Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (review)
Want Fries With That?
There isn’t “getting.” You don’t “get” Aqua Teen Hunger Force. You either accept its insanity, or it makes your head explode. It’s, you know, a faith thing. There’s nothing aqua about it, it’s questionable whether any of the characters are teens, and the idea of a “hunger force” comes into it only if you’re willing to consider consuming the fast-food heroes.
That’s right: the protagonists of this glorious nonsense are a man-size fast-food milkshake (flavor unclear), a giant levitating box of french fries, and an enormous meatball. And okay, yes, meatballs are not generally considered “fast food,” unless you’re talking about, like, pizza joints and and sub sandwiches and such, and I dunno if you can consider that really “fast food” since any pizza joint worth its salt is independentally owned and operated and not part of a franchise-- but the point is, It’s a mystery. It is not our place to question.
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I shouldn’t be the one explaining this to you. I don’t pretend to understand it. Geek that I am, ATHF had nevertheless barely impinged on my consciousness until the strange events in Boston a few months ago. I am not among the deeply initiated. But I feel the goodness and the strangeness and the unknowableness of it. I get it, this weird stream-of-consciousness riffing on pop culture and the absurdities of modern life and the wondrousness of chemically laden supposed food.
No, no, I shouldn’t be so arrogant. I don’t get. I can’t presume to get. I am a mere supplicant. I am at the mercy of ATHF. As we all are. Not many will be able to appreciate the wisdom and insight of the fast food. I don’t count myself among that select few. But I try. I try.
There is Master Shake, who is dumb, and Frylock, who is clever, and Meatwad, who is meat, and they are on a quest for a missing part for the exercise machine -- the Insanoflex -- that Master Shake stole from their neighbor in the Jesery suburbs. And they need this part so they can work out, so they can be hot, so that girls will want to do mysterious and enigmatic things with them, and so that the glory of life can be acknowledged. Or something. I can’t presume to understand. I can only behold, and wonder, and worship. I can marvel, in my secret heart, that there are parallels to be drawn between the trials and tribulations of the incomprehensibly sentient fast food and those of, you know, the pathetic dork audience... But no, this is not my place. I am not worthy to make such connections.
There are guys, and their names are Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis, and lo, they are employees of a television network devoted to cartoons, and they have given unto us this strange beast, this mass of bizarre non sequiturs and existential pain -- why o why would a just and noble deity allow the secret lair of an evil genius to be converted into luxury lofts? -- and it is good. I dare not pretend to comprehend the vast meaning of it. I could meditate for a thousand years and not grasp it.
But there is the spiritual emptiness of suburbia. There is the pain of loneliness and of being made of meat. There is the inscrutability of not knowing from whence one springs or where one fits into the world or how one came to be where one is. These enigmas are not answered, for how could they be? They are merely acknowledged -- it is the only thing mere mortals can do when faced with such oddnesses.
(Technorati tags: Aqua Teen Hunger Force)
viewed at a private screening with an audience of criticsrated R for crude and sexual humor, violent images and language
official site | IMDB
comments
posted by bonnie-ann black (April 13, 2007 10:00 AM)
and yet... it only got a yellow light. too much for the uninitiated to take in while at the movie theatre? better absorbed slowly at home?
posted by Eric (April 13, 2007 2:59 PM)
Have been a viewer of ATHF for a fairly long time, I can say it never truly makes sense. But there in lies its nature, random, original, out of place, sometimes an episode won't make you laugh at all, and the next episode you're cracking up. Though the Mooninites almost always bring a laugh.
posted by alex troup (April 13, 2007 5:00 PM)
this review of it is the best i read to day. there is no reviewer that is in the age group that watchs the show. i would also be will to put money on it that none of them watch the show. this is not for the masses, its for the people that watch the show. this is what we get for buying the dvds.
posted by MaryAnn (April 13, 2007 6:29 PM)
What is the age group that watches this show? It's on Adult Swim -- it's aimed at grownups. I know adults my age who watch this show. You're wrong, Alex, that there are no critics in the age group the show is aimed at. There are. Whether or not they watch the show is another issue.
I gave it a yellow light because it's intended for and will only be appreciated by a select audience. If you're in that audience, it's worth the big screen. "Yellow" means wait for DVD UNLESS something about it, like a cast member, is a particular favorite of yours. Some movies should be seen by everyone -- this isn't one of those movies.
posted by Jennifer aka The Fem-Dork (April 19, 2007 10:15 PM)
Meatwad is just a ball of meat because "the bun is in your mind."
Few may remember that these three, in slightly different, more proto-typical forms, made their debut on Space Ghost Coast to Coast as very random "superheroes", Space Ghost being another show in the same vein as ATHF.
I watch this show too, and Eric is totally right. I don't like every episode. My favorite one is the "Broodwich" episode. It's definitely an aquired taste, but so randomly delicious!
posted by Ashley (April 26, 2007 6:56 PM)
I love this show--watch it all the time. It made a fantastic movie, too. I've never laughed so hard in my life. It all made perfect sense to me, too--a sign that my sanity is slipping, perhaps?--but I could see a lot of people being confused by it if they've never seen ATHF. I mean, what with all the characters coming in with no introduction, and the fact the main characters are food...
posted by MaryAnn (April 27, 2007 3:33 PM)
Anyone who can't keep up with this movie simply because they've never seen the show is not worthy to be in its presence. The movie isn't about *getting* anything -- it's about letting it flow over you. Anyone who doesn't understand that is hopeless. :->
posted by Juanito (May 1, 2007 11:53 AM)
Not a word about Bruce Campbell??!??!?!
Are you ok??!?!?
Haven't seen the movie yet, so I will put my mind on "accept irrational as a fact" mode.
posted by MaryAnn (May 1, 2007 4:40 PM)
You know I adore Bruce and want to have his babies and all, but he has, like, one line in the movie, and it's not especially Bruce-y.
If you're looking to ATHF:MFFT for a Bruce fix, don't.
posted by STEVE B (May 16, 2007 1:36 PM)
HEY. NONE OF YOU GUYS ARE REAL FANS! Aqua teen is the greatest thing that has ever happened in all of the world. i love it so much i actually got a 6inch tatoo of mastershake on my ass.