UnCROSSING SWORDS

Article first published as TV Review: CROSSING SWORDS on Seat42F.

Hulu recently premiered CROSSING SWORDS, an animated series in the style of stop-motion featuring little round people with no arms nor discernable legs. It is set in a silly medieval world, the type that could only exist in a cartoon unconcerned with realism, and follows a young squire who is on a quest to be a brave and noble knight. This is all the more challenging when everyone around him, from the monarchy, to his parents and siblings, to his neighbors and friends, have not an ounce of morality in them.

Nicolas Hoult (The Great) stars as Patrick, the squire who so desperately wants a life he can only dream about. His skills are not good, but he does have tenacity. Somehow, despite being the only one around trying to do good, Patrick keeps failing. Thankfully, his buddy Broth (Adam Pally, Happy Endings) will stick by him and show him how to have a good time, even if Broth isn’t helpful at all.

Of course, Patrick is used to not be helped. His sister, Coral (Tara Strong, The Powerpuff Girls), is a pirate queen; his brother, Ruben (Adam Ray, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power), is a forest outlaw; and his other brother, Blarney (Tony Hale, Veep), is a clown. All three tormented him mercilessly as a child, getting him into trouble and sometimes causing bodily harm. Patrick’s parents, Glenn (Breckin Meyer, Franklin & Bash) and Doreen (Wendi McLendon-Covey, The Goldberg), weren’t sympathetic or protective, either. So you see, Patrick has had a rough life.

But like any young, naïve, eternal optimist, Patrick is determined to overcome. Which has led him to seek employ under King Merriman (Luke Evans, The Alienist) and Queen Tulip (Alanna Ubach, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce), whom are depraved and horrible to one another, as well as their subjects. It’s a small enough kingdom that these rulers immediately know who Patrick is, though they often forget any past dealings with him as soon as he leaves their sight. Or so it seems.

There’s also a wizard, Blinkerquartz (Seth Green, Family Guy), though it’s unclear if he actually knows any magic.

CROSSING SWORDS is created by John Harvatine IV and Tom Root, whose names might be familiar to you if you’re a fan of Robot Chicken, another vulgar stop-motion animated series. Although CROSSING SWORDS isn’t made up of shorts, instead featuring full-length episodes and an ongoing plot, it contains many of the same dick jokes and similar types of humor. People often get kicked in the balls, puked on, and have chum thrown at them. Boobs and dicks are frequently on display on the toys. Death seems to have little meaning.

One might say CROSSING SWORDS is a more complex version of Robot Chicken, as if spun off of one of its shorts. However, the fact that continuity only applies when they feel like it kind of goes against that, even if other animated shows often do the same thing. Most scenes from this new series would feel right at home tucked into that veteran program.

CROSSING SWORDS is not going to earn these guys any new fans, but if you already like their style, then you’ll probably be happy. There’s an all-star voice cast, and although the special effects are jenky (like fire made out of cotton), it fits very well with the toy style. The images are pleasing and cute, contrasting nicely with the comedy. Details are paid attention to, with great visual gags, and the characters even look like their wood is aged and paint is chipping. So it looks fantastic. But people will tune in most likely for the jokes, which only appeal to specific viewers.

CROSSING SWORDS’ first season is available on Hulu and it has been renewed for a second season.

DVD Review: ‘Family Guy – Volume Twelve’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Family Guy – Volume Twelve’ on Blogcritics.

FOX recently released Family Guy Volume Twelve on DVD. Unlike earlier sets, Family Guy is now releasing its episodes by season, though they still bear the volume moniker, probably because the season and volume numbers don’t match up. Volume Twelve has all 22 episodes that aired last year, the show’s 11th season, spread across three discs.

Over the past few seasons, Family Guy has definitely started to show its age, and overall the episodes on this release are certainly of lesser quality than those of its early years. This is actually the first Family Guy release in a long time where I can’t link to specific episodes I previously reviewed. It’s not that the batch is necessarily worse than the last couple; Family Guy has just settled into a very comfortable routine, so it’s rarely necessary to check in with it for review. I would be repeating myself a lot. That being said, the show isn’t completely without life left in it. It’s just not the must-see, oft-discussed program that it used to be.

