Tuesday 29 April 2014

STAR WARS!!!


No sooner had I finished off the post below than this bomb shell dropped:



BOOM! Mutha’trucking Star Wars y’all.

I’ve been feeling the Force all this week; and it's been a while. As a kid I was a gigantic Star Wars fan, all the way up until Episode III. I dug the hype of the prequel trilogy, even if with hindsight they’re mostly Ewok piss. But sadly my Star Wars geek status took a knock after the movies stopped. I tried the books, with there New Jedi Orders and Wookies being crushed by moons; they just didn’t have the fun of the movies. The video games trickled out but were mostly bull; and while I loved the Clone Wars cartoon (and even went to that crappy movie which started it off) I never really bothered to keep up. 

Cut to 2012 and, when feeling sophisticated, adult and drunk at a most happening Halloween party, I suddenly checked my phone to see that Disney had bought out Lucas Film, and all hell was breaking loose. I awoke in a sobered daze with my fellow party goers eying me with disgust; and since I’ve tried not to get to excited. 

But THIS changes everything! The spinoff reboot got me considering to check out the new books (and the awesome looking REBELS cartoon), and with May 4th coming up I may spend the bank holiday watching the Holy Trilogy again: BUT THIS CAST! 



THIS IS IT PEOPLE! WE CAN LEGITIMATLY GET OUR JIMMIES RUSTLED!

So, lets take a look at this fine assortment of unknown, slightly less unknown, and very British talent that will be taking us back to a Galaxy Far Far away.



First off, of course, the original trio. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are all back, along with there lifelong companions Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker. No sign of Billie Dee Williams or the dude who played Admiral Ackbar, but hey; there’s still two movies to go. An absolute treat for Star Wars fans to have the whole team back; let’s just hope they won’t force the new guys out the picture too much. 


But let’s be honest here, the biggest disturbance in the Force comes from our awesome new additions. Leading the cast is John Boyega, aka THE LAD WITH A BASEBALL BAT FROM ATTACK THE BLOCK. Need I say more? An absolute cracking cult movie, Boyega is just going to rule; plus he already has a ton of experience fighting alien nasties.


Next we have Daisy Ridley, pretty much a unknown, although she has cropped up in a few recent British hits like Mr Selfridge and The Toast of London. Already there’s plenty of people moaning she’s the only girl cast, but its early days yet, and I’m certainly not going to get bogged down in all that. At the very least, she has the premier surname associated with alien asskickery, so I’m sure she’s gonna rock.

Next we have Adam Driver, of Girls fame. That show has absolutely no appeal to me, but I’ve heard lots of good things about him. Apparently he’s up for the villain role; which will be the first time a Star Wars baddy has been the same age as its protagonists (disregarding Hamil and co of course!).
And then someone completely different; Oscar Issacs, fresh from recently chasing cats around the Village in the fantastic-but-everyone-else-hated-it-and-now-hate-me-for-making-them-see-it Inside Llewellyn Davis. As trippy yet darkly entertaining as that movie was, he had a pleasingly natural like slightly dickish persona that makes his role hard to place. But I can’t wait to see what they do with him.


Squeezing into a mo-cap suit will be the legend that is Andy Serkis; you all know how awesome he is, and I hope he gets some sort of anti-Jar Jar to play. Nothing but goodness can come from this decision.

My personal favourite next; Domhnall Gleeson. Known to millions as ‘Ron Weasley’s disturbingly attractive eldest brother’, Gleeson has been quietly waiting in the wings for a big role after plenty of minor hits like About Time, Dredd and an appearance in Black Mirror (as well as a starring role in the upcoming Frank; you just keep your eyes peeled for Frank... trust me). He was one of the major names being battered around for Doctor Who last year, but it looks like his waiting has finally paid off. 

And last, but by no means least; Ming the Merciless himself; Max von Sydow. We all know he’s gonna be a Sith Lord, and we all know there’s no one better.

So there we have it; a whole new generation of Rebel Scum, along with all the old favourites. There's still a long way to go before we'll even see a glimpse of the film; and I expect at least another 200 io9 posts before the day is out moaning about J.J. Abrams and his lack of females. But for now, lets feel free to get our hopes up. The Galaxies Greatest Saga is about to continue...

