Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America Blu-ray Movie Review

Not a bare-bones release, at least not in the traditional sense.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 26, 2014

What's a ventriloquist to do when he's reached the zenith of his profession? Comedy Central's multiple personality voice man and puppeteer extraordinaire television star Jeff Dunham has enjoyed an incredible rise to the top of the charts, assembling a massive and massively loyal fan base while earning more money than most professional athletes along the way. His comedy specials have been seen far and wide, his live shows attended by thousands, and his merchandise gobbled up by the truckloads. The ride to the top has been fast and straight, leaving him nowhere to really go and no room to grow save for branching outside of his comfort zone and trying something new. Well, relatively new anyway. Rather than just another puppet/ventriloquist special, Dunham's popular "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" character has been given a new lease on life in the animated realm in an hour-long cartoon about an absentminded dead terrorist discovering that America isn't the sort of place he's been led to believe. The program isn't so much a risk but certainly a novelty and a nice reprieve from Dunham's well-done but ever-so-slightly long-in-the-tooth routine.

The patriotic terrorist.

When Achmed the Dead Terrorist expresses a wish to be an animated figure, Tinker Bubba appears to make his dream come true. Achmed finds himself in animated land and a flesh-covered terrorist (voiced by Jeff Dunham) of three years who has yet to kill any infidels. When he's accidentally killed by his own bomb, he reanimates as a skeleton and lands on a flight bound for America. There, he's picked up by the Wilson family -- father Wayne (voiced by Tom Kenny), mother Jenny (voiced by Susan Egan), son Kevin (voiced by Chiara Zanni), and daughter Cassidy (voiced by Amanda Troop) -- that believes him to be a foreign exchange student named Claude. Little do they know he's a terrorist with evil in his heart and a willingness to destroy both the family and the entire town in which it lives. As Achmed sets his dastardly plan into place, however, he comes to realize that, just maybe, America and its people aren't so bad after all.

Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America finds its moments of funny but never molds itself into must-see comedy. The story doesn't take too many chances, failing to go truly edgy but at the same time making things just dark and mature enough to keep it off the kids' next must-see animated program list. The story specifics aren't overtly predictable, but the general arc is, in fact, a straightforward sort with precious little structural creativity as Achmed's small-town American journey unfolds. The film banks primarily on Dunham's name, the Achmed character, and the animation as its main selling points. It wouldn't work nearly as well, and probably wouldn't sell, without the clout behind it. That's a double-edged sword in that it's a guaranteed sell but also runs the risk of complacency -- even considering the presentation novelty -- which would in turn reduce the end product's vigor. The film falls somewhere in the middle, taking advantage of Dunham's skills and Achmed's personality but not really pushing any boundaries. Longtime Jeff Dunham and Achmed the Dead Terrorist fans know what to expect, more or less, in terms of core dialogue, motive, and general presentation. It's comfort food for the masses, nothing more and nothing less.

All that said, it's still a serviceably fun little animated adventure. Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America may not journey to new lands, introduce exciting new characters, or find much novelty in its story, but Dunham, Achmed, and animation fans should enjoy what is a rather straightforward but mostly entertaining little escapist story. Beyond Achmed, whose arc isn't at all surprising, the character of most interest is Kevin, a young, aspiring ventriloquist no doubt taken directly from the Dunham mold and given a rather substantial role in the story's resolution. Otherwise, the characters are fully stock and presented in an animation style reminiscent of Family Guy. The film does take some well integrated story jabs at popular culture, small town living, news, celebrities, and politics from both sides of the isle. Nobody, from Shania Twain to Michelle Obama, from Bill O'Reilly to Rachel Maddow, is safe. The little inside baseball pot shots are the film's best assets outside of its lead character and help minimize what is otherwise a fairly lethargic and bland storyline.

Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America's high definition transfer looks quite nice. Paramount/Comedy Central's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed image offers a robust, colorful experience. The animation is clean and very well defined. The resolution allows for pinpoint clarity and evenness around every inch. The color palette is spectacular. Though the image offers only a basic array of colors -- there's precious little nuance, instead just a collection of standard reds, blues, greens, and other everyday shades -- they're all cheery and vibrant across the board. There is some noticeable banding in several scenes, but the transfer proves otherwise proficient. The film opens with a few minutes of live-action footage. There's nothing spectacular here. It's a basic HD video source that offers well-defined details on the Achmed puppet and Dunham's skin and clothing. Colors are limited but serviceably reproduced.

Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America features a pair of English language audio tracks, the primary one a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 presentation. The track hits all the right notes and never stumbles. Musical delivery is robust and accurate, whether light, airy Comedy-typical notes or a Rock rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Music enjoys excellent stage presence and surround support, not to mention a well-balanced low end. Minor supportive sound effects are nicely integrated, too, whether light chirping birds and suburban din or the background sounds that are generated by a large collection of people. A few heavier sound effects play with commanding presence, including a barrage of fireworks that explode all over the stage and enjoy a healthy low end. Dialogue flows naturally from the center and enjoys a realistic light reverberation when passed through a microphone in a few scenes. All in all, this is a very good, enjoyable soundtrack.

Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America contains two supplements.

• Audio Commentary: Jeff Dunham is joined by Animation veteran Kelly Asbury (director, Shrek 2) and Writer Michael Price (writer, The Simpsons). The commentators offer an interesting, well-spoken track in which they discuss character design, animation style, writing and designing particular moments, subtle jokes and overarching humor, and more.
• The Making of Achmed Saves America (HD, 4:52): A disappointingly brief piece that looks at the character's transition to animation, plot basics, characters, voice acting, animation complexities and details, and more.

Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America isn't as funny as Dunham's live-action shows, but it's a decent enough time killer and a nice enough escape from the confines of the stage show. It's certainly geared towards audiences familiar with the Achmed the Dead Terrorist character, who will appreciate the dialogue, interactions, and general presentation. The surrounding pieces aren't particularly interesting outside of the character inspired by a young Jeff Dunham. Paramount/Comedy Central's Blu-ray release of Jeff Dunham: Achmed Saves America features solid video and audio. Supplements are fine albeit a little sparse. Recommended to hardcore Dunham fans. Casuals would be smart to rent.