Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 Blu-ray Movie Review

Stupidity never goes out of style.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 10, 2012

I promise to love you every moment until the end of all time.

The above-referenced quote opens the new-for-2011 season of "Beavis and Butt-Head" in a hilarious mockery of the Twilight universe, but it's also applicable to Creator Mike Judge's long-running, dismissed, and reborn Comedy franchise about two teenagers whose life pursuits include attempting to score with chicks, eating junk food from the convenience store, and generally causing mayhem, though they're way too dense to "score" even when the opportunity occasionally presents itself and ignorant of the oftentimes harmful repercussions of their misguided yet in-their-minds justified and innocent pursuits. That leaves them generally lounging about and dreaming of what might be, free of senses of guilt, morality, or foresight in their actions, heading out into the world and either influencing those around them who often prove even more weak-minded than they or unwittingly taking advantage of both their own shortsightedness and denseness and the devolution of the world around them to escape culpability in even the stickiest of situations. But their adventures aren't just empty pursuits. Like "South Park," "Beavis and Butt-Head" is a reflection of the times, a parody of modern living, though it's certainly less pointed and sharp than its Comedy Central competition that has bridged the long gap between "Beavis and Butt-Head's" end and revival. "Beavis and Butt-Head" is more about the literal dumbing down of society rather than a disguised critique thereof. Yet for as ridiculous as it might appear, its intermixing of "reality" television and brain-dead music videos only proves its point, showing that it doesn't take much brain power to exist in, let alone prove a little bit smarter than, today's dumbed-down world. And yes, "Beavis and Butt-Head" is easy to love, not only for its fun characters, but for its always on-point look at a world that to even some still living today must appear as if an alien landscape rather than the one they once knew, a world gradually shaping itself in the form of Beavis and Butt-Head rather than heeding the warning and heading in the opposite direction. But hey, if the world is going to crash and burn in a steaming pile of dung, it may as well go down laughing at itself. Huh huh, he said "dung."

Ignorance (and cake) is bliss.

Honest question: does MTV even show music videos anymore? Whether it does or not, it's hard to imagine watching videos -- or today's worst reality television -- without the "insightful" commentary of Beavis and Butt-Head. For those who haven't seen the show before, or who have only seen it in the "neutered" versions on some DVDs that featured, generally, only the story line segments rather than both the story lines and the video critiques, the pair offer their own "Mystery Science Theater 3000"-style insights into the day's most popular videos and, in this iteration, the world's most popular reality TV shows. Their commentary is just as witty as that heard on MST3K, though it's done with even less reverence (if that's possible) and it plays with a more off-the-cuff feel. Their criticisms are a reflection both of popular culture and their own misguided lives. In fact, it works better now with "Jersey Shore" and other, similar programs playing at the boys' mercy rather than just straight music videos. These sorts of shows manage to paint a more complete picture of what, exactly, the show seems to be trying to do. Both play as "reality" shows yet the fun comes with one brain-dead duo commenting on another brain-dead group of people. The distinction comes in that "Jersey Shore" and other, similar programs -- which greatly influence culture -- are truly dumb, whereas "Beavis and Butt-Head" is actually the product of a sharp mind and made with the purpose of pointing out the flaws of today's society rather than attempting to be on the cutting edge of the world's downward spiral towards irrelevance. Indeed, series creator Mike Judge -- the man behind "King of the Hill;" Office Space; and the grossly underrated look at a future shaped by the very people and actions "Beavis and Butt-Head" depicts, Idiocracy -- shapes the show, it seems, to be something of a warning and a damning commentary on today's culture, but he also realizes that, yes, sometimes it's better to laugh at it than cry about it. Huh huh, he said "damn."

Yet the adventures of Beavis and Butt-Head are at least as, if not more, entertaining than their pop culture commentary. They blend a more readily-evident brand of off-the-wall physical humor with what largely remains social commentary as the boys emulate celebrities, follow the lead of popular culture, disregard their teachers, misinterpret pretty much everything they encounter, and go about making the lives of others all the more difficult, though of course they realize none of this. These new-for-2011 episodes of "Beavis and Butt-Head" see the boys through all sorts of hilariously staged mini-adventures. When they watch Twilight: Eclipse (with Idiocracy playing on screen two), they set out to become a werewolf in hopes that supernatural abilities will allow them easier access to the fairer sex. Beavis disobeys his gym teacher and finds himself stuck in the copy machine. Beavis and Butt-Head take up religion as a means of being excused from school activities. They mistake a dangerous train derailment and a precautionary evacuation of their hometown as a sign of the "apocalypse" and proceed to spend their afternoon "looting" the convenience store and "redecorating" a house. They participate in a Gulf oil spill cleanup in hopes of getting their hands on some "dirty chicks." The boys choose to adopt a rat when they realize they cannot kill it, allowing it to come to work with them and infest the restaurant's food. They come to realize that they're being paid even when they're occupying the bathroom at work; they decide to stage their own version of a "sit-in" within the cozy confines of the Burger World men's restroom. When they see Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) with a "hot chick" by his side, the decide to eat nothing but Burger World food for an entire month, believing that to be the secret to "scoring" with girls. A field trip to a local military base turns into a Beavis and Butt-Head game of Grand Theft Auto: Afghanistan when they take control of remote-piloted military attack drones. Beavis' alter-ego "Cornholio" again sees the light of day when medications overexcite his body and he becomes leader of a cult largely comprised of women who want to sleep with him and Butt-Head. The boys search for an abandoned movie theater but find themselves instead working telephone technical support within the building that's been erected on the site of the former drive-in. All of these, and more, adventures share in common the boys' complete lack of social understanding. Their ignorance is largely harmless, and even when it is not, the world and the people around them come to their defense, such as the naive Mr. Anderson or an attorney who champions their right to spend as much time in the workplace restroom as they "require." The show points out the follies of all peoples, ideas, and situations, and demonstrates a disturbing, but hilarious, circle of ridiculousness that feels all too plausible with every new short. Huh huh, he said "dick."

