Note: I am legally blind and cannot see 3-D, if you want to read about the 3-D aspects of this film you need to look elsewhere as I will not be commenting on them.
I will begin this review by saying that if you don't know what Drawn Together is, you probably don't care much about this movie. If you are reading this because it popped up on your recommended list then you should go back and watch the series and THEN watch this movie.
Know this though, this show (including the uncensored movie) is raunchy, I mean RAUNCHY! If you have a weak stomach, if you think that South Park is stupid or should be taken off the air, you should avoid this show like the plague. It is not for you. As a matter of fact, If you are not in favor of censorship you may STILL have your convictions pushed to the edge. This is not a show for children or weaklings.
The plot of the series (if it can be said to have one) is simple: The first animated reality show. Cartoon characters of various kinds are brought to live in a Real World style house. The characters are archetypal cartoon types from a Pikachu-type battle monster to a Betty Boop knockoff. The thing that makes this show work (at least to me) is that these are the characters when they aren't being characters. In other words, If you can imagine Daffy Duck finishing a take, going home and indulging in all the debauchery that Hollywood offers, you are starting to see what this show is like. What emerges is a post-modern mix of the real world, The Real World, the cartoon world and a mix of any other cultural reference you can possibly think of.
"So that's the series?" I hear you saying, "You're supposed to be reviewing the movie!" Well yes I am, and That brings me here.
After Futurama showed that Direct to video movies could not only lend vitality to a canceled series but might actually have the ability to drag a show back on the air, it was natural that some of the other good shows that were canceled because of network bottom lines might make it back on the air as well.
Enter Drawn Together: The Movie The Movie, a perfect example, this series was rated number one on college campuses across the country and was canceled anyhow. It could be said that this is because TV networks don't care about smart people. See? I just said it, so it can be said! This Direct to DVD movie takes the philosophical fight right to the producers. The Drawn Together Gang has to travel to Make-a-point land to get a point, because the racist/gay/violent/sexual humor of the show seems to have no point. Along the way they have a number of interesting moments (including a moment when the cast listens to the DVD commentary to escape a bad situation) and meet some strange (I mean REALLY strange) characters such as a very strange little girl and a giant that craps into his own mouth.
The only questions that really matter here are 1) Does the movie live up to the series 2) Can you sustain a show that usually has 22 minutes of content for an 80 minute movie. The most important question to the fans is "Can this movie bring Drawn Together back on the air?" The answer to the first two questions is a qualified "Yes". If you are a fan of this show you've probably watched Drawn Together episodes back to back on the DVDs, this just saves you from having to do that. As to the latter, the story actually does drag on a bit, however the writers seem perfectly aware of this - one of the characters even asks "Is there a Wrap-this-up-already land??" The answer to the third question is "NO". The movie is done in Flash which alienated some viewers. It needs to be said that the creators of Drawn Together were doing a movie for half the budget of one episode of the series and they did it fairly well. This was obviously done by the network (a network too cheap to provide 3-D glasses for a 3-D movie) to destroy the show forever.
I think they have, 80 minutes of writing on an 11 minute budget shows and the writers should not be blamed for it.
To end on a positive (kinda) note though, fans DO get closure in this movie, there is an end.
R.I.P. Drawn Together.
I will begin this review by saying that if you don't know what Drawn Together is, you probably don't care much about this movie. If you are reading this because it popped up on your recommended list then you should go back and watch the series and THEN watch this movie.
Know this though, this show (including the uncensored movie) is raunchy, I mean RAUNCHY! If you have a weak stomach, if you think that South Park is stupid or should be taken off the air, you should avoid this show like the plague. It is not for you. As a matter of fact, If you are not in favor of censorship you may STILL have your convictions pushed to the edge. This is not a show for children or weaklings.
The plot of the series (if it can be said to have one) is simple: The first animated reality show. Cartoon characters of various kinds are brought to live in a Real World style house. The characters are archetypal cartoon types from a Pikachu-type battle monster to a Betty Boop knockoff. The thing that makes this show work (at least to me) is that these are the characters when they aren't being characters. In other words, If you can imagine Daffy Duck finishing a take, going home and indulging in all the debauchery that Hollywood offers, you are starting to see what this show is like. What emerges is a post-modern mix of the real world, The Real World, the cartoon world and a mix of any other cultural reference you can possibly think of.
"So that's the series?" I hear you saying, "You're supposed to be reviewing the movie!" Well yes I am, and That brings me here.
After Futurama showed that Direct to video movies could not only lend vitality to a canceled series but might actually have the ability to drag a show back on the air, it was natural that some of the other good shows that were canceled because of network bottom lines might make it back on the air as well.
Enter Drawn Together: The Movie The Movie, a perfect example, this series was rated number one on college campuses across the country and was canceled anyhow. It could be said that this is because TV networks don't care about smart people. See? I just said it, so it can be said! This Direct to DVD movie takes the philosophical fight right to the producers. The Drawn Together Gang has to travel to Make-a-point land to get a point, because the racist/gay/violent/sexual humor of the show seems to have no point. Along the way they have a number of interesting moments (including a moment when the cast listens to the DVD commentary to escape a bad situation) and meet some strange (I mean REALLY strange) characters such as a very strange little girl and a giant that craps into his own mouth.
The only questions that really matter here are 1) Does the movie live up to the series 2) Can you sustain a show that usually has 22 minutes of content for an 80 minute movie. The most important question to the fans is "Can this movie bring Drawn Together back on the air?" The answer to the first two questions is a qualified "Yes". If you are a fan of this show you've probably watched Drawn Together episodes back to back on the DVDs, this just saves you from having to do that. As to the latter, the story actually does drag on a bit, however the writers seem perfectly aware of this - one of the characters even asks "Is there a Wrap-this-up-already land??" The answer to the third question is "NO". The movie is done in Flash which alienated some viewers. It needs to be said that the creators of Drawn Together were doing a movie for half the budget of one episode of the series and they did it fairly well. This was obviously done by the network (a network too cheap to provide 3-D glasses for a 3-D movie) to destroy the show forever.
I think they have, 80 minutes of writing on an 11 minute budget shows and the writers should not be blamed for it.
To end on a positive (kinda) note though, fans DO get closure in this movie, there is an end.
R.I.P. Drawn Together.