The episodes are stand-alones, and although the series has always had some serial elements to it, only rare episodes really changing anything for the characters. Some of the inclusions on Volume Twelve include: “Into Fat Air,” in which Peter (Seth MacFarlane) jealously forces the family to compete with Lois’s ex-boyfriend’s clan while climbing Mt. Everest; “Ratings Guy,” a fun lambasting of the Nielsen rating system, on which the longevity of TV shows is (some would argue unfairly) decided; “Yug Ylimaf,” the 200th episode, where Brian (also MacFarlane) tampers with time and Stewie (MacFarlane again) is never born; “The Giggity Wife,” in which Quagmire (um, MacFarlane), the ultimate bachelor, gets married; “Turban Cowboy,” where Peter accidentally becomes a Muslim terrorist, and yes, you read that correctly; and “Roads to Vegas,” in which Stewie and Brian are copied and the two versions have very different vacations in Law Vegas.

“Roads to Vegas” and “Ratings Guy” are my favorite inclusions, for completely different reasons. Family Guy is best when it ventures into satire, and their commentary on the way renewals are decided is way more witty than most of the other installments. “Roads to Vegas” is the latest in a recurring road trip series, a la the old Bob Hope-Bing Crosby films, always much more enjoyable than when the show parodies more modern movies, as it does in a couple of episodes on this set that I didn’t mention above.

It’s interesting that a quick rundown of the episodes I best remember all feature characters MacFarlane voices. One might think, looking at that list, he’s the only actor in the show. There are actually a number of other very talented performers in Family Guy including Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Patrick Warburton, and Mike Henry. This season, more than most, made Peter, Brian, and Stewie the center of it all, though. They are popular and reliable characters, but it would be nice to see the others get some more screen time.

There are decent extras included on Volume Twelve. “200 Episodes Later” is the special that aired in conjunction with the 200th episode. There’s also a table read from that installment, as well a portion of the show’s 2012 Comic-Con panel, always enjoyable. Deleted scenes, animatics, and audio commentaries are present for select episodes.

At the end of the day, Family Guy Volume Twelve is a very average release of what has become a very average show. But if you need some mindless laughs, Family Guy still delivers those pretty consistently, like The Simpsons, so it’s reliable for that. If you’re someone that only picks up an occasional Family Guy DVD, this one might not be at the top of the list of those recommended, but if you’re a completionist or an irregular viewer who’d like to catch a few fresh entries, then Volume Twelve should satisfy.

Family Guy Volume Twelve is available now.

DVD Review: ‘Family Guy – Volume Eleven’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Family Guy – Volume Eleven’ on Blogcritics.

Ever since its third release, the first after the reboot, Family Guy has shied away from releasing complete seasons, always giving batches of episodes instead, frequently with less than a year’s worth at a time. That changes with the latest DVD, Volume Eleven, which is actually the complete 10th season. These installments aired from September 2011 through May 2012, so it’s not the most recent season that passed, but the one before it, with 23 episodes on three discs.

Now, overall, the quality of Family Guy has declined over the seasons. However, there are a handful of installments in Volume Eleven that really stand out as memorable. Among the highlights of this disc:

