DVD Review: Back at the Barnyard Vol. 1
Nickelodeon Adaptation of Paramount CGI Animated Movie
Aug 20, 2008
Paramount Pictures' Barnyard: The Original Party Animals was dumped into the month of August during the Great Animation Glut of 2006, a clear sign that the studio didn't think much of the film's chances. Despite mostly scathing reviews (Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 22% rating, meaning only 20 out of 89 reviewers liked it), it was a moderate hit, earning $73 million in domestic box office.
This meant that creator Steve Oedekirk (Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius) was able to parlay the concept (barnyard animals do wacky things when the humans aren't around) into a Nickelodeon series, called Back at the Barnyard.
If you're one of those who loved the original movie (a group which apparently included film critic and conservative commentator Michael Medved), then Back at the Barnyard: When No One's Looking – the series' first bow on home video – is for you. If you didn't like the flick, then this DVD is about as welcome as hoof-in-mouth disease.
Steve Oedekirk's Back at the Barnyard a Turd of a Series
Here's the premise: Otis (voiced by Chris Hardwick, replacing Kevin James) is a carefree cow living in the Farmer's pasture. Secure in the knowledge that their master is a vegan, Otis and his barnyard pals party it up whenever the Farmer's not looking.
However, he must also contend with his enemies: the slightly deranged Mrs. Beady (Maria Bamford, one of the few original voice actors who stuck around for the series), who thinks that the animals are up to something, and the obnoxious Snotty Boy (Oedekirk), who plays cruel practical jokes on everyone around him.
The CGI animation is nothing to write home about. Obviously it's nearly identical to the movie, except that the production values aren't as good. Given that the original Barnyard was indifferently animated to begin with, we're not talking Disney, or even Avatar, here.
But it's the scripts that send this show right into the outhouse. They're a nonstop barrage of visual gags and jokes, "zany" characters, constant swooshing noises and fast edits that are supposed to convince the audience that this series is high energy and full of laughs. Unfortunately, someone forgot to bring the funny, which makes this DVD teeter between the boring and the irritating. Otis is an unsympathetic leading character, his goofiness unleavened by any personal charm, and any witty dialogue is limited to taunts of "Leonardo de Dumb-Dumb." Yep, that's about as good as it gets.
The extras are minimal. Nickelodeon added some original animatics for two episodes ("Cowman and Ratboy" and "The Right Cow") and some trailers for other Nickelodeon shows on DVDs like Spongebob Squarepants and Avatar: The Last Airbender. And that's it.
The Final Analysis
Here's the true test of any comedy: does it make you laugh?
By that estimation, Back at the Barnyard: When No One's Looking is a miserable failure. It hammers its single conceit (barnyard animals acting zany when the humans aren't around) into the ground and then, just in case someone might still be laughing, hammers it some more. This DVD is a must-avoid, and so it gets a 2/10.
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