6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Everyone's favourite rascals Frylock, Master Shake, Meatwad and Carl fight the corporate overlord Amazin, led by tech mogul Neil and his trusty scientist sidekick, Elmer.
Starring: Dana Snyder (II), Carey Means, Dave Willis, Peter Serafinowicz, Natasha RothwellComedy | 100% |
Animation | 96% |
Dark humor | 59% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Japanese, Spanish, Dutch
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Originally conceived as a spin-off of Cartoon Network's surprise smash hit Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro's Aqua Teen Hunger Force somehow ended up outliving its predecessor through 15 seasons and even a 2009 feature-length film. Since the show's 2015 cancellation, it enjoyed a brief YouTube revival earlier this year and now comes Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm, a second full-length film released straight to video and HBO Max.
Plantasm differs from the first Aqua Teen film in that it actually has a semi-logical plot, which might end up being its biggest handicap. Not that I'm against accessible entry points -- if such a thing even exists for this franchise -- but it's a lukewarm thread at best, one that offers several bright spots but spins its wheels elsewhere, especially most of the attempted social commentary concerning Amazin' and its owner. Then there's a running gag involving Mooninites Err and Ignignokt (Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis), who interrupt the film seven times -- including the end credits -- and this gets old pretty quick. (For added emotional torture, an on-screen text prompt lets the non-threatening Mooninites "hijack" your smartphone with a near-endless string of SMS insults and even a spoiler for the post-credits scene. It's kind of clever, but I unsubscribed after about 40 minutes.) Everything ties together in a reasonably satisfying way, but your enjoyment of Plantasm may hinge more on your nostalgia for its overall vibe than the story itself.
It's kind of fitting for a franchise whose oddball characters and dialogue take precedence over everything else, so it's likely that anyone who
enjoyed earlier versions of Aqua Teen Whatever will get their money's worth. But even within the boundaries of direct-to-video fare there's
room for improvement here, so here's hoping that future Cartoon Network DTV productions -- of which there are at least two planned -- build
momentum, or at least keep it going. Surprisingly enough, Warner Bros. has gone all-out on the home video front, serving up Plantasm in
either this stand-alone Blu-ray or a 4K combo pack (which even feels weird to type), both of which include a few solid bonus features.
Although it unsurprisingly falls short of its 4K counterpart, only those who have already seen Plantasm in its native 4K will notice any kind of shortcomings here. Considering the franchise's modest visual roots -- and the fact that this is a single-layer disc -- the Blu-ray provides a good-looking presentation indeed, one with mostly crisp edges, good color saturation, and a surprising overall lack of banding, posterization, and other digital remnants. When compared side-by-side, this 1080p presentation obviously lacks some of the razor-sharp detail and depth seen in its native resolution, yet very few fans of Aqua Teen are likely in it for the animation quality so even this looser presentation might be more than enough. Still, some of its occasional shortcomings could have been remedied with a dual-layered Blu-ray; that disc may have run an even closer race with the 4K edition with a capable upscaler, given the latter's lack of HDR enhancement. Even so, there are no major problems here so this Blu-ray earns decently passing marks on its own.
Similarly, the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix falls within expected territory for a film of this type: mostly front-loaded, but with a more than a few little sonic surprises due to the subject matter and constantly shifting tone. Surrounds open up nicely during heightened action, which includes a handful of battles on and above the Earth and also extends to the original score. Channel panning and discrete effects come into play here as well as an overall envelopment that feels suitably large but not overcooked. Speech and other foreground effects are crystal clear -- when they're supposed to be, at least -- and obviously do most of the driving here, occasionally also extending into the rears depending on location and volume level. Overall, it's a perfectly good mix that complements the visuals nicely.
Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are offered during the main feature only. For whatever reason, the bonus features only include Spanish subtitles which is very unusual for a Warner Bros. release.
This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with stylin' cover artwork duplicated on the matching slipcover; a digital copy redemption slip is also tucked inside. The extras are a little hit-or-miss but worth a run-through.
Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm revives Cartoon Network's second-longest running series with another feature-length film that, for better or for worse, mostly preserves the show's unpredictable sense of humor. It's certainly entertaining in spots and the animation is a solid step up from previous iterations, yet it unsurprisingly feels pretty padded even at just 76 minutes and the constant Mooninite interruptions don't help matters, either. Warner Bros.' Blu-ray is fine enough for casual fans with a solid 1080p transfer and several decent bonus features, although the 4K combo pack more faithfully supports the new and improved animation's true UHD roots. Recommended to the right audience.
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