It's hard to quibble with a show that's only 11-12 minutes length per episode, but Aqua Teen Hunger Force really can be very funny - plenty of surreal situations, witty one-liners, and marvelous voice acting.
But when the writers get lazy, they get lazy.
For every episode like season 2's "The Shaving," which is a master-class in tight, short-form animated comedy writing, there's an episode like season 3's atrocious "Hypno Germ" or season 5's dull, dumb "Sirens." The problem is that the wittiness of the writing too often crosses into pothead territory, where awkward pauses and the fact that the characters are talking pieces of food are meant to supplant the lack of a substantial script.
It's frustrating precisely because episodes like season 7's "Rubberman" and season 5's "Bible Fruit" show just how great the writers can be when they put their minds to it. This show at its best is satirical and, yes, smart; at its worst it relies on Carl's sleaziness or even outright sadism in the treatment of its characters, all of which leaves about as much of a comedic impression as a series of fart jokes. It is woefully apparent when you're watching an episode of ATHF that its producers just didn't care about either.
Still, this is a series I'm quite fond of; it is compulsively re-watchable and because it's an animated sitcom full of one-and-done episodes, I can just pick the episodes I want to revisit and leave the rest behind. The voice acting in this show is, for the most part, unimpeachable, with fantastic guest voices (Filmmaker Todd Field as a lump of sentient mold named "Ol' Drippy" in season 1 is still one of my favorites in the whole series), and the regular cast is practically iconic at this point.
So many shows have since cribbed (some would say "ripped off") the low-fi back-and-forth awkward pause-filled comedic dialogue that this show pioneered; all the ridiculous animated characters speak so casually and matter-of-factly, which is both hilariously surreal and refreshingly frank.
This show's place in comedy history is practically confirmed at this point. When it was firing on all cylinders it was brilliant and original, with a distinct style all its own.
But when the writers get lazy, they get lazy.
For every episode like season 2's "The Shaving," which is a master-class in tight, short-form animated comedy writing, there's an episode like season 3's atrocious "Hypno Germ" or season 5's dull, dumb "Sirens." The problem is that the wittiness of the writing too often crosses into pothead territory, where awkward pauses and the fact that the characters are talking pieces of food are meant to supplant the lack of a substantial script.
It's frustrating precisely because episodes like season 7's "Rubberman" and season 5's "Bible Fruit" show just how great the writers can be when they put their minds to it. This show at its best is satirical and, yes, smart; at its worst it relies on Carl's sleaziness or even outright sadism in the treatment of its characters, all of which leaves about as much of a comedic impression as a series of fart jokes. It is woefully apparent when you're watching an episode of ATHF that its producers just didn't care about either.
Still, this is a series I'm quite fond of; it is compulsively re-watchable and because it's an animated sitcom full of one-and-done episodes, I can just pick the episodes I want to revisit and leave the rest behind. The voice acting in this show is, for the most part, unimpeachable, with fantastic guest voices (Filmmaker Todd Field as a lump of sentient mold named "Ol' Drippy" in season 1 is still one of my favorites in the whole series), and the regular cast is practically iconic at this point.
So many shows have since cribbed (some would say "ripped off") the low-fi back-and-forth awkward pause-filled comedic dialogue that this show pioneered; all the ridiculous animated characters speak so casually and matter-of-factly, which is both hilariously surreal and refreshingly frank.
This show's place in comedy history is practically confirmed at this point. When it was firing on all cylinders it was brilliant and original, with a distinct style all its own.