• “Lottery Fever” – Peter (Seth MacFarlane) buys over 200,000 lottery tickets, winning a jackpot. Of course, he gets too big for his britches, in a homage to many a classic tale, and there are wonderful bits like a signed-song and Peter making his brood check fake tickets.
• “Seahorse Seashell Party” – The middle of a three-part Animation Domination crossover, in which a hurricane threatens the trio of FOX animated comedies created by MacFarlane, all airing on the same night. Meg (Mila Kunis) finally stands up for herself, but the family can’t survive without a scapegoat, and thus she throws off the dynamics of the show. Temporarily, obviously.
• “Thanksgiving” – Kevin Swanson (Scott Grimes), who was presumed dead by his family and friends, returns home from Iraq.
• “Meg and Quagmire” – Meg turns eighteen and Quagmire (MacFarlane) sees an opportunity. This sends Peter through the roof. As lecherous as Quagmire is, this episode is the one where Peter and Lois (Alex Borstein) finally pay attention to, and look out for, their daughter.
• “Tom Tucker: A Man and His Dream” – Peter becomes Tom Tucker’s (MacFarlane again) agent, and the two go to Hollywood. There’s a great callback when they learn James Woods (himself) is somehow still alive, but even better is the subplot in which Chris (Seth Green) begins dating a girl (Juno‘s Ellen Page) who looks like his mother.
• “Leggo My Meg-O” – A parody of Taken, with Brian and Stewie heading to Europe to rescue a kidnapped Meg.
• “Tea Peter” – Peter joins the Tea Party, they successfully shut down the local government and all hell breaks loose. Current Congressman and women: pay attention!
• “Internal Affairs” – Peter has another epic fight with the giant chicken. Plus, Joe (Patrick Warburton) considers a one-night stand with a co-worker (Anna Kendrick, Pitch Perfect) to get even with his wife for her own infidelity.
• (the best of the set) “Back to the Pilot” – Stewie (MacFarlane) takes Brian (also MacFarlane) back in time to find his lost tennis ball, and they relive the events of the first episode of the series, complete with inferior animation, a different actress voicing Meg (Lacey Chabert), and altered character personalities. However, Brian, in his arrogance, can’t resist preventing 9/11, which means that when they return to the future, America has changed and is in the midst of a Civil War. Hilarity ensues as they attempt to fix everything that is wrong and just keep making things worse. Awesome for being a tribute to the show’s origins, and a fun time-travel twist, as well as yet another journey for the series’ best couple.

And there are 14 additional episodes, mostly typical, stand-alone comedic entries with a few good jokes, but not being particularly memorable even only a couple of years after they air. Is it time for Family Guy to retire? Probably. Though, I’m glad to have the installments mentioned above, some of which will definitely make the short list of must-see episodes.

As far a special features go, there are audio commentaries on some of the half-hours, as well as select scene animatics and deleted scenes. The episodes are “uncensored,” but that doesn’t make a big difference. Some outtakes with Ricky Gervais from his guest role are amusing, and Ron MacFarlane reads some viewer mail. My favorite inclusion is “Looking Back to the Pilot,” something that seems appropriate to do ten years in, especially with the tribute episode included in this set.

Overall, I would rank Volume Eleven as better than the Volume Ten release (and Nine and Eight…), though not as good as some of the earlier ones. If you’re a Family Guy fan who doesn’t regularly watch anymore, this might be a good set to catch up casually with a taste of what it’s being made now.

Family Guy: Volume Eleven is available now.

Emotional Disconnect From DADS

Article first published as DADS Review on Seat42F.

FOX’s DADS seems to be a recipe for success. Take two very talented young, but experienced, actors, mix them with a couple of screen veterans, toss in some wonderful supporting cast members, and have Seth MacFarlane and a couple of his Family Guy pals turn it into a father-son sitcom. It’s a no brainer, right?

Well, unfortunately, not so much. At least in the “Pilot,” none of the jokes land and the story feels predictable and stale. Familiar situations are milked dry, and performances are wasted on paces that an amateur could walk through. The result is not at all pleasing, and not likely to be long-lived.

The two central characters are Eli (Seth Green, Robot Chicken, Austin Powers) and Warner (Giovanni Ribisi, Ted, Friends), long-time best friends that run a video game company together. This is a young, hip profession that should appeal to the prized young, hip, male demographic, one would think. After all, what’s better than hanging out with your buddy playing games all day? Add to that a hot Asian assistant named Veronica (Brenda Song, The Suite Life, The Social Network), whom the boys get to dress up as a Japanese school girl to impress Chinese investors, and it’s an adolescent’s dream.

First, just to get this out of the way, the controversy over Veronica’s outfit is a non-one. She is presented as a strong, assertive woman who is working to get ahead, and will definitely be rewarded for her devotion to the team, or else. The costume is a visual gag, no more, and does not demean her in any serious fashion.