Joseph Smith is sitting in a Jedi dressing gown. He's very pleased about it.

Blog 2: Electric Boogaloo

And... I'm back. 1 year + after some hippy clap trap about new starts and what not I'M STARTING THIS CRAP UP AGAIN. No more excuses, no more lazing around, much more writing about movies and stealing rumours from Bleeding Cool.

Since last we met, I've pretty much stayed on the same course; a boring 9-5 in a Supermarket, interspersed with heightened moments of immense excitement (like working at Blue Peter. And yes it was everything one could wish for and more. And sadly, that's all I get to type about it). But the one thing I've really haven't been doing is writing... anything. At all. So, spurred by many much more talented and hard working people, I thought I might as well have another crack at this whip. I reckon this time I'll spend a bit more time spewing out geek stuff, as friends give me lots of Facebook likes for that. And there's nothing quite like talking about other peoples talented projects to fill the void of doing your own.

Lots of love y'all!

Thursday 17 January 2013

Optimally Happy?


Hello to the interwebs. You're probably wondering where Animation Domination has been for the last three months. Ha-ha I joke... no one's wondering. Suffice it to say, my new job took up a lot of my time in the run up to Christmas, and the shocking decline in quality in certain series, as well as tiredness, made me put the project on hold. Rest assured, I'm going to catch up when I get the chance.

To be honest, my new job took up a little bit more than just my time. While it was at first great to be back earning some money after three long years scraping by, it soon turned to stress over long hours and proximity to Christmas. Stress turned to anger, anger turned to hate and hate... lead to suffering. (the reference is doubly apt; not only is it an accurate rendition of events, on one particular sorrowful afternoon I ended up rewatching the Star Wars prequels... the internet was RIGHT)

But there you go; Star Wars! Star Wars is coming back! It's just like when Doctor Who was announced again in 2003, and I was over the moon, except this time it something that was on in MY lifetime. I SHOULD BE OPTIMALLY HAPPY!

Wrong. I was low. Lower than I had been for a while. Maybe I was being lazy or silly I told myself, but deep down, I knew something was wrong. I hadn't done anything creative in months, barely seen any friends, was struggling to get back into church and life in general. I was still smiling, but I knew deep down something was wrong. It's hard to pin point exactly what that was now, but after a particular trying shift (and I must admit; 90% of the time, working in a Deli was incredible; but that 10% was really getting to me), I knew a lot of it was down to my job. Whether it was a just me projecting frustrations onto it, but once I came up with the idea of getting out of there about it, I felt it was the right thing to do. Talking with friends, family and, most importantly, praying about it, added to my relief. So I undertook the decision that for once, I was going to sort my life out. I had a lovelly chat with personal, and now I have a lovely new position I'm starting in a week on the pie counter. Simple as that.

Whilst the whole event may sound petty, or laughable, I honestly can say I felt SO much better now I've done it. It's not that my old job was in anyway as horrible as some jobs I've had, or proably am going to have, but it did feel like a speedbump in my life. That I'd come to complete stop and was going to stay there until I had to balls to hit the accelerator. Now sure, a transfer to the pie-counter isn't much. It's not my dream job script editing Doctor Who, or even a service station on the motor-way it's going to take to reach that destination (I'm stopping the motoring analogies now). But it does feel really good to have a new start, however small, and I hope this is going to be a catalyst for a really great new year.

And hopefully, a lot of that I'll be able to share on this blog. Before hand, I never really knew what I was doing with this page, and to be honest I still don't. But I have some new idea's I'd like to try. Animation Domination is going to continue as whilst I haven't got the scheduling right, I'm eager to get back to it.

Likewise, I want to get started on some writing projects I'm setting myself. One of my best moments of 2012 was working on the first act of a screenplay for my University Course. I got the highest grade I ever achieved for it, so I'm eager to get back to it, and to the general process of writing. It can be a lonely and difficult task however, so I may just have to post bits and pieces on here in desperate need of feed back. And I may add in the a few more movie reviews in here and there for fun.

But I have some new projects as well. I'm getting back into Warhammer (ducks from hurled stones) and since many of my friends run blogs where they post a few pics of their work in progress, I'd quite like to pop a few of mine on here as well; even if there just orcs finger painted with bright primary colours. I'm also looking to get into a better shape (currently I'm a circle and I'm hoping more for oblong...) so I might also put up some of those tedious posts on exercise what I have done. Skip over those if you just want riffing on Family Guy.