For all it does right, however, the one driving factor in making this 2011 version of "Beavis and Butt-Head" such a success is its strict adherence to formula. Other than appearing in high definition, everything remains largely the same, right down to preserving the original 4x3 aspect ratio. The show looks the same, it sounds the same. The voices are identical, the theme music is unchanged, the boys' antics still revolve around the same shallow pursuits, and truly, all but a few episodes could be mistaken for original "Beavis and Butt-Head" shows, with only those that include something absolutely modern, like the military drones, distinguishing this version from the last. 2011's version remains hand-drawn and lovingly so; there's no live-action or digital elements, though Mike Judge has certainly demonstrated an uncanny ability to paint a vivid picture of a live-action world of stupidity in the wonderful and aforementioned Idiocracy. All of the great characters are back and haven't changed a bit; Mr. Van Driessen still believes in the power of love and harmony and his ability to shape for the better even the minds of his worst pupils, Mr. Buzzcut remains Van Driessen's opposite and continues to lash out at the boys, Principal McVicker is still stressed and angry, young Stewart again portrays a slightly more intelligent version of Beavis and Butt-Head, and the Burger World manager has yet to dismiss his two unruly employees. Even an absence of nearly 15 years hasn't eliminated the series' entertainment value, nor has the time gap seen the show slip from its comfort zone. This is "Beavis and Butt-Head" resurrected as it was and will always be, and Mike Judge has fortunately refused to mess with perfection. Huh huh, he said "erect."

Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 features a high quality 1080p transfer housed in a 1.34:1 frame. There are certainly some jagged edges scattered throughout the show, but Paramount's Blu-ray transfer is otherwise representative of the somewhat crude animation. Colors are wonderfully vibrant and steady. The palette enjoys constants like Beavis' blue Metallica shirt and Butt-head's trademark red shorts. Blonde hair, yellow Gulf Coast rescue garb, the colors on the American flag at the military base and outside the high school, and all sorts of additional shades are marvelously presented. Fine detail is wonderful, too; the transfer captures all of the intricacies and generalized elements alike with all the accuracy one could expect of the show. Textures on walls, the attention to detail on items at the convenience store, all is handled with precision. The best part, however, comes in the transfer's clarity and stability. The music video/pop culture commentary segments are presented in standard definition (see screenshot #20) and the increase in general stability, crispness, color, and the lack of false colors really shows a drastic improvement over the show's former SD presentations. These new-for-2011 episodes are astonishingly crisp and well-defined. The transfers aren't quite perfect, but the brilliance and stability on large displays and smaller ones alike should please fans; this is like seeing "Beavis and Butt-Head" for the first time.

Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 arrives on Blu-ray with a fine DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Though it's relatively simple by nature and lacks a constant thump or sense of immersion, the show's limited comic material is handled with care and is presented via a balanced, clear soundtrack. The track makes surprisingly good use of atmospherics; ambient music and running water at the mall, a few minor school effects, and other elements are presented in such a way so as to not quite immerse the listener in the locales, but at least give them some life. Louder and sharper effects, like honking horns outside of Burger World or heavy knocks on the boys' front door, play with natural presence and precision placement around the stage. The theme music enjoys fantastic clarity and fine space across the front; the heavy guitar riffs are strong, and the low end is positive and balanced. The trademark voices have never sounded more clear and authentic, and even the boys' grunts and laughs play with natural precision. This track won't blow away any listeners with raw energy, but it's a well-rounded effort and, like the video presentation, hearing the show like this is almost like hearing it for the first time.

Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 contains two throwaway extras and a good interview with Mike Judge.

• 2011 San Diego Comic-Con Panel (1080p, 19:17): Johnny Knoxville and Mike Judge discuss the show's history, Judge's background, the show's voice acting, character development, and more.
• Beavis & Butt-Head Interruptions (1080p): The boys speak on the phone with the cast of "Jersey Shore." Included are Gym. Tan. Butt-Head (1:06), Settle Down Snooki (0:59), Beavis and Juice-Head (0:52), and Vinny Reloaded (2:00).
• Silence Your Cell Phone (1080p, 0:17): The boys encourage audiences to "shut up."

Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For longtime fans of the series, Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 represents a return to an old comfort zone. Pretty much everything about the show has gone unchanged, which is exactly how a revival had to be. The episodes are hilarious, the pop culture and music video commentary is great, and the new episodes are nearly interchangeable with the old, save for the whole "high definition" thing. Yet it's a bit sobering, really, to realize that even since the last episode of the original collection aired almost 15 years ago, the plots and people and actions of the new series remain largely unchanged. That the series is still as relevant today while popular culture continues on in its rapid devolution is perhaps the ultimate commentary on society, but at the end of the day, again, one may as well laugh at it, for it's long past the point of no return. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 is a bit short on substantive extras, but the technical presentation is solid. Highly recommended. Huh huh, he said "high."