DVD Review: Aqua Teen Hunger Force Volume 6
Adult Swim Created By Matt Maiellaro, Dave Willis
Dec 16, 2008
Is Aqua Teen Hunger Force actually funny, or just a joke perpetrated on the audience that supports it?
That's a tough question: people either love, or love to hate, the Adult Swim cartoon featuring the random adventures of an ambulatory milkshake, box of fries and lump of meat.
Certainly the fact that this show is currently working on its seventh season – and spawned one feature-length film (with another on the way), plus a notorious bomb scare in Boston – shows that creators Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis are doing something right with viewers.
However, if you're not a fan of ATHF, the Volume 6 DVD won't make you a believer. It's rife with scattershot jokes, poo-poo humour and scriptwriting that seems inspired by bong hits.
What's It About?
Don't even bother asking that question. Aqua Teen Hunger Force is ostensibly about the adventures of Frylock (Carey Means), Master Shake (Dana Snyder), and Meatwad (Maiellaro), 3 private investigators who don't actually investigate anything. All they do is get into random adventures with their "friends": obnoxious drop-out Carl Brutananadilewski (Willis) and vampire landlord Markula, among others. The plot usually gets dropped just after it's established, with the writers and characters just talking about whatever amuses them (mostly graphic).
Depending on your point of view, it's either genius or irritating.
DVD Extras
You know you're in trouble when one of the extras contains more laughs than the rest of the freakin' show. That's the case with the live-action short "Terror Phone," where an unsuspecting home owner receives a black rotary phone with Satanic symbols all over it. The short plods along until a sudden breaking of the 4th wall kicks in some good laughs.
On the other hand, the "comedy bits"/outtakes from the ATHF video game are totally random (and not in a good way), while the collected editions of "Carl's Sports Blog" are just painful.
Much like the show itself, the audio commentaries have virtually nothing to do with the episode in question, and seem only there to amuse the creators and their cronies. Maiellaro and Willis giggle at their own in-jokes and make random observations that only their friends and associates would understand.
The Final Analysis
There's no middle ground when it comes to Aqua Teen Hunger Force Volume 6: either you think it's genius or it's dumber than a bag of hammers. However, this DVD box set won't convert anyone who isn't already in love with ATHF's style of comedy.
Recommended only if you're already a fan of the show, or regularly enjoy recreational pharmaceuticals. 4/10.
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