade, when the police bring him to Brandy, who almost sentences him to exile, but Obama claims that the Ruby of Passion was taken by Voodoo to Athens, Greece, or so it was mentioned. Brandy allows him 10 days to return the gem, or get suspended from his gym, and the entire Academy of Sports.

Obama then attempts to run away, when he notices a familiar photo while packing.  He tells the group about his long lost father, Obama Rhodes, Sr., nicknamed Rhino.  In a flashback, Young Obama tells his father that he's leaving for an activity but Rhino forbids it as Obama's grounded for "starting a fight." After a brief argument Obama leaves in anger, unsure that he would be a big sucess just like his dad.  Much later, Obama is trained to be the best player in town via montage. (*We Built this City on Rock & Roll)*

In the present time, Obama changes his mind about running away, and volunteers to relocate the ruby in Athens, and Heinrick, Jade, Clancy, Pooh & the Tunes go with him.

Down beneath the Underworld, the wicked lord of the dead, Hades plots to overthrow Pooh and get revenge. Turning to the Fates for help, Hades learns that Obama's mission will allow Hades to locate and free the Titans to fight Pooh, but only if the Tunes do not interfere. Hades meets his minions Pain and Panic, and they ascend to the surface to get help.

In the Capital Dungeon, Elmer Dimitri was visited by the ghost of Phillip Driscoll, pleading for Elmer to avenge his death.  Afterwards, Elmer recieves another visitor, Hades, who seeks to use Elmer to get rid of Obama, so he would take care of Pooh & the Tunes.  Elmer agrees, on the condition that he makes Hades his partner, instead of another minister like Driscoll.  They escape the Dungeon and evade the police.

Voodoo finds and freezes another sportsman, Croc Dodgson.  Around the same time, Brandy is fed up with Obama, and offers to fly out to Greece to deal with him herself.

In Athens, the Pooh gang cleans up the town, "according to the play," Bugs, Daffy, Lola & Tina continue their date, and Heinrick is mesmerized by the town.  Brandy arrives with some agents to finish them off, but Rhino Rhodes emerges and beats them! Brandy vows to "be back," and Rhino explains to his son that he and his lawyer, Bruno had left Washington and had been hiding in Fiji from Simon & Croc, to whom he owed a lot of money. Obama comes to suspect that his father may be Voodoo, but the role "remained anonymous."  They spend a night together having missed out on a lot.  (*Journey to the Past)*

Meanwhile, Brandy was met by Elmer & Hades, who convince her that Obama was innocent, and that Voodoo was behind it all.  Brandy teams up with them to take down both Obama & Rhino.  (*Are You In or Out)*

Later, Voodoo emerges, and Obama catches him at last.  After beating the warrior at his "Leap of Faith" ball shot, Obama unmasks him as his father!  Rhino begs for forgiveness, and tells him, "Believe in me, as I believed in you."  Rhino was about to hand Obama the Ruby of Passion, when Brandy, Elmer & Hades approached!  Brandy ultimately reveals her true colors on how she really was all along, when she plots to conquer sports with the ruby, which she revealed to be made of pure red viscous material, which horribly burns everyting it shines on.  However, she makes Rhino a deal: if he gives Brandy the ruby, she'd spare Obama and the others, but he doesn't, she would "sunburn them to Kingdom Come"; reluctantly and sadly, Rhino gives her the ruby, only to be captured himself.

As the villains escape with their prize, our heroes were imprisoned in the Minos Dungeon below.  Jade convinces Rhino that he can bring joy to Obama as his father, but this reinvigorates Rhino.  He then shows the group a tank in which Bruno lies frozen.  Rhino reveals that he used his ice gun to give Simon & Croc "a dose of their own medicine."  He reconciles with Jade, and busts them out of the dungeon.  Piglet is concerned on how the play would end. Christopher Robin assures him that it would end nicely, and Piglet agrres.  Bugs wields his carrot saber, and Daffy invites Tina to "dance."  With that, they were on their way.

