Awesome / Recess: School's Out

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• Randall of all people is the Accidental Hero of the whole movie. He's the only kid besides T.J. who didn't go to summer camp, so he spends his time spying on T.J. This leads him to find out the gang is breaking into the school (to rescue Principal Prickly), and he goes to tell Ms. Finster. They deck out in black stealth gear to stop them. Even though Ms. Finster misses the antics inside, she and Randall do see the ninjas threatening the kids, which led them to learn the horrible truth that Benedict is behind a plot to send the Earth into a new Ice Age. Cue Finster rallying the teachers, suiting up in a leotard, and stopping Benedict in his tracks while saving the kids. No wonder T.J. is impressed.
• T.J. finds Prickly's golfing pants, sees that the Bald Guy is posing as the principal, and brings it to Gretchen for analysis. They then find a note in it reading "HELP ME!" The kids realize that the real Prickly is being held, hostage. Immediately, T.J. says they're breaking into the school to mount a rescue. Doubles as a Heartwarming Moment.
• Spinelli, under the impression The Bald Guy was an alien, headbutted him into collapsing so the gang could make a run for it.
• The fact that the gang made it out of the school, minus TJ. They were also willing to stay to rescue him, if not for the ninjas.
• Upon freeing themselves from the cage (thanks to Prickly swiping the keys at Benedict's office when Benedict wasn't looking), T.J. and Prickly run down through the hallway, where they spotted two of Benedict's guards on another hallway. Working together, Prickly gets T.J. to lure the two guards into the other hallway, where he violently punches the guards down offscreen before taking their uniforms for himself and T.J. to use in disguise. Ever after losing the uniforms, Prickly keeps one of the guards' pants and shoes as payback against Benedict for throwing away his golf pants and burning his golf shoes.
• T.J. & the gang recruiting EVERY student they knew to help stop Benedict... And then Miss Finster and the teachers turning up during their Big Damn Heroes moment because they didn't want to lose their summer vacation either.

  Ms. Finster: HEY, TEACHER! LEAVE THEM KIDS ALONE!

• Mikey luring several of Benedict's men into a hole the Diggers made using his singing voice.
• Vince luring more of Benedict's men into a trap set up by the Ashleys.
• Gretchen incapacitates Fenwick and two scientists by locking them in the generator room.
• Gus leading the kids, going Let's Get Dangerous! and borrowing TJ's Catchphrase "Leave that to me." Highlights include him completely shutting down Vince, Spinelli and Mikey's bickering with a loud "QUIET!", intimidating his camp-commanding officer into complete silence and his epic Rousing Speech right before they head in.
  • The fact that the whole plan works. They were to get in, rescue TJ, stop Benedict, and get out. They certainly did all three, with help from the teachers.
  • Later when he lures a group of the henchman to the courtyard. King Bob and several other kids suddenly appear on the roof with balls.
    King Bob: BOMBARDMENT! [the kids pelt the henchmen]
  • Gus says that he's giving Spinelli control of the kindergarteners, a Call-Back to when she was their queen temporarily. Spinelli says she owes him one with sincerity. We see why; when ninjas chase Spinelli they stop dead cold when they see the little monsters. Then they scream in terror when Spinelli tells the kindergartners, "Get 'em."
• When the Ugly Bald guy had TJ's pals cornered, he and Prickly comes in with some old corn chowder and dumps the whole thing on him, and lands the large pot on his head, knocking him down the stairs. Gotta love improvised weapons.
• TJ, the gang & Prickly & every student and staff member storming in confronting Benedict.
  Benedict: Activate the tractor beam! Quickly! We've only got four minutes left!
  Prickly: You've got no minutes left, Phil! This is my school, and I want it back!
• TJ's Shut Up, Hannibal! speech to Benedict. It doesn't accomplish much, but it is still awesome.
  T.J: You've got it all wrong, old man! Your plan will never work! Sure maybe your crazy laser beam can move the moon. Maybe it can even make it snow all summer! Maybe you can get rid of long afternoons playing baseball. Or sunny days by the lake or warm nights under the stars. But that won't stop us! We'll ride our bikes through the snow! We'll play kickball in the slush! We'll camp out in igloos! You may take away summer, but you'll NEVER take away summer vacation!
  Benedict: ...Well, I can try. Do it! NOW!!!
• The Final Battle has many highlights:
  • The Ugly Bald Guy, after seemingly being taken down by TJ and Principal Prickly, returns for the final battle to get revenge.
  • Ms. Grotke is decked in red and takes a martial arts pose. When two Mooks try to rush her, she knocks them out in one blow while screaming at the top of her lungs! Even Miss Finster is extremely impressed by this.
  • King Bob and his guards throwing balloons at two more Mooks to knock them out.
  • Kindergartners with a water balloon catapult versus Mooks, with Mikey ready to give the signal. Guess who wins.
  • Gus spraying soda cans on the ninjas before allowing Spinelli to knock them out with a flying press.
  • Gretchen is generally a Badass Pacifist and Becky has only been involved peripherally. They tag-team and knock down a scientist with Silly String.
  • Miss Finster taking down the Ugly Bald Guy with some Good Old Fisticuffs to protect T.J. from being beaten up.
  Ugly Bald Guy: (spotting T.J. in the auditorium) YOU!!
  (T.J. gasps in shock as the bald guy angrily walks towards him to beat him up)
  Finster: (stops the Bald Guy from beating up T.J.) Stop right there, Kojak! (raises her fists at the bald guy) It's GO TIME!!
  (The Bald Guy amusingly raises his fists to fight Finster, but she manages to punch him out in the face many times before giving socking him below the jaw, knocking him out for good)
  T.J.: (grateful) Thanks, Miss Finster!
  Finster: Just doing my job, Detweiller.
  • Prickly giving Benedict a solid left hook to the face when he threatens him. The guy was going to electrocute him and he does a "What's that on your tie" gag to distract him. All the while just giving him a flat stare.
  Prickly: Hold it right there, Phillium! The semester over for you, pal!!
  Benedict: (wields out a taser) Not so fast, Pete! You might fall asleep and MISS THE FESTIVITIES!!
  Prickly: (thinking carefully) Hey, Phillium, there's a spot on your tie.
  Benedict: (looks at his tie) Where? (gets punched in the face by an angry Prickly) OOF!!
  • And finally, Vince throwing T.J.'s baseball at the tractor beam's core on T.J.'s orders, destroying it and putting an end to Dr. Benedict's evil plan once and for all, driving a humiliated Benedict into a Villainous Breakdown.
• The ending also puts up: with Benedict's plan foiled, both the students and teachers cheered with each other for saving the day, and then calling in not only just the media and the authorities to the scene, but also the students' parents as well so that they can tell the story. The parents can't help but feel extremely proud for their children for helping out their classmates and teachers while Benedict and his men end up being arrested and taken into custody for their crimes.

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