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Movie Review: Aqua Teen Hunger Force

aquateen.jpg
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters
Written and directed by Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis
First Look

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is a fifteen-minute program on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, usually seen back-to-back over a thirty-minute block.  The idea that such a premise could sustain an hour and a half of a movie is what is wrong with TV becoming films: the rhythm of sitcoms, the need to cram a whole bunch of story and laughs in a limited time (usually with commercial breaks), becomes stretched entirely too thin over the duration of a film.  This victimized Reno 911 earlier in the year.

In ATHF, a story that would only take 15 minutes, and contains 15 minutes of funny material, goes for 90 minutes.  Frylock (Carey Means), Master Shake (Dana Snyder), and Meatwad (co-writer/director Willis), who are depicted above, are trying to construct a piece of exercising equipment that holds the key to their origins.  All of their various nemeses and/or friends are here: Carl, their grimy neighbor, the eighties-graphics inspired Mooninites, the two dumb spiky aliens, the robot from Christmas past who always tells stories beginning with “Thousands of years ago…”, and the series’ trademark supervillain Dr. Weird, among others, are here either trying to help or hinder the Aqua Teens.

The exercise equipment eventually comes to life and starts destroying New Jersey, and eventually the whole truth as to the origins of the Aqua Teens will be revealed.  You just aren’t going to get much out of it.  It’s badly paced and unfunny most of the time.  I’m not sure what hardcore fans will think of all this, but they surely won’t be leaving this thinking it’s the greatest thing in the world.  Plus, with an R-rating, it seems like the Williams Street gang tries to find laughs from their newfound freedom from bleeps, a censoring technique that can actually be funnier than straight swearing.

Very below average from guys who have done better in a smaller medium.

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