Stop Acting Around (Geronimo Stilton)

**Stop Acting Around**is the third episode of the Geronimo Stilton cartoon's normal broadcast.

## Synopsis

After his good friend and director, E.J. Sprocket, invites him to the set of Block Cheddar 4, Geronimo notes of some accidents and after witnessing some for himself, the gang must scramble if are to stop movie star Jack Vole from getting away with a surplus of gold.

## Plot

(intro scene)

A gang of western raiders have just made a young woman their latest captive, and are taking a break while leaving said captive unwatched. One of them threw his cup behind the their captive's current strangling post, a tree, and as they were chattering, a mysterious mouse came up to the captive with a knife, then quickly cut her loose. As the former captive asks for his name, her rescuer quickly took her hand and ran, but unfortunately, one of the gang members notices the missing captive and alerts the others. Now, the chase begins as the raiders mount their horses and they started after the escapee and her rescue, both of which had gotten on a moose and started riding away from the western gang. They reached the edge above a waterfall, with the escapee thinking their luck has run out. Her rescuer, however, thought otherwise, and lassoes a tree on which both try to swing to safety as the escapee's captors begin to catch up. Unfortunately, the branch proves to be too weak, as they started to fall to their doom, but surprisingly, both land on a safety pad, revealing that the whole thing was just a movie shoot, with the hero, Block Cheddar, ready for another shot.

(the main article)

Meanwhile in NMC (New Mouse City), Geronimo had finished typing a report and was looking foward to some peace and quiet, which he tries to enjoy by reading a book. But Geronimo is immediately startled with a surprise call by the director from earlier, revealing himself to be an old friend of Geronimo, E.J. Sprocket, who then invites him to the set of Block Cheddar 4, his new film, something that immediately catches the attention of Benjamin and Bugsy Wugsy. With some pleading from the 2 mouselets, and some ideas for a scoop from Thea (who recently entered the room), Geronimo reluctantly agrees to visiting the movie set.

At the set, E.J. starts the shooting of their latest scene for the movie, Block Cheddar wrestling a (fake) lion. Having just arrived recently, the group watches the filming of the lion wrestling, especially impressing the mouselets. After Thea gives a comment regarding the action shown by Jack, Geronimo immediately replies with the obvious factor that the action isn't real, including the fake lion, something Thea and Pandora pass off as jealousy. While filming the crew continues filming the scene, Benjamin starts to copy Jack as he tosses the phony king of the jungle, at that point, Sprocket announces the filming of the scene is completed. As Jack walks away from the set, E.J. starts to introduce him to Geronimo, the latter being greeted by a large and painful clap. The kids were awed by the fact that Geronimo was touched by Jack Vole, though the former would say otherwise. As E.J. thanked Geronimo for coming, the latter implies that his decision to visit was more of a treat for the kids, proving to be true as Benjamin stands in awe at the place where Block Cheddar wrestled the fake lion, which was being hugged by Pandora as it was warmed by Jack's body heat, with Thea snapping a photo. At that point, a crew member notifies E.J. about an emergency, and to his shock, someone destroyed the last 10 cans of film at the film lab. Geronimo came to the director's chair to question Sprocket, with the tired mouse explaining that every time his crew films a Block Cheddar movie, they always come with setbacks, and the frustrated director stomps off to replace the destroyed film canisters. After getting info, Geronimo sends Benjamin to question the film crew, only for Thea and Pandora to surprise him with the fake lion shortly after, and he quickly sends the girls undercover as extras.

At the next site of the film (a old town), Geronimo notifies Benjamin to stay alert, with the girls arriving shortly (in western attire). As Jack Vole asserts his readiness, E.J. gives the call, and the camera starts rolling, but the clock tower explodes a few seconds after the filming began, frustrating Sprocket with another film delay. Shortly after, the boys went to question Jack Vole, as the star gets ready for once the crew is ready for filming. Though Vole reports a couple of accidents, he states that they are very common and are nothing to worry about, when his stylist frustratingly questions Jack in what had he done to make his fingernails increasingly filthy, with the latter replying that Block Cheddar's always getting into scrapes. Benjamin then questions that, as he knows that in the movies, Block Cheddar always wears his calf-skin gloves. But Jack replies saying that acting is a dirty job, with his stylist suggesting that he gets some sleep, as the bags under his eyes were getting harder to hide.

As the boys walk towards the others, Geronimo expresses his concern with Jack's dirty fingernails, but brushes it off and tells Benjamin to keep an eye out for something odd, and promptly to be surprised by a talking donkey (actually Thea and Pandora in a donkey costume), walking off to the next scene while notifying Geronimo that they'll keep their eyes peeled.