And most importantly, I think it's high time I reconnected with God. Perhaps you spotted a few teasers earlier, but I'm a Christian, something that doesn't often come up when discussing the merits of Judge Dredd blowing punks away in a storm of bullets. Indeed, it's often been a struggle to properly place my faith in many aspects of my life; it's a lot easier to get my praying out the way on Sundays, then act like I'm in a Kevin Smith film the rest of the week. But the short of it is, God's who I really have to thank for what's been going on this week. He's been in my friends and families hearts when they were giving advice on what I should do, he's guided me to my New Job when I finally go the courage to speak up, and he even helped me today when I told my boss I was moving departments (which, against all my expectations, went brilliantly). And he's the reason I'm sitting here right now, putting the finishing touches to this surprisingly long post. I hope I'll be able to talk a little bit about my faith later in the year when I've reconnected with it a bit more myself.

Until then, thanks for listening, and enjoy this video of Batman racing through my home turf.







Tuesday 23 October 2012

The AD Review - Regular Show Special



While Animation Domination is on an extended hiatus, I’d thought I’d take the time to examine some other options the Cartoon Connoisseur can enjoy (during the rare heartbeats when BBC Three isn’t showing Family Guy). And while I’m eventually going to get round to some of the true greats (mainly Archer) I’m going to start out with something a little bit different: Cartoon Network’s Regular Show.

Regular Show

Created By: J.G. Quintel

Starring: J.G. Quintel, William Salyers, Sam Marin, Mark Hamill

Number of Episodes to date: 82

Dates Aired: September 6 2010 – Present

Watch if you like: South Park, Adventure Time, Clerks, The Mighty Boosh

 



Cartoon Network, everyone’s favourite channel in the late 1990’s, has recently made loads of headway into the ‘adult’ cartoons market. While of course Adult Swim has been in a roaring trade for a number of years, the Channel has been spending time making cartoons which, while still suitable for children, appeal to young 20-somethings who grew up on a diet of Johnny Bravo, Dexter’s Lab and Powerpuff Girls. And whilst their biggest, most gigantic break out hit has been Adventure Time, my personal favourite of the lot is the remarkably quirky Regular Show.


Regular Show has the most basic of sitcom setups. Two slacker friends, Mordecai (a talking Blue-Jay) and Rigby (a talking Racoon) work as groundskeepers in a large city park, and will do everything in their power to goof off, annoying their supervisor Benson (a talking Gumball machine).  And by that enclosed brackets character description you can probably guess this is not really a down to earth kind of show. Other workers in the park include Skips (an immortal Yeti), Pops (an old fashioned lollypop man), Hive-Five Ghost (a ghost with hair in the shape of a high five) and Muscle Man (a green, vaguely human like creature). Together they face down various supernatural threats that attack the park, usually taking the form of demons, Death, super beings, or sinister men with beautiful blond hair.
  
As you can tell, this show is a far cry from the family-based fun of Animation Domination, and sounds as if it wouldn’t be out of place in Cartoon Network’s typical programming. But Regular Show separates itself from its stable-mates, by making clear that it’s being written for a student-aged audience. This isn’t just in its use of stronger language and subject matter (which we’ll come to later) but at the root of the very programme; in the relationship between it's two main characters.

Mordecai and Rigby are like every 23 year old you know. One’s frustrated, lovesick and lazy, the others goofy, obnoxious... and lazy. They’ve known each since they were kids, and are already pretty fed up of their station in life. They’re procrastination stems not from mischief, but from frustration and the inability to act like adults. In short, they represent exactly the sort of people who are watching shows like Regular Show!

Other Cartoon Network shows are based around childen. The channels earlier attempts at ‘older audience’ cartoons, Chowder and The Marvellous Misadventures of Flapjack (where creator J.G. Quintel was creative director) still featured the problems of little kids (even if they featured drunken old men and sugar-momma whales). Perennial stoner favourite Spongebob Squarepants, although detailing the daily life of an adult going to work, is clearly still in child in mental ability. Regular Show specialises in plots driven by adult problems, like paying the rent, girlfriends and dealing with your jerk of a boss. Sure, it’s not exactly The Wire, but it's still a recognisable adult setting.

