Escape from Cluster Prime

Escape from Cluster Prime is a 60-minute television special of My Life as a Teenage Robot and was released on August 12th, 2005.

Plot

It is the 300-year (tricentennial) anniversary for the town of Tremorton. However, Queen Vexus and her Cluster drones have invaded once more and are again embroiled in a fierce and destructive battle with Jenny. Vexus is beaten, but escapes, leaving her portal-generating device behind. As a result of the fight with the Cluster, Jenny accidentally ruins everybody's day and the ceremony by causing massive collateral damage to the town. Furious by the incident, everyone in town, except for Brad, Tuck, and Sheldon, shuns her very presence, labeling her as nothing but an irreverent troublemaker, even her own mother, Dr. Wakeman.

Jenny is deeply hurt by the townspeople's attitude and is overall fed up with being unappreciated by humans. While wandering the wreck site, Jenny stumbles onto the teleporter Vexus used to escape and is transported to Cluster Prime. Although terrified at first, Jenny soon finds that Cluster Prime is actually a peaceful robotic paradise where she actually fits in quite well as a normal teenager. At the Cluster Prime high school, she even forms a friendship with the friendly robot girl Vega (voiced by Thora Birch), and a group of her three close friends, Drab, Tuff, and Shell, who are robotic counterparts of Jenny’s human friends (Brad, Tuck, and Sheldon).

Jenny soon learns that the Cluster people have been lied to through Queen Vexus’ Cluster propaganda; they are being told that Jenny (shown as a grotesque and evil metal monster) is responsible for stealing the people's golden chips which grants them advanced robotic powers, like fighting or flight. When Jenny sees that the Cluster citizens need help when there is trouble, she disguises herself with a helmet and Cluster flag so she can perform her heroic deeds without revealing herself to be the infamous XJ-9. However, her deeds soon draw attention from Cluster forces loyal to Vexus, who put a bounty out on her head and attempt to lure her into a trap.

Cluster forces led by Vexus, Krackus, and Smytus invade Earth with their army of Cluster Drones and enslave the humans. The citizens of Tremorton soon find themselves in an extremely ironic predicament when they hope for Jenny to come and save them, but she doesn't show up because of the previous incident at the tricentennial resulting in her being trapped on Cluster Prime. Meanwhile, Vexus also grows impatient as to why Jenny hasn't shown up to stop the invasion, as she is believes Jenny is still on Earth. Brad is determined to be a revolutionary leader and actually succeeds with some childish pranks and the help of his little brother Tuck. Dr. Wakeman, revealing herself to be a former member of the Skyway Patrol, joins forces with Sheldon to invent a portal device and confront Vexus.

Jenny is soon exposed on Cluster Prime and is forced to flee from the Cluster authorities. But she discovers, while inadvertently sneaking through Vexus’ palace, that Vexus had stolen and hid the citizens' golden chips while scapegoating Jenny for the theft. She also learns that Vega is Vexus' daughter, making her Crown Princess of Cluster Prime. With the help of Vega and her friends, Jenny returns all of the chips to the Cluster Prime robot citizens, who learn the truth and realize Vexus had deceived them. They call for her removal from the throne. Jenny is forced into a fight with a furious Vexus, with Vega, Dr. Wakeman, and Sheldon coming in to assist and save her. Vexus is then defeated and forced to flee Cluster Prime, and Vega becomes queen, liberating the planet.

Jenny quickly returns to Earth to save the people from Smytus, who had set the planet to self-destruct. She successfully defeats the Cluster Commander, and is welcomed back home with cheers and much love from the citizens of Tremorton, especially her mother and friends.

Production

Reception

Escape from Cluster Prime was nominated for the Emmy Award for Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or More) in 2006. ^[1]

Quotes

Dr. Wakeman: You've destroyed the rocket but did you disarm the warhead?

Jenny: Did I what the what?

Dr. Wakeman: It's the part that goes -- BOOM!

Jenny: Oops...

Artist: You destroyed my statue!

Mayor: You ruined my stage!

Bike Salesman: You wrecked my old timey bicycle!

Brad: Uh, no, that was me.

Bike Salesman: Oh, yeah. My mistake.

Sheldon: (to Dr. Wakeman) A secret underground lair! This makes my garage workshop look like a workshop in a garage!

Dr. Wakeman: Where did you get that idea? A gumball machine?

Sheldon: I'll have you know gumball machines contain valuable information!

Dr. Wakeman: You are an amateur!

Sheldon: You are a Know-It-All!

Dr. Wakeman: Milbrat!

Sheldon: Birdnose!

Dr. Wakeman: How dare you!?

Sheldon: WHAAAAA! If you don't know where she is and you don't know where she is, then Jenny can be anywhere from here and Cluster Prime!

Vexus: Cluster Prime?! So THAT's why they won't stop calling me!

Brad: Viva la Revolution!

Tuck: You speak Spanish?

Trivia

Smytus' army somewhat resemble insectoid versions of the Stormtroopers from Star Wars, though they're influenced more on the battle droids from Episodes I-III.
Vexus mentioned nanobots and acne as one of her schemes, refering to the time she infected Jenny with a nanobot, causing her to morph into a bolt-covered monster.
The scene in which Sheldon and Ms. Wakeman are arguing, "You got your time capsule in my quantum difibulator." "Oh, yeah? Well you got your quantum difibulator in my time capsule." is a reference to the classic commercial for Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercial, "Hey, you got your peanut butter on my chocolate!" "No! You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!"
When Jenny is drinking oil with the robot versions of her friends, she comicly utters the line, "Could have had a V8."
When Jenny's identity is revealed on Cluster Prime, a robot points at her and lets out a loud distorted shriek. This is a reference to the 1978 film, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
The famous Robby the Robot from movies and shows like Forbidden Planet makes a cameo when Jenny is in the scrapyard.
Cluster Prime bears a striking resemblance to Cybertron from the Transformers franchise.
The Cluster's invasion of Earth is very loosely influenced by a number of films, books and video games, including Independence Day, Quake and H.G. Welles' famous book, War of the Worlds.
The theme song was dramatically changed for the movie intro.