But, neither is the business environment a solid concept. For one, little time is spent focusing on the work, so their company could produce anything and the premise would be the same. If DADS is going to go to the trouble of creating the fun environment, then they should be using it. Also, Veronica seems to wear the pants in the office, so the guys don’t even appear to be in charge. It’s all a waste.

Warner is currently struggling with his father, Crawford (Martin Mull, Clue, Arrested Development), moving in with him. Warner’s wife, Camilla (Vanessa Lachey), and two children don’t appreciate the inconsiderate intrusion, but Warner can’t bring himself to confront Crawford about anything. Things get worse when Crawford, ever the “entrepreneur, ruins a business deal.

The problem isn’t the avoidance of any type of confrontation, as that is a reasonable, interesting dynamic, but rather that Crawford could possibly be so horrible and still be loved by his son or viewers. Mull is a gifted actor, but struggles to make the character the least bit sympathetic. He hams it up for a laugh, including in a scene with the other dad, who we’ll get to in a minute, but it makes the emotional stuff seem thin. It just doesn’t work.

Also, Camilla is a one-note stereotype and the kids are completely unseen, despite a party scene at Warner’s house. Again, an opportunity to flesh out the world is traded for set dressing.

Single, care-free, man-whore Eli is judgmental about Warner’s situation until his own father, David (Peter Riegert, Damages Animal House), blows into town and ruins Eli’s life. Eli and David have the opposite relationship of Warner and Crawford, frequently yelling and acting out. Again, this is played to the extreme in such a way that it’s hard to care about the pair.

The best work of the entire half hour is done by Green, who does overdo it with the physical pantomiming, but shows a soft side when finding out about David’s bad luck. It’s at least a relatable performance amid the more cartoonish ones. But it just doesn’t cut it in any otherwise boring installment.

The problem is, by and large, than instead of concentrating on what makes these four men tick and how they relate to one another, the writers try to deliver bit after bit. That may work for an animated series like Family Guy, but does not for a live action show, unless it’s the caliber of Childrens Hospital, which this is not. Things that are supposed to be funny, such as a fighting-over-a-check scene and a portrait in Eli’s apartment, are definitely not. Sadly, DADS is not on my list of recommended new series this fall.

I must mention that DADS puts Tonita Castro back to work, as she deserves to be, but sadly, it likely will be a quicker gig than she had on Go On.

DADS premieres Tuesday, September 17^th at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

How I Met Your Mother turns "The Final Page"

CBS's How I Met Your Mother has begun their wrap up, getting two major characters together in this week's hour-long installment, "The Final Page." Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) has been dating Patrice (Ellen D. Williams), and when he is ready to propose after only a few weeks, he tells only Ted (Josh Radnor). Ted can't stand to let Robin (Cobie Smulders) sit idly by, knowing she is still in love with Barney, and so drives her to the site of the proposal to interrupt. But when Robin gets there, she learns it has all been an elaborate scheme by Barney to win her, and she accepts his ring.

Robin is upset with Barney at first, and she should be. He lies and manipulates her. At the same time, after How I Met Your Mother has already played so much with the two of them as a couple, any engagement has to be big. Thus, such a master plan, or something like it, has to come about, lest fans be disappointed by too small a gesture. Plus, Barney's earnestness and sincerity is enough to win Robin over, and earn his forgiveness from her and the viewers. This is a gambit played for true love, pure and simple, not just for sex, and the makes it all right.

What is more interesting to me in the whole scenario is that Barney really sells his relationship with Patrice enough for Robin to believe it. We know that he is ready to be done with games and settle down; this has been obvious for awhile. But to see Barney with a woman like Patrice, so far against his type, and to actually have a character believe he's being authentic, without seeming dumb for thinking so, is a difficult thing to do. "The Over-Correction" stuff last week makes it feel plausible. Though there is always a nagging doubt that the whole thing is fake, considering the way in which it is presented, one can't blame Robin for being fooled.

That, and how well Barney knows his friends is sweet. There are steps in his scheme that allow for everyone else to be who they are, butting in where they shouldn't. He also gives Ted the opportunity not to give up on Robin, and to keep her for himself, a friend move, rather than entrapment, not wanting to spoil Ted's happiness if Robin is still who he wants. These additions add to the successful execution, and are vital to the overall genius of the writing.