The writers push the language barrier in a variety of amusing ways. Mordecai and Rigby speak with a range of strange quirks, from their trademark OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!, to bursting into song at regular intervals. It’s a simple way of keeping the dialogue fresh, and the pair likable, even if they're arguing. Their also not adverse to mild swearing, and the sheer ‘getting crap past the radar’-ability of the programme often makes my jaw drop. I never thought anyone would say ‘pissed off’ on Cartoon Network!

With this keystone in place, the programmes humour lets rip with traditional Cartoon Network affair, though again a little more complex. Like every 'short form episode' series, each story follows a similar structure: Mordecai and Rigby face a problem they will try to shirk out of. They eventually take the easy road, but are confronted by a supernatural force. They work together to defeat it, learning some lesson as they do. This formulaic structure is often played around with however, and a fair amount of continuity is maintained across episodes; so the pair doesn’t often make the same mistakes twice.

The programme storytelling has certainly broadened over the seasons, and this is down to the tremendous cast of secondary characters. Park Manager Benson is the grumpy old boss in the classic sitcom style, and the animators really manage to push his fury to new heights every week (check out the above video to see what I mean!). However, despite being a gumball machine, he’s one of the more restrained characters in the series. My favourite is Skips, played by the ever-talented and lovable Mark Hamill. He often acts as Chef did on South Park, dispensing wisdom, and kicking ass when needed. Pops is an old timey gentleman, son of the Park's owner, who naivety and old fashioned sentiments make him the most sympathetic character. Muscle Man and Hive-Five Ghosts are another pair of groundskeepers, even more obnoxious than the star duo (“You know whose also even more obnoxious than the star duo... MY MOM!). This isn’t even mentioning the secondary characters, or the many original villains that appear throughout the series. It’s fair to say the series has the best cast outside of The Simpsons.

What’s even better is the programme has no problem in deploying its rich mythology. The Season Four opener, the two part ‘Exit 9b’ was an ‘Avengers’ style affair, with every villain from the series uniting as an army, and a massive battle taking place (as well as introducing a brand new regular, Thomas the Faun). That the show's quirkiness is used and celebrated takes it away from the Cartoon Network mold, and into the realms of South Park or The Mighty Boosh, where weird and wonderful events are as much a part of its appeal as the jokes. Anyone who loves these series, (or indeed slacker comedies like Community or the works of Kevin Smith), will love Regular Show. It’s a charming, well made series, which everyone should check out. Below I’ve linked five of my favourite episodes to start you off! Grab your chips and dips, and enjoy!

Free Cake
Mordecai and Rigby go to ridiculous lengths for free cake, which include jepardising Skips chances at immortality.
http://gorillavid.in/yve0gsqke70i

The Unicorns Have Got To Go
A group of obnoxious unicorns arrive in town. Horn jokes all round...
http://gorillavid.in/2bn5rutzkrjb

A Bunch of Baby Ducks
Mordecai and Rigby adopt a group of baby ducks, teaching them all their lazy ways. And defending them from Duck Pedophiles...
http://gorillavid.in/lll80h6cgft6

Crusin'
Mordecai and Rigby borrow the golf cart in the hopes of picking up chicks...
http://gorillavid.in/rjdjpgkj6jxc

Exit 9b (Parts 1 and 2)
An epic battle through time itself, where a legion of enemies descend on the park; and only new intern Thomas can save the world...

NEXT WEEK: Another break in the Animation Domination Schedule means I'll be turning my eye to a far less colourful series; the deep, dark, Bible Bashing world of Morel Orel...

Monday 22 October 2012

The AD Review – 07/10/2012



Massive delays in posting this, due to becoming a qualified cheesemonger (a shockingly accurate statement). This week saw an overall improvement across the board, with a range of witty Halloween specials across all five series. I’ve added on my South Park review as well, but am saving the promised Regular Show/Adventure Time show coverage for the next post (as Animation Domination took a massive two weeks off air!)

