Will the Aqua Teen Movie Restore the Show to Grace?
By DrunkBobo

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters is set to release on March 23rd 2007*, and for many this may make or break the Aqua Teens. Many fans, even some of the most loyal, have made it clear that the most recent "season" (the episodes are not actually separated into seasons) has not been on par with previous episodes. Some speculate that this alleged drop in quality is due to the time and effort being put forth into the movie. For this group of fans I get the vibe that if the movie isn't on point then they might throw in the towel on the future of ATHF.

The closest thing I can equate this to is the way old school Metallica fans hinge their hopes that the next album will sound like the mid-eighties original sound, and if not then they will renounce their fanhood. Me, I take the new Metallica in for what it is, and I actually like it just as much as the old Metallica, just in a different way. But that's another topic...

I believe that the new episodes are as funny as older episodes, some of them funnier than some of the old episodes. The average fan of ATHF may be somewhat jaded. The fact is that after fifty-five episodes on four DVD box sets, not to mention all the exclusive DVD bonus material, you may not be tired of the show, but it isn't as original as it once was to you. I think that if you take someone that has never heard of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, show them one random episode from each of the box sets and a random the new episode, that they would like/love or dislike/hate them all equally.

We had to wait fourteen months for some new ATHF to come our way after "Carl" (October 2004 to December 2005), then after three episodes another ten months for "Dickesode" to premier (December 2005 to October 2006). In those twenty-four months all we had to satisfy our Aqua Teen hunger pains was the old episodes, which fans became extremely familiar with. Maybe this is part of the reason why the new episodes are treated as strangers. I believe that once you take them in for what they are - the same original out-there comedy, well written with superb voice acting, with all the random dialogue and great one-liners - people will come around.

*at the time of this writing, the Aqua Teen movie was slated to be released on 3/23. Now it is unknown.

 

DrunkBobo is a writer for [adult swim] Central. If you wish to contact him for questions, suggestions, comments, etc. e-mail him at drunkbobo@adultswimcentral.com