Now, after a teary and brilliant roof scene, Barney and Robin are engaged. This fundamentally changes their characters going forward, and begins building towards their wedding, which we've been glimpsing for a couple of years, mostly at the beginning and ends of seasons. This is going to shift the dynamic of the group, and really give the series some steam as it heads into those last stories of them finally and fully becoming adults.

Will How I Met Your Mother end this spring or next? No official announcement has been made, but it's very likely to be one of those two possibilities. Does the show have another whole year left in it? Should they wind things down sooner? I guess that's something we'll have to wait to find out. If it is bowing out this May, we need to hurry up and get to the wedding, though, because the series cannot end the moment Ted meets the mother. After eight seasons of set up, there has to be at least a little more.

So How I Met Your Mother definitely gets the drama right, as it has been doing for awhile now, but the comedy is still uneven. "The Final Page" has both hilarious moments, and terrible ones. Back in the day, the jokes landed solid week after week. It's a shame that this is not the case anymore. It's a good thing they have the emotional heft to keep their fans engaged.

The best comedy part of "The Final Page" is the jinx. Setting up an elaborate back story that doesn't allow Barney to talk, his friends make him squirm, and then he gets revenge, is very funny. It's the type of classic stuff that attracted many viewers in the early days of the series. There are a number of scenes in this story that really work.

I only wish the plot would have extended into the second half, at least with some resolution to Barney jinxing Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel). However, one cut scene could have adequately tied it up, so it's not completely necessary.

I also enjoy the recurring characters, like Ranjit (Marshall Manesh), Patrice, and Sandy (Alexis Denisof). I love that Hannigan's husband, Denisof, appears steadily on the series. I also really like seeing Hannigan reunited with her Buffy the Vampire Slayer character's beau, Seth Green, who plays Lily and Marshall's college friend. These are bits of nostalgia that play on the audience's emotions, and even if they are a bit gimmicky, we don't care.

Not so great is the other junk tossed in. The pit metaphor didn't work very well, and I loathed the Lily-and-Marshall-away-from-Marvin stuff. Them dropping down and crying in the middle of a fancy party is stupid and unacceptable. These characters, and the actors who play them, deserve better than this. We know that the writers can be smarter. Look at the jinx!

Overall, though, "The Final Page" is a special and memorable event in the larger arc of the show. I can't wait to see where the events of this episode will lead!

How I Met Your Mother returns to CBS Mondays at 8 p.m. ET in January.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first posted on TheTVKing

Robot Chicken flies high

In the season six premiere of Adult Swim's Robot Chicken, the show honors the DC Comic Universe, much in the way it has previously done for Star Wars. It's an interesting choice, given how DC's competitor, Marvel, is dominating the theaters right now. Perhaps it was hard to get the rights to Marvel, or maybe the Robot Chicken guys just saw more potential in characters that haven't been played with on screen as much lately. Or perhaps they thought that honoring DC in this way might drum up more interest in DC movies. Whatever the reason, the result is a very funny half hour using many familiar heroes and villains from the comic book pages.

The main group parodied are the Justice League, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and their counterparts, The Legion of Doom, which is led by Lex Luthor. Neither side is presented as very intelligent or successful, in true Robot Chicken fashion. The good guys act like jerks, and the bad guys are sympathetic, more complex characters. They do battle with each other, but other than the big confrontation at the climax, the best parts are just when the characters hang out among their own, ripping on each other. It makes them relatable, like old friends.

Some of the chosen targets are pretty easy. Aquaman has long been lampooned, and rather than take a different approach, Robot Chicken goes after him with aplomb, making him central to the larger arc in the episode. However, they do it in a way that still feels fresh, rather than using the same stale stuff (mostly). Watching him jump onto an "invisible jet," only to realize he is being tricked by his friends, is very amusing.