After many setbacks, E.J. states that another mishap could permanently shut down production, and was even more disappointed when another crew member reported that the camera van - and all the equipment - had been stolen, prompting Geronimo to take a look a how it would've been stolen, with Benjamin wondering why the culprit stole it. Geronimo notes that it was either because the equipment was expensive, or it was because the thief didn't want to let the crew complete the film. Jack Vole later tries to solve the mystery, but to Geronimo's annoyance, he stated the obvious, with Jack proclaiming Stilton had proven his point. After Jack's statement, Benjamin finds a footprint with gold dust within, catching the attention of his observative uncle. Knowing the gold couldn't have come from any of the movie props, Geronimo asks Jack if there were any gold mines in the area, with Vole replying that there is an abandoned mine that was a planned filming site by Sprocket, but the setbacks had held up the crew, prompting Geronimo and Benjamin to check it out, but both were surprised by a cactus talking, revealing it to be Thea And Pandora in a cactus suit. while Thea asks if they could come, Geronimo insists that the girls keep an eye out at the set. Though they've only been hiking for five minutes, Geronimo was panting like he only has 10% of water left. Benjamin then shows his curiousity when he said he didn't know about so many bats and snakes in old mines, something that stirs up his uncle's nervousness. Jack Vole arrived soon after, and after asking if Stilton was afraid of a few creatures, he decides to join the 2 on their way to the mine after hearing Geronimo's answer.

The trio arrive at a old bridge, which collapses when a bird lands on it due to old age. Though Geronimo suggests that they find another way across, Jack insists that they go ahead and ties a rope to a tree so that the could climb down a cliff, a plan which immediately makes Geronimo nervous, though he does find enough courage to climb down, albeit without looking down. Just a couple of minutes after they started to climb down, they heard Jack Vole caught up in a struggle, and quickly climb up to help him once he didn't respond to Geronimo. On their way up however, a mysterious figure cut the rope, causing the nephew and uncle to fall to their doom. Lucky for them, Thea had tossed them another rope, having arrived earlier once she heard them scream. Though Geronimo asks if they had any idea on the person who cut the rope, Thea states that when they arrived, all they heard was a lot of screaming, and soon they heard someone struggling, revealing it to be a tied up Jack Vole. As Benjamin asked about what happened, Jack said he was double-checking the rope when - to Pandora's amazement - he was ambushed by someone dressed as a ninja, and they fought to a standstill, and according to Jack, he only lost because the ninja blinded him by throwing dirt in his eyes, then suggesting that his attacker was the one who cut the rope. Benjamin then compares it to the second Block Cheddar movie, with Geronimo being curious with Jack's story.

