Robot Chicken, Season 1 DVD: Review By Mushy

Robot Chicken, Vol. 1 is a sketch comedy show of the best variety because it doesn't rely on actors, but rather action figures that are embedded in pop culture lore to skewer everything in it's path. Whether it is looking at Jesus taking on the Uma Thurman role in Kill Bill Vol. 1, or a bunch of superheroes sharing an apartment together in "The Real World Metropolis," or the creators of the show lampooning themselves (which happens often throughout this two disc DVD set), Robot Chicken, Vol. 1 perfectly sums up the wants, needs and desires of multiple generations.

It's sharpness lies not in the barbs that it's delivers (although those are quite sharp), but rather it lies in it's ability to have something for all generations. Maybe younger people don't know who an action figure is, but they understand the current event, TV show or pop culture situation it is making fun of. Perhaps someone a little older (like myself) isn't hip on all the lingo, but for me it's a treat seeing characters like the Smurfs behave in ways you cannot believe.

Robot Chicken, Vol. 1 isn't just for the ADD generation (whatever that means), it's for every generation.

Disc One

Deleted Scenes/Deleted Animatics

I grouped these two extra features together simply because the only difference is that with the Animatics, they sometimes will cut in a piece of a storyboard for a scene they didn't animate. With names like "A-Team", "3 Fast 3 Furious" and "Horror Movie Big Brother" you know that you are going to get a lot of laughs from the multitude of scenes offered here.

Photo Gallery

Done in really nice behind the scenes way, this is not your typical photo gallery where one just looks at picture after picture. They have a Ken Burns' look to them where the pictures zoom in and out, and there is also text on the screen that gives you in an insight into what was happening when the picture was taken.

Animation Meetings

Quite simply, Seth Green is watching portions of the animation, then he will pause it and act out how it should be. I am unclear what happened first but I think he is reviewing the animation as it's created. Very interesting seeing him let go and be uninhibited in this way.

Disc Two

Sweet J Presents

Mixing "Movie Previews," "The Pitch" and "TV Previews" I am wondering why these things weren't a part of the Robot Chicken show proper. I think it has something to do with these things being done to show potential backers of the show what they wanted to do.

Wire Comparisons

While I didn't see any wires per se, these were shots of the final segments playing against other versions of the same segment that hadn't been fully rendered yet. For example, we get to see various figures in front of green screens with nothing on the screen. While I am not sure what the point of this is, something tells me it's purpose is to bring people that much more into the Robot Chicken experience.

Animatic to Episode Comparisons

Essentially, this should read Storyboard to Episode Comparisons, but who's pointing out flaws, right? We get to see a specific skit and then as it plays we are treated to it's accompanying storyboard (aka animatic). Nothing too amazing, but I find it interesting how badly drawn the animatics were.

Alternate Audio Takes

Still pictures of various Robot Chicken characters are on display here, and we hear someone doing the voice for that character. However, it isn't really edited so when they make a mistake they stop talking, chat with the engineer and then give it another try.

Promos and Bumps

This are short segments used to promote the show both for commercials and to remind the viewers watching it that it will be back the following week. Everything keeps itself within the scope of the Robot Chicken humor, and best of all, when the "Bumps" come on you genuinely get the impression that these things are addressing you.

Commentary Tracks

I had a difficult time finding these until I looked for them in the "Setup" section of this DVD. As they play over all the episodes, we are treated to the show's creators discussing how they came up with the skits, what it was like making them and basically what they didn't like about certain aspects of the final product. There is an ambivalent honesty on display here that is rare in most DVD commentaries.

Standard Version presented in a format preserving the aspect ratio of their original television exhibition. These shows are frenetic and move at such a quick pace, if there were any problems with how this show looked, I don't think I would be able to spot them. Everything looked really good on my player and I was almost astonished with how concentrated and well composed all the shots were. There really is an art to a show like this and I wonder how it will evolve as it continues.

Dolby Digital - English: Dolby 2.0 - Subtitled in English, French and Spanish. Close Captioned. While there were a few times I wasn't quick enough to get all the humor, the audio on this show is pretty darn good. When you consider how fast all the information and the jokes are coming at you, it stands to reason that certain things could get confused. So much effort has gone in to making these skits feel authentic and true to themselves, and everything about the audio seems to underscore that.

A cute little chicken is being turned into a cyborg from the The Terminator movies on this front cover. The back features a "cast of characters" but doesn't really scratch the surface of all the figures utilized on these discs. There is a description of this show, a "Special Features" listing and a small technical specs listing. Both discs unfold out of this artwork with various shots from the shows laid out all around it. Simple packaging that isn't hard to negotiate once you open it up.

For the longest time I have resisted Seth Green simply because he always seemed to be trying to act too cool for his own good. I always got the impression that he was dressed up by the people around him, and that his fame and success were letting him play in the sandbox with all the other supposedly cool people. However, after watching Robot Chicken, Vol. 1 (a show I only saw a little of when it was on TV), I must admit that I have to readjust my assessment of this person. Green is so involved with every aspect of this show and so much of it comes from him, that I have say that I was wrong. This guy, while he still seems like he's trying too hard to be cool or to keep up with a new generation, is very talented and I look forward to seeing what he does in the future.

If you like sketch comedy, comedy or just good jokes and humor than Robot Chicken, Vol. 1 is a must own.