Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume Five review, Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume 5 DVD review
Starring
Dana Snyder, Carey Means, Dave Willis
Director
Various
Aqua Teen Hunger Force:
Volume Five

Reviewed by Jason Thompson

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any cartoon characters usually don’t survive a theatrical debacle such as the film that is “Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters,” but then again many cartoon characters aren’t the Aqua Teen Hunger Force. For all the bad mouthing that movie got, one has to wonder: was it really justified? In the surreal, non sequitur world of the Aqua Teens, any feature-length film issued under their banner is just going to be a lengthening of the TV show, and that’s about it, really. It doesn’t necessarily “have to make sense,” because, after all, what has ever made sense in the series? Indeed, what has ever made sense in New Jersey, home base of the Force? That they went feature length and bombed so dramatically was all part of the plan, man. That they even got to do a movie at all was perversely amusing. After all, was the fan base for ATHF that large to justify it? Probably not, but then you have mega stars like Mariah Carey getting to do things like “Glitter,” and the balance of the universe is all right.

At any rate, the Aqua Teens shook it off. Actually, they probably didn’t even notice the film’s box office failure, went back to work on TV, and now we have their latest offering, which is of course Volume Five in the continuing DVD issuance of the Teens’ television variety show. So what has happened post-Hollywood? Well, some fans have claimed that perhaps the crew exhausted itself due to making the movie, but this set is as erratic, fun, and disturbing as any of the others that have preceded it. Take, for instance, what may be the raunchiest and funniest episode of “ATHF” to ever grace a DVD set, the uncensored version of “Dickesode.” In this little jaunt, neighbor Carl has won a special prize from the bottom of a soda cup. That prize is getting his dick ripped off. Soon enough, the Aqua Teens are trying to save him from a pair of Chinese testicles with hooks driving a huge, oversized pickup with the words “THE RIPPER” scrawled across the side. You see, the testicles are servants of Mr. Wong, a large talking penis himself, who is gathering up other penises to make a rocket out of penises to -- well, you get the idea, perhaps.

If that’s not up your alley, then perhaps “Hand Banana” will be. This episode features Meatwad wanting a little pet of his own. He has a box of instant pet maker, to which Master Shake accidentally adds a little of his own DNA. The result? “Hand Banana,” a yellow, dog-shaped thing that resembles Shake’s right hand that he dipped into the instant pet mixture. Hand Banana then spends the rest of the episode torturing Carl by raping him. Carl tries to get his revenge by creating another instant pet that looks and sounds like him to exact revenge on Hand Banana, but of course things don’t turn out the way he wants them to, and more sodomy entails. Perhaps not family-friendly fare, but what is these days? The kids need their depraved TV.

Other highlights include “Boost Mobile,” which is absolutely nothing but an irritating, amusing 12-minute commercial for Boost Mobile cell phones. And for higher education, how about “Moonajuana” in which the Mooninites come down from space to offer the Aqua Teens their own special brand of home grown narcotics, which leads to further torturing of Carl as well as some good in-jokes about Styx and Dennis DeYoung? Ah yes, it’s business as usual for the Aqua Teens. You will learn about the not-so-evil Dirtfoot, and the best way to not cure cancer. It’s all right here

In addition the all of season five’s episodes, there are plenty of special features here. Some, like “The Worst Game Ever” and the “Favorite Episode Promos” are a bit flat, but other bits, like watching porn actress Tera Patrick record her lines for the episode she appeared in, is well worth your time. There’s also a full episode of “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” that ties in with a few of the characters featured in the fifth season of “ATHF.” So there you go. If you’re a fan, you’re going to want this set, and will probably buy it just like the ones that preceded it. If you’re not a fan of seemingly “lowbrow” humor (that is in itself a satirical jab at our “highbrow” bullshit tendencies), then you won’t want to venture in here. Definitely for those with open minds, who are at ease laughing at the worst of what life can offer at times.

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