The gang eventually reaches the mine, and the footprints lead right inside. As Geronimo goes to investigate, Jack drags the reporter back outside, suggesting that he takes the lead. Geronimo initially insists on going first, but a quick glance of the cave entrance is all it takes to change his mind. Deep in the mine, the gang goes for a look inside the abandoned shaft, with a nervous Geronimo being separated from the others. After finding and ear-sized nugget at his feet, Geronimo was astounded to see a larger one the size of his torso. Though he thinks the nugget was worth a fortune, Jack and the others arrive surprisingly, with Jack telling Geronimo that the latter was looking at pyrite, though Geronimo was not so easily convinced. As the gang walked around some more in the caves, Benjamin revealed that during the first 3 films, there was a bank robbery, 3 jewelry stores were hit by a robber, and a priceless art collection was stolen from a museum. Hearing all this had a suspicious Geronimo gain a theory, which was proven when he asked Jack about the tool the ninja used to cut the rope, and when Jack replied with a pickax, Geronimo questions it as Jack had said he was blinded by the ninja BEFORE it cut the rope, and the former quickly questioned why he would do that, and admitted that he was the culprit when Geronimo revealed his theory. Jack later told them that the reason he sabotaged the production of Block Cheddar 4 is because he didn't want E.J. to film in the mines until he extracted all the gold, and promptly sealed the Stilton family in a tunnel with a cave-in caused by a stick of dynamite, though he managed to escape before the explosive detonated, immediately heading off to claim the giant nugget Geronimo found. The Stiltons, however, were alive, but blinded by the darkness, once again setting off Geronimo's paranoia. Pandora eventually found the lantern, but Thea noted that the was a extra pair of eyes in their tunnel, which turned out to be a bear once Pandora lights the lantern. Once the light goes out, the gang scrambles to get away from the giant creature, only for Geronimo to find he's grabbing the bear's belly, and with the Stilton family starting to run away from it, and a chase ensues. While the Stiltons are playing cat and mouse (no pun intended) with the bear, Jack Vole is working hard to remove the giant hunk of gold, which eventually falls out of it's crevice. Meanwhile, the Stiltons are still on the run from the bear, and make their escape using an elevator, which proves to be dangerous, as the thing starts falling. Jack Vole, however, isn't gonna get away that easily, either, as he's struggling to hold on to that giant nugget. Benjamin then tries to hack into the elevator's computer braking system, only to be reminded that the elevator was built in 1909 by Pandora. Thea then tried to jam the elevator, but it proved unnecessary, as the elevator hit rock bottom. The girls then get ahead, with Benjamin trying to get his terrified uncle to leave the elevator. Apparently, Jack managed to move that monsterous gold nugget, as he is inflating a hot air balloon. Meanwhile, the Stiltons are still searching for a way out, with Benjamin being heartbroken at the fact his hero was a greedy villain. Thea then realizes that they were walking in circles, with Geronimo suggesting that they think of a way out while unwittingly setting off a booby trap: a giant boulder. Another run for their lives begins, with the Stiltons having reached a dead end, but luckily, Geronimo spots a ladder sticking out from a hole in the ceiling, and it became a life-saver as it kept them safe from the boulder smashing through the seal boards. The Stiltons then run outside to see that Jack was getting away in his hot air balloon. Fortunately, Geronimo was resourceful enough to build a harpoon launcher out of scrap, but was unfortunate to have his foot caught in the rope. He managed to untie the rope and landed on Jack's balloon, the latter grabbing a pickax and climbing up for combat. Geronimo then asks what was the point for Jack to steal, as he is a money making movie star. Hearing this, Jack reveals that his has 4 ex-wives, 3 houses and a mess of dogs that eat a lot, saying none of that was cheap. His other reason? He was tired of being the hero, and claimed it was more fun being the villain. During the ensuring combat, the pickax ripped the balloon, and both mice fell into and pond. To the relief of Thea, Benjamin, and Bugsy Wugsy, Geronimo was alive, and had the criminal tied up with his own rope.

After that adventure, Geronimo makes some movie reports, and accidentally lassos the bear from the mine, causing the thing to chase the poor rodent into the sunset.

## Notes

* For a couple of times in this episode, Jack Vole refers to Geronimo as professor, something that irrates the reporter, as he knows the reason why he was called that, but while reporters are known for a vast level of intelligence, they are never called professor, with Geronimo reminding Jack every time he calls him that.

* Geronimo was they only main character not to wear anything representing the wild west for most of the episode, as Thea and Pandora had western clothes and Benjamin sported a cowboy hat after the first scene transition. He was later scene wearing a cowboy hat while reporting Jack Vole's arrest, however.

* Thea and Pandora surprised Geronimo 3 times in this episode.
	+ The first time was after Geronimo sent Benjamin to question the film crew, the girls went up to Geronimo underneath the lion dummy, surprising Geronimo into thinking he was under attack.
	+ The second time was after the boys headed back from question Jack Vole, Thea unintentionally scared Geronimo by speaking while the girls were in a donkey costume.
	+ The third time was after Jack provided intel about a nearby gold mine, Thea spoke while in a cactus suit, surprising both Geronimo AND Benjamin.

* After he tied up Jack, Geronimo calls Benjamin professor, the one alias that drove him crazy when Jack called him that.

## Errors

* When Geronimo suggested that Jack scouts ahead of the group, Thea is seen in her casual outfit, despite the fact that her clothes changed when the gang witnessed the second mishap on their visit, though once the group gets in the mine, she is seen back in her western outfit. A similar error occurs before the elevator shoots downwards, though she retains her cowgirl hat throughout the shot.

* Geronimo states that reason he knew how to build the harpoon launcher was because he watched a lot of cartoons, something that is never expected from a guy who has a public job.

* When the ripped balloon went off the screen in the next shot, Jack and Geronimo were shown to have screaming animations, but none of them screamed when the balloon began to fall.

## Order

1. **Stop Acting Around**
2. Attack of the Killer Whale
3. Cheese Connection
4. Starring Geronimo
5. The Bad Luck of Team Fromage
6. The Great Jellybean Adventure
7. The Creepy Cowboy of the Cactus Gulch
8. The Legend of Big Toes
9. The Incredible Shrinking Stiltons
10. Pole Rat
11. Magic Mice