Robot Chicken: Season 2 DVD

By: Michael Curran

Posted: 9/27/07

Robot Chicken may be the most insane television show to come out in the last few years. By taking toys, and original made stop-motion puppets, the show is reviving a rarely used technique of animation, and with a touch of madness and geekiness has reinvented it. Spurned from the twisted mind of Seth Green (Austin Powers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Matthew Senreich, this warped comedy show basically takes all of the child hood heroes of our generation and rips them apart. Be it the crew of the Enterprise being cannibalized, Emperor Palpatine berating Darth Vader on the phone, and even the cast of The NeverEnding Story throwing a raging party, this show pulls no punches when satirizing pop culture. It's edgy, subversive, gratuitously violent, filled with puerile humor, and I love every minute of it. Last year, the Robot Chicken Season One DVD was everything a fan of the show could want and more, including all episodes, commentary on each, a plethora of special features, and behind the scenes looks.

So, did Matt and Seth deliver on the Season Two DVD? The answer is a resounding, YES! Not only are the episodes funnier than last season, and the skits flow more fluidly from one to the other, but they have more substance. Last season, the show was merely pop cultural spoofs. However, Season Two offers much more to the plate, such as original characters, like the nerd who calls himself "Gyro-Robo," Eagle Eye Smith, the blind "champion," and Skater McGee, the "undead" skater who leads teenagers to their doom. Also, it has become more politically conscious; be it the "Terrorism" video, Jedi Bush, or even Corey Haim and Corey Feldman saving the President's daughters, Robot Chicken hits its targets all over the cultural scene, be it pop or political.

The DVD itself is a perfect package. All episodes are uncut and uncensored. So, those whose ears may be offended, this may not be for you. The episodes feature a variety of guest stars, such as Hulk Hogan, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Michael Ian Black, Seth MacFarlane, Elijah Wood, Hal Sparks, Dana Snyder, the list goes on and on. The commentary is almost as entertaining as the regular audio, with insight on how the series is made, as well as hilarious comments by the cast and guests of the show. The special features are quite packed. With a "Making of a Sketch", deleted animatics, cut scenes, and many more, I almost felt as if I could make a stop-motion animated series based off of what they teach you in these segments.

Whoever has a sense of humor can find this funny. It's silly, and ridiculous, so there really is no reason not to enjoy this. The rapid fire succession of gags and sketches make it captivating to even those with the shortest attention spans. There really is nothing wrong I can see with these DVDs, except the episodes titles, such as "Celebrity Rocket," are as generic as possible. This makes it impossible to know what sketch is in what episode, and thus if you're looking for a particular sketch, you may have trouble finding it. Otherwise, these episodes are great, the special features are plenty, and the episodes are uncut, what more could a fan ask for? I give this a 5/5