Another running gag is Batman getting his back broken by Darkseid. Many might show the bit three times, following the general rule of humor. Robot Chicken takes it the unexpected step further and does it a fourth. What sells this rule breaking is then the characters acknowledge that they are straying from the accepted path. Somehow, that makes the fourth go-round even better than the first three!

Much of the DC episode has a central story, unlike most Robot Chicken episodes, which thrives in the small bits. This may provide less laughs overall, but when going for a full half hour, it seems necessary and right that scenes go on for more than twenty seconds. In this, the show makes the wise choice.

The stars turned up in spades to lend their voices to this episode. Many of them have guest starred on the series before, but it's cool to hear them all together, and many lend some geek cred. There's Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly), Alex Borstein (Family Guy), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Megan Fox (Transformers), Alfred Molina (Spiderman II), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman himself), and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith lends some vocals.

But besides the big names and big characters the episode is playing off of, Robot Chicken also stays true to itself by tossing its own recurring characters into the mix, like the humping robot, and using may of the regular voice actors like Abraham Benrubi, Tom Root, Breckin Meyer (Franklin & Bash), and the creative team of Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Zeb Wells, and Kevin Shinick. Green even tosses a bit to his wife, Clare Grant. This shows the heart and dedication of those making the show.

All in all, while maybe not as memorable as the Star Wars tributes, Robot Chicken does a good job with the DC universe. Who might they target next?

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Family Guy presents "Episode VI: It's a Trap"

     FOX's Family Guy parodies Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, so it is inevitable that a version of Return of the Jedi follows. Last night's ninth season finale brings "Episode VI: It's a Trap," the awaited Jedi knockoff, which is actually already out on DVD, and has been since December. If you've seen the original movie, the plot is familiar, if condensed to around forty-four minutes. Luke / Chris (Seth Green) rescues Leia / Lois (Alex Borstein) and Han / Peter (Seth MacFarlane) from Jabba the Hut / Joe (Patrick Warburton). From there, they travel to a planet near the still-under-construction new Death Star. Luke visits his father, Darth Vader / Stewie (MacFarlane), on the thing, and together they defeat the Emperor / Carter (MacFarlane). On the planet below, Han, Leia, Chewbacca / Brian (MacFarlane), and the other rebels take out a shield, so that Lando / Mort (John G. Brennan) can destroy the Death Star. The rebels party with the Ewoks.
 
     While the basic plot does follow the George Lucas movie, what makes Family Guy's version different, besides casting familiar characters in the roles, is all of the jokes sandwiched in. For instance, The Emperor and Darth Vader bait Luke by commenting how Seth Green is a terrible actor. For viewers in on the joke that Green voices Chris, it is highly amusing to watch the tension build in Luke / Chris until he erupts. To be fair, after the Jedi parody is complete, the Griffins do have a debate as to whether Seth Green or Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is a bigger douche. For fans of meta humor, this conversation may be the funniest thing in the entire hour.

     Another memorable joke in this episode is a live action sock puppet standing in for the additional creatures added to Jabba's palace in the special edition of the movie. The Rancor that Luke fights in Jabba's pit is replaced with conservative talk radio pundit Rush Limbaugh. Meg (Mila Kunis), who is often teased as the most ugly, disliked character on the show, is the Sarlacc monster. Above the Sarlacc pit, there is an extended sequence of characters glancing at each other. On Endor, the stormtroopers use actual bicycles, which upsets Pee Wee Herman when his is stolen.

     Apparently Family Guy, despite its extensive cast, has run out of characters to stand in for the Star Wars people, as MacFarlane draws upon his other TV shows in this special. Both Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker) and Roger (MacFarlane) from American Dad! are cast as Admiral Akbar and a Death Star officer, respectively, while Tim the Bear (MacFarlane) from The Cleveland Show is, appropriately, an Ewok, and Rallo (Mike Henry) is Wedge Antilles. It is lucky for MacFarlane that he has other TV shows to draw from, since the Star Wars franchise has so many characters.