 

 

The Simpsons – S24E510 ‘Treehouse of Horror XXIII’


After last week’s dead on arrival episode, the annual Halloween Special brings The Simpsons straight back into its new silver age. This time there are four tales, thanks to an extended opening sequence dealing with the Mayan Prophesy. From there, we go into a fun little story about the Springfield Haledon Collider, which creates a black hole that Lisa takes home. It’s a pretty by the numbers story, but I loved the ending, where Springfield is sucked through the hole into another dimension, and meet some trash worshiping aliens (who naturally praise the Microsoft Zune).

Next we have the best story of the set; a Paranormal Activity parody. Though coming perhaps a few years too late, it’s an excellent spoof that is genuinely terrifying in places. I really loved possessed Marge, and Homer’s oblivious attempts to seduce her. The end is again great, although perhaps a little too adult compared to the rest of the episode. In any case, it’s a much more solid spoof than previous years efforts, but in future I’d like to see some more recent blockbusters being undertaken (a Simpson’s version of The Hunger Games would be incredible!)

The last segment is defiantly the most ambitious. It’s a Back to the Future parody, where Bart travels to the 70’s to buy a vintage comic book. While there he meets teenage Homer and changes history so Marge marries the infamous Arty Ziff. The main problem with this segment is that’s it’s referencing a 25 year old film, so immediately feels a little dated. That said, it makes the clever decision to have Bart emerge in the events of the classic episode ‘The Way We Was’. It’s a lovely touch that makes the story a lot more memorable than it could have been. The final sequence, featuring an army of time displaced Homers,was an excellent left field surprise.

This is the best Treehouse of Horror in years. Let’s hope the regular episodes can keep things this consistent.

8/10

 

Best Bit: ‘Crush-a them! In the name of Jebus!’

 

Worst Bit: Back to the Future isn’t the freshest Zeitgeist to be taking on...


Family Guy  - S11E190 ‘Ratings Guy’


Family Guy, despite another middling episode in general, proved to have some amusing moments this week; probably because it riffed on one of the series all time classics, ‘PTV’. Sadly though, despite commercials to the contrary, it wasn’t at all Halloween based; a shame given that themed episodes are quite a rarity on this programme, and when used correctly make a nice change; which at this point Family Guy could use.

Nowhere is this more obvious then in the opening minutes. The family take a trip to the Quahog fire station, and we get the usual FG level of banter about Fireman and how they’re so very silly. Oh, and then it just stops. Yep. Family Guy seem to have realised they suck at telling stories and just stopped trying. A very disjarring start.

Swiftly moving on, we find out that the Griffin’s have been selected as a new ‘Nielson Family’, whose TV watching habits contribute to television ratings. Tom Tucker goes to great lengths to get them watching Channel 6 News (included a pretty good gag of the newscaster sans-moustache), and the power goes to Peter’s head. He steals more Nielson boxes, and eventually counts for three million viewers. His habits change the face of TV, and it’s up to Peter to put things right.

There’s lots of fun moments in this storyline; I loved Jon Hamm guest starring on a Star Wars themed episode of Mad Men, and it’s a shame we didn’t spend more time getting a look at more of Peter’s changes (such as adding another tree to One Tree Hill). I also enjoyed the board meeting at the climax, with cameos from J.J. Abrams and Dick Wolf, which were both very witty. And hey, they even managed to actually get Dan Castellaneta in for a Homer Simpson appearance (ironically, a moment that’s ripping off a South Park joke.)

But among these moments are some truly bad material; along with the boring fire station scenes, there’s a horrific cutaway involving Peter in a shooting, which should have really been edited out; its in very poor taste. The other Family members are very much in the background, and the supporting cast don’t get any good lines at all.

‘Ratings Guy’ is perhaps as good as we can expect from Family Guy nowadays. There’s a lot of decent jokes here, compressed between some lazy attempts at shock humour and even worst storytelling. But it’s still an ok effort, and at this point in the shows run, that’s something to be noted.

6/10

 

Best Bit: I’ll give it to the board meeting. Not exactly original punchlines, but ably delivered.

 

Worst Bit: The massacre is shocking in its inappropriateness. 


