Jun 302013
 

The “Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special” is just as funny as the show itself and for fan of DC Comics, it’s a hoot to watch. While not all the jokes land, the majority do and alongside some decent talent lending their voices, even if a few are unrecognizable (like Alfred Molina).

 

 


Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special (2012)


Genre(s): Animation, Comedy
Warner Bros. | TVMA – 23 min. – $19.99 | July 9, 2013

MOVIE INFO:
Directed by:
Seth Green
Writer(s): Seth Green & Matthew Senreich (created by)
Voice Cast: Alex Borstein, Nathan Fillion, Megan Fox, Seth Green, Neil Patrick Harris, Breckin Meyer, Alfred Molina, Aaron Paul, Tara Strong

DISC INFO:
Features:
Audio Commentaries, Featurettes, UltraViolet
Number of Discs: 1

Audio: English (Dolby TrueHD 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English SDH
Disc Size: 12.1 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C (unconfirmed)

THE MOVIE – 4.0/5

The creative team behind Adult Swim’s “Robot Chicken” return for a new special, “Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special” (or “RCDC”). Astound at the sight of Two-Face sh***ing and deciding whether or not to flush! Be amazed at Batman getting pummeled by Bane… many times! All this and more are contained within a well paced 22-minute running time!

So, yeah, it’s “Robot Chicken”. There’s not really a plot so much as several sketches brought together with a common theme, DC Comic characters, and often a running joke that stretches until the end. As a fan of the series and of DC Comics, I found the special to be hilarious beginning to end and even though I saw before several months ago, it’s still has funny the second go around.

The voice acting and humor is top notch getting various TV and film stars to come in for skits such as Megan Fox as Lois Lane; Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern (again); Alex Borstein (“The Family Guy”) is awesome as Wonder Woman; Seth Green shows his man of a hundreds (i.e. a couple) of voices in a variety of roles; Aaron Paul as the affable Glenn; and most surprising (and unrecognizable) Alfred Molina voicing Lex Luthor, Firestorm and… Mister Banjo, the lamest and yet most awesome DC villain only a few knew about. The various other actors who have worked on the show, along with Green, are also featured (writer/actor Breckin Meyer, writer Tom Root, co-creator/writer Matthew Senreich, etc.).

If you’re a fan of the “Robot Chicken” series and happened to miss the special when it aired, like I had (watched on YouTube), then the “Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special” continues the success of combining witty humor with potty humor together so well. The jokes don’t always land but the majority do making for a hilarious 22-minutes of comedy.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.75/5

The Making of the RCDC Special (10:15; HD) is a behind-the-scenes look at how the “Robot Chicken” team put this together from the stop motion filming to the voice acting.

RCDC’s Aquaman Origin Story (1:27; HD) – The writers briefly discuss the story on Aquaman’s background and the “controversy” of whom gets credit.

Chicken Nuggets plays during the feature and allows for a “sketch by sketch” video commentary. It’s not bad but a bit annoying as you have to watch out for the robot icon and press enter just to see the video and there is no “Play All” option…

Audio Commentaries – There are two tracks: 1) Writers’ Commentary and 2) Actors’ Commentary. Both of these are entertaining and provide different perspectives on the special. Included with the actors is Alfred Molina in his first commentary, surprisingly enough.

DC Entertainment Tour (7:16; HD) – Here you can look at DC Entertainment offices with Geoff Johns and Seth Green where they have the books, figures, etc. It’s a short feature but still pretty cool.

Stpooid Alter Egos (3:46; HD) covers the premiere and costume party.

Outtakes (2:01; HD) – These are some outtakes with the voice actors.

Cut Sketches (15:15; HD) features 13 sketches which got cut and didn’t get beyond the drawing phase.

5.2 Questions (2:13; HD) – The “Robot Chicken” crew, and Goeff Johns, answer various questions.

Also included is a download code for the UltraViolet Digital Copy.

VIDEO – 3.75/5

Warner Home Video releases the “Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special” onto Blu-ray presented in its original 1.78 television aspect ratio (the back cover mistakenly says it is 2.40) and in 1080p high-definition. The transfer here isn’t anything astounding or anything but functional for the genre. Detail levels are good with a bit of edging on certain shots but the colors seem nice and bright and pretty much matches the normal airing of the show on Adult Swim.

AUDIO – 3.5/5

As with the video, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track isn’t going to be anything special. Most of the special is dialogue anyway so on that front it’s a fine track where every joke and fart is completely understandable. When there is some kind of action, or with the music, it’s not entirely dynamic but more or less satisfactory.

OVERALL – 3.75/5

Overall, the “Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special” is just as funny as the show itself and for fan of DC Comics, it’s a hoot to watch. While not all the jokes land, the majority do and alongside some decent talent lending their voices, even if a few are unrecognizable (like Alfred Molina). The Blu-ray released by Warner Home Video/Adult Swim offers good audio/video transfers and a good selection of special features.

 

 

The Movieman
Published: 06/30/2013

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