     At the very end of this episode, the characters avow that they will not be doing the prequel Star Wars films, and Peter says that he thinks The Cleveland Show will be handling them. Is this a joke, or true? Three major characters from The Cleveland Show already appear in the Family Guy Star Wars parodies, but might they be recast for another trilogy of special episodes? It is hard to imagine how the spinoff cast would be appropriate for such a series, but MacFarlane may be daring enough to give it a try. Or it could just be an offhand comment, a slight insult to a sister series.

     "Episode VI: It's a Trap" lives up to the previous two installments. Whether MacFarlane does any more Star Wars parodies or not, he has finished a great feat with humor and excitement. Fans of both Family Guy and Star Wars should be left satisfied.

     Family Guy has been picked up for a tenth season, and will return to FOX next fall.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     Please click here to buy streaming episodes, DVDs, and other merchandise from Family Guy.

Article first published as TV Review: Family Guy - "Episode VI: It's a Trap" on Blogcritics.

Family Guy "And Then There Were Fewer"

     FOX's Family Guy began their fall season last week with a one hour special episode, "And Then There Were Fewer".  Spoofing a number of old movies, the traditional theme song was ditched in favor of more mood appropriate music as the Griffin family traveled in their car over many miles up to an old mansion, where they had been invitied to a dinner in their honor.  Turns out, many of the neighbors received the same invitation, and so there is quite a crowd at the destination.  They soon learn they have been invited by nemesis to all, James Woods (voiced by James Woods, Shark), who has become a born-again Christian, and wants to make amends with the citizens of Quahog.  Then he (and others) are murdered, and the race is on to find the killer before everyone dies.

     This episode brought back a number of familiar faces, pitting a bunch of the beloved characters against each other in an interesting setting.  The entire Griffin family was there: father Peter (creator of the show, Seth MacFarlane), his wife Lois (Alex Borstein, MADtv), son Chris (Seth Green, Robot Chicken, Austin Powers), daughter Meg (Mila Kunis, That '70s Show, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), infant-evil genius Stewie (MacFarlane), and dog Brian (MacFarlane).  Quagmire (MacFarlane) brought his overweight, annoying 'girlfriend' that he had been hiding from everyone.  Brian's ex, Jillian (Drew Barrymore) brought along her new beau, Derek (John Viener).  Joe (Patrick Warburton, Seinfeld, Rules of Engagement) and Bonnie (Jennifer Tilly) came, along with newscasters Tom Tucker (MacFarlane) and Diane Simmons (Lori Alan, Southland).  Suspected ephebophile, Herbert (the title character in The Cleveland Show, Mike Henry), the Griffin's former maid, Consuela (also Henry), Dr. Hartman (MacFarlane), the pirate with four wooden limbs, Seamus (MacFarlane), Carl (H. John Benjamin, Archer) and Jewish couple Mort (John G. Brennan) and Muriel Goldman (Nicole Sullivan, $#*! My Dad Says, Rita Rocks, MADtv) were also in attendance, as was Mayor Adam West (Batman's Adam West).  It provided some zany humor, and each member of this large cast got in a few jokes.

     I always enjoy when Family Guy does something different, and this episode was no exception.  Not only was it funny, but it didn't venture too far into the crass, or do too many pop culture side-scenes, as the series is sometimes want to do.  It was intelligently written.  I, for one, did not know who the actual murderer was until the end, though I quickly guessed correctly who took down the killer.  It was an example of what FG can be when it's not trying to be everything people expect it to be.  So, a great, classic episode for MacFarlen and company.

     What I wonder is, will the developments shown in this episode by permanent?  Family Guy has allowed change before, such as when Cleveland Brown (Henry) got divorced, and then awhile later, moved away for his spinoff.  Brian dated Jillian for a large part of the season, and when she returns, they still reference that old relationship.  This episode allowed the deaths of James Woods, Muriel Goldman, and Diane Simmons, as well as a couple just-introduced characters.  Does that mean Tom Tucker will have a new co-anchor whenever they show the news clips?  Is Mort now a widower?  I hope that they do go down that path, rather than reverting to everything back to normal next week.  If Diane shows up again, without some elaborate explanation, it will definitely cheapen this hour of television for me.

     Family Guy continues it's 9th season tonight at 9pm on FOX.