The Cleveland Show – S4E66 ‘Escape from Goochland’


Poor old Cleveland Show returns for a surprise fourth season premier. This program is pretty unloved, which in my opinion is perhaps a little unfair. Forever in the (fading) shadow of its parent Family Guy, The Cleveland Show quickly mastered elements that the original never properly touched on – namely thought out storytelling and a good cast of secondary characters. It’s never been particularly brilliant, but neither has it been overly awful; at best it’s a fun spoof of family sitcoms like ‘My Wife and Kids’ or ‘The Jeffersons’. Escape from Goochland won’t convince you to watch religiously, and it was hardly anything to shout about; but neither was it a total train wreck. You’ll perhaps forgive me if this review is a little bit short because of that.

The first thing I liked about this episode is, like last week’s American Dad, it gives a female character a bigger role. Now, Roberta is in no way the brilliant, well rounded character that Hailey is, but it’s nice to see her being used for once. She encourages her boyfriend (the kinda funny, kinda not) Fedeline Jones to go to a football game with Cleveland, leaving her and Junior to go out playing pranks dressed as their parents. Once at the game, Cleveland destroys a rival’s car, forcing him and his friends to escape the enemy town, and fight a gang war on the streets of Quahog.

And that about it to be honest. The jokes within are all fairly solid; some fun stuff with a theremin, a Katy Perry costume (with foam squirters) and a great ending with Cleveland and Donna mistaking each other for Prostitutes.  But there’s no ‘wow’ moment here; nothing that sets this series apart from the other four programmes in the block. It’s a shame, as there’s often a lot of effort put in animation wise in this series; but I can’t really call it must watch television. Perhaps its natural home is just as background TV, rather than something worth going out your way to see. 

6/10

 

Best Bit: I did like the Prostitute Joke at the end; I don’t think you could pull that off with any of the couples on others shows.

 

Worst Bit: The Ballgame was dull; just ‘rival town’ jokes we’ve all seen before.


Bob’s Burgers S3E24 ‘Full Bars’


Once again Bob’s Burgers curries all my favour, with another fantastic episode centered on the kids. Bored of the meagre pickings from trick-o-treating in town, the Belcher children head to the neighbouring ‘King’s Island’, which is filled with rich people wielding bounties of chocolaty goodness. Unfortunately, it’s also the sight of the annual ‘Hell Hunt’ (not Helen Hunt), where the local teenagers through pee-filled water balloons at the town’s youngsters. Que lots of haunting hi-jinks, in certainly the most Halloween-y of the evenings programming.

This episode was a candy-coated treat from top to bottom; from Gene’s ‘Queen Latifah in her U.N.I.T.Y. phase’ costume, to the fun ‘Warriors’ parody the island adventure escalates too. There isn’t a single line out of place, (“There’s a lot of carrots in that stew...”)and the kids storyline comes together so well. The only oyster cracker in the goody bag comes from the slightly underwhelming B-plot, where while attending Teddy’s Halloween party, Bob’s accidently kills a beloved pet hamster. What could have been a fun Agatha Christy parody soon gets very drawn out and kind of paints Bob as an uncaring SOB. It’s one of the few times where the shows relaxed pace and style should have been exaggerated, but it’s still not enough to diminish the strengths of this episode. 

Another classic episode which shows Bob’s Burgers has earned its new three year tenure on FOX!

9/10

 

Best Bit: The sheer amount of banter Gene produced (“How does this not topple your economy?!”/”I can pee on myself! I don’t need handouts!”/”If there’s one thing a wiener hates, it’s hot sauce. I learned that the hard way!”). Also, the closed Year Round Halloween store was a great blink-and-you-miss-it moment.

 

Worst Bit: Teddy’s repetitive pining after his hamster.


American Dad S8E135 Killer Vacation


Like its cousin Family Guy, American Dad seemed reluctant to join in the early October spirit of Halloween. Instead we had a more relaxed episode revolving around the family’s tropical vacation. Structurally, this played out as a series of B-plots instead of one overriding story, which made for an uneven episode, even if I did have some good moments.

The best jokes this week came from both the Hailey/Jeff story, and Roger’s latest disguise as a widowed golden girl. His scheme was hardly the alien’s most vicious ploy, but him messing around with a retired gentlemen was still fun. Hailey and Jeff’s quest for renewed sexual passion was also amusing, with a fun ending (and excellent use of mayonnaise).