Atop the Ares Temple, Brandy shoots a deadly beam from the ruby, while Hades summons the Titans.  Just when it looked like they were about to have everything they wanted, the group reappears, and a fierce battle ensues.  Tigger punches Pain & Panic, Bugs slashes the Titans, Daffy & Tina blow the fire off Hades, and Brandy attacks Rhino with her sword.  She claims to have passed 12 years to make her dream real, but Rhino rebuts that her mad dream dies now, and Elmer is ready to avenge Driscoll.  The two villains prepare to kick Rhino off the temple, when he drew his ice gun, and froze Brandy & Elmer for good.  Hades tries to finish off Pooh himself, when Bugs raised his rifle, took aim and fired, sending Hades falling into the River Styx, where the spirits below drag him away.  Pain & Panic look on helplessly, and Tigger calls out, "come back anytime!"

Rhino uses the ruby to set fire to the temple, and a chain reaction begins that slowly engulfs the mountain in fire. The inhabitants and our heroes evacuate, and Obama & Jade urge Rhino to follow them, but he says he's staying with Bruno, adding he wouldn't lose him again. To drive his point home, he freezes Jade below the neck, forcing Obama to save his wife rather than go after Rhino. As they escape Athens, the fire tears through it and it explodes.  The frozen Brandy & Elmer sink to the bottom of the sea, where they are heard from no more.

Finally, the group is at home in Washington.  As Jade is recovering from the ice, by way of the city bathhouse, Heinrick consoles a heartbroken Obama, telling him that no one could have helped Rhino.  Pooh & the Tunes grieve him as well, adding that they "should've told Rhino how they felt of him, when they had the chance."  Suddenly, Rhino appears, very much alive!  Obama, Pooh & the Tunes are happy to see him. Bruno, Simon & Hogan appear as well, having been thawed by the bathhouse too, and they apologize for everything they had done.

Later, the Ruby of Passion was placed in the Smithsonian, the president welcomes back Obama as minister again, sure that Valentine's Day would "reign supreme."  Bruno looks at the time, and tells Rhino that they should leave on a train for a date in Georgia, so Rhino tells Jade, Heinrick & Clancy goodbye, Piglet wishes him good luck, and Obama takes his father to the Union Station.  Rhino asks his son to come with him, but Obama stays behind to keep the peace.  After a tender farewell, Obama lets his father go.  After Rhino leaves on the train, Obama remains in the night, roaming the town and watching the stars.  Pooh, his gang, Bugs, Daffy, Lola & Tina part ways, until the next adventure.

## Trivia

### Story Behind the Story

I had been to Las Vegas, Nevada, and it's hotel, Caesar's Palace, which has similar Greek themes.

### Pooh's side

There was another Vegas hotel named Circus Circus, which housed the Chuck Jones Experience exhibit, Bugs & Daffy had once been to Vegas in *Looney Tunes: Back in Action,* their girlfriends Lola & Tina have a lot to do with Valentine's Day, and Hades has a lot to do with Greece.

### Connection

This is the third and final entry to feature Disney Villains.

## Cast

Jim Cummings as Winnie the PoohJohn Fiedler as PigletPaul Winchell as TiggerKen Samson as RabbitPeter Cullen as EeyoreHal Smith as OwlMichael Gough as GopherTim Hoskins as Christopher RobinJeff Bergman as Bugs & DaffyKristen Wiig as LolaJennifer Esposito as TinaJames Woods as HadesBobcat Goldthwait as PainMatt Frewer as PanicPaddi Edwards as the FatesCorey Burton as the TitansSamuel L Jackson as ObamaIssac Hayes as Rhino/VoodooAnika Noni Rose as JadeBob Hoskins as HeinrickAlec Baldwin as ClancyBebe Neuwirth as BrandyJason Alexander as ElmerLiam Neeson as Simon HoganEwan McGregor as Croc DodgsonMorgan Freeman as Bruno the LawyerHank Azaria as the PresidentGary Oldman as Driscoll

### Songs:

* The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh theme
* Pop Goes My Heart
* We Built This City on Rock & Roll
* Journey to the Past
* Are You In or Out
* *No Chance*
* *Legend has been Told*
* End Title Song: Always Know Where You Are by BBMak
* Exit Music: *Holly Jolly Christmas Fox Trot* by Burl Ives