Warren the Ape monkeys around

     MTV has revived an old character and given him his own show.  Warren the Ape, aka Warren DeMontague (Dan Milano, Robot Chicken), is trying to 'put his life back together' after screwing it up with drugs, sex, and alcohol.  Except that he's not trying, really.  In the series, called appropriately Warren the Ape, he still drinks and sleeps around.  But he meets with Dr. Drew Pinsky (himself, Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew) and goes through the motions, as he is making a reality show.  Of course, the joke is that we don't live with puppets, so it's not really a reality show, but I argue it's at least as real as most of the other reality shows that MTV and similar networks put on.

     Warren doesn't look much like an ape.  He's more of a nearly shapeless pile of brown fabric with a white helmet.  But he certainly is a character.  In this week's episode, "Amends", he looked at the 12 Step Alcoholics' Recovery Program, and decided he wanted to skip straight to Step 9: Amends.  Never mind that he continues to ingest as much booze as he wants throughout the episode.  Most of the people he apologized to took it well enough, but Seth Green, his former Greg the Bunny co-star, proved difficult.  Turns out, Warren forgot that he had slept with Seth's girlfriend, and by the end of the half hour, had slept with Seth's current wife, fiance for the episode's purpose.  (It was probably filmed before the wedding, but the two were wed in real life in early May 2010).

     It's hard to tell sometimes what the show considers fantasy and what it considers reality.  Was Greg the Bunny a show they made, or did they work for the kids' show chronicled on Greg?  But the show obviously has crass taste.  The best gag so far was when Warren took a busload of school children to a strip club.  The ape frequently visits the strip club in the series, and the strippers all know him.  It's not a new twist to see a washed up actor hanging out at such establishments, imbibing copious amounts of booze, and behaving obnoxiously.  However, since this time it's a puppet, it's more entertaining than sad.  And it's always nice to see some form of Greg's legacy live on.

     The show also stars Josh Sussman (Glee) as Warren's timid assistant, who goes along with any scheme, no matter how crazy.  I'm sure it's hard to act with puppets, but Josh pulls it off seemingly easily, with none of the cheesiness inherent in the practice.

     Warren the Ape airs Monday nights at 10:30pm on MTV.

Family Guy something something Star Wars

     Fox's Family Guy ended their eighth season with the television premiere of a DVD they released late last year.  The episode was called "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side", and it was a spoof of the movie Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.  It was a follow up to their previous effort based on the first Star Wars movie, and there will surely by a third to complete the trilogy soon.

     Was it really a true Family Guy episode?  No.  I enjoy their Star Wars parodies, though I wish they would do the far superior Star Trek films instead.  Yes, I am definitely on the Star Trek side of the age-old debate, but I'm not a Star Wars hater, and did enjoy the movies, especially the original three.  Anyway, Seth MacFarlane, the creator of the show, does Star Wars pretty well.  There was enough of the original story to follow along, but it was much shorter, as was appropriate for a goof like this.  It was funny, and none of the jokes ran too long.  Fans of both franchises could enjoy the episode.

     Family Guy does three types of jokes particularly well: sight gags, racism, and references.  The best of the first category in this episode was probably Peter's (voiced by MacFarlane) nemesis, the Giant Chicken (Danny Smith) as Boba Fett.  It's always fun to see those to go after each other, and with Peter filling in for Han Solo, it made a good pairing.  The best racism gag was when Peter / Han commented that Lando was probably the only black guy in the universe, and Brian / Chewbacca (MacFarlane) said that he hoped so.  All of the other characters were appropriate offended, lest you think the series out to put down any minorities, which it doesn't do more than it puts down everyone else.  The last category was the best, though, as Peter and Chris (voiced by Seth Green) argued over whether Robot Chicken, a Cartoon Network series created by Seth Green, was still relevant.  Robot Chicken has also done Star Wars parodies lately, although theirs are short bits, rather than an entire plot.  Both series have been funny about it, but with two different approaches.

   So, the episode wasn't really an end to this past season of Family Guy.  If anything, that happened last week, although the show doesn't traditionally do big season-enders.  But it was a pleasant diversion for an hour.