"Family Guy" is practically a cult
phenomenon. Its die-hard fans brought the series back from the
animated grave, thanks to growing popularity in re-runs. The humor
is often edgier than "The Simpsons," and they don't get bogged down with
silly continuity issues. As a result, it provides a decidedly goofy
experience.
It's a show upon which many people find it growing. Even the
Masked Reviewer wasn't a huge fan during its first run, but now, "Family
Guy" night is an eagerly-looked-forward-to event.To thank his loyal
fans (and to rake in some extra bucks), series creator Seth MacFarlane
made this special movie. It is, in fact, set up and paced like a
three-part episode, but you don't have to wait to see the exciting
conclusion!
The first issue: while the advertisements emphasize the "uncensored"
elements, if you watch the DVD out of the box by hitting "Play Movie",
it isn't uncensored (in other words, it is censored). There are a
few bad words which have been bleeped
out, but for those of you expecting something "too hot for TV", you'll
be disappointed. However, you can turn off the censoring bleeps on
the DVD, but it isn't the default option.
The second issue would be the extras. They're a bit lacking.
There is a good audio commentary from Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein
and some animation tests, but overall, the extras weren't anything
special.
Those are the issues. You may find yourself feeling as though
you're watching just another episode in the beginning of this movie, which wouldn't be
a bad thing. But...Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story gets
better and better. Some of the funniest "Family Guy" moments
ever are in this film, and are, as they say, "friggin hilarious".
There are classic lines which will not be revealed here.
Suffice it to say, if you enjoy "Family Guy", this is absolutely
worth picking up. If you've always been more of a fan of "South
Park" or "The Simpsons", you owe it to yourself to watch a few episodes.
Some of the humor in the show is a bit of an acquired taste, but it's
worth acquiring. And some of the gags in this film shouldn't be
missed.
If you're looking for a cute film for kids, this isn't it.
"Family Guy" isn't for families. It does deal with adult issues
(albeit in a silly way) and it's not exactly up to the high moral
standards that makes for good children's programming. For example,
a dog and a baby getting drunk:
Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin - The Untold Story
is unlikely to draw as much fire as, for example, South Park: The
Movie did. Perhaps this explains why the word "uncensored" is
featured as prominently as it is on the packaging. The creators
don't want families picking this up, thinking they're getting a Disney
movie. For the easily offended: just because it's got "family" in
the title and features a talking dog doesn't mean that there aren't
adult themes. If you watch this expecting Sleeping Beauty,
you're in for a long, hard night. Gigity.
This film is funnier than the TV show. If you hate
"Family Guy", it's hard to imagine that this would turn you around, but
it well might. It's worthy of repeated viewing, too.
Meta Scores:
Movie: 4.0
Video: 3.7
Audio: 3.5
Extras: 3.2
DVD Extra Features: Audio commentary, a few previews of
"Family Guy" and "American Dad", and some animation tests...nothing
spectacular.
Expectation from the Title: The long awaited airing of dirty
laundry from brother of D-List celebrity Kathy Griffin.
Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything):
This family has a very loyal dog, which is always nice to see.
The Pros: Funny funny. Some of it is better than
anything that's been in the show, especially in the latter parts of the
DVD. Lots of Stewie and Brian.
The Cons: A bit lacking in the Extra department. The
"uncensored" stuff is trumped up a bit too much as it's really no more
raunchy than a TV episode.