Stan and Francine are also stuck in a rut, though this one defiantly from a storytelling perspective. Stan is once again putting his work before his marriage, leading his wife to take a stand. This is a storyline that this show has done to death, and nothing really new is seen here (though I did like the sudden appearances of the ‘helpful’ gardener). It wasn’t a bad plot, but really just going through the motions.

Finally, Steve’s desire for adventure is met by a charming English fellow, who leads him on an expedition across the island, in search of a nudist colony. The companion turns out to be a total moron (“You sound like Hugh Grant the movie star, but you’re stupid like Hugh Grant the person!”), and Steve blunders into a number of death traps on his advice. It’s kind of funny, but gets old, since American Dad normally punches a little higher than slapstick. The island misadventures turn out to be a bit reminiscent of the last holiday episode The Vacation Goo, so again get tired pretty quickly.
All in all an ok episode, but not American Dad’s strongest moment. I hope something a bit more ambitious is waiting in the wings (and the wait’s longer now... we’ve got three weeks of Cleveland Show to get through first... sigh...)

7/10

 

Best Bit: “Jeff, you have mayo on your back...” And the murder of several dolphins.

 

Worst Bit: The dolphin murdering is the best part of Stan/Francine’s dull adventure.


So this week Bob’s Burgers comes out on top, though it was a pretty strong week all round. It’s going to be a long wait for the next set of episodes, so my advice would be to catch up on Bob’s Burgers now; it has way more chance of being around in three years time than any of the other shows!

BONUS REVIEW CORNER!

South Park – S16E232 ‘Raising the Bar’


Remember last week when I hoped these new episodes would reflect Trey and Matt’s new creative passion. Well my hopes have paid off. Big Time!

‘Raising the Bar’ is perhaps the most side-splittingly brilliant episode of South Park since perhaps ‘Elementary School Musical’ in Season 12. It constantly excelled at delivering fantastic sight gags, parody and brilliant one liners, nestled in with some fantastic meta-examination of the series. It also has one of the best twists in storyline the show’s ever delivered.

At its heart, the episode is a traditional Cartman-centric episode, though one which wisely moves into some other directions so as to keep the pace going. Cartman finally admits he’s fat, and invests in a ‘Rascal’, along with many of South Park’s obese citizens. While he creates havoc around town , Kyle begins questioning the root of the problem, leading to a South Park adaption of trash-TV sensation ‘Honey Boo-Boo’. The parody itself isn’t quite as cutting as it could be, mostly because Honey and her mother are portrayed exactly as featured on the real program. But the point is made that the whole country seems to have no shame when it comes to enabling obesity (least of all Token Black, who launches his own Honey Boo-Boo rip-off featuring Cartman), and it falls to America’s favourite pioneer to save the soul of the country...

The sudden appearance of the S.S. James Cameron and the titular director is a masterstroke, which saves the episode from turning into just another Cartman episode. I love Cameron’s portrayal, diving into the Mariana Trench in an attempt to ‘raise the bar’, whilst his crew sit around bored; and forced to listen to Cameron’s own theme tune (an instantly hummable tune, similar to the one written for Russell Crowe in ‘The New Terrance and Phillip Movie Trailer’). It’s actually a fairly respectable portrayal of the Director, who actually succeeds in his mission, but not before a lovely reflective scene from Stan and Kyle. Here they ask whether South Park itself is to blame for the lowering in moral values, harkening back to its earlier days when it was criticised for shock humour and foul language. It’s a great little side note in an episode that really makes you think about the type of media were consuming, rather than just making fun of it.

Overall, this episode is an absolute triumph. Its humour ranges from simple sight gags (such as Cartman moving around on his Rascal while delivering one of his trade mark rants) to the utter brilliance of James Cameron’s portrayal. It shows South Park truly back on form, with an astounding mix of parody, gross out humour and clever reflection. If the following episodes are half as good as this, this could turn out to be the best season of South Park in at least a  decade.

10/10 

 

Best Bit: A tie between James Cameron’s theme song, and Michelle Obama’s attack on ‘Obesity’.

 

Worst Bit: The Honey Boo-Boo parody could have been more scathing. But at least it was accurate...

NEXT WEEK: While Animation Domination takes a 3 week break, I’ll cast my eye over Regular Show.