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The Critic - The Complete Series

The Critic - The Complete Series

List Price: $49.95
Your Price: $39.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: excellant
Review: I cannot believe they stop making episodes of this. This was so much funnier than the simpsons. I am so happy they put this out on dvd.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Grossly neglected.
Review: The Critic is one brilliant animated TV show that suffered a fate that befell entirely too many other brilliant shows like Family Guy and The PJs. These shows would be hyped up weeks before the first episode aired. Then about 2-4 weeks into the series' first season (few of these shows lasted much longer than that), an entirely different series would air. And thus, the series would be left in limbo for weeks, sometimes months before another episode made its way to its small, and impatient group of fans. Because of this apathetic treatment from the networks, these shows were not given a sufficient opportunity to find an audience. The Critic, which debuted on ABC in 1994, languished in this manner until Fox would pick it up a year later. History would once again repeat itself on that network as well. It's just shameful how not one, but two, networks could take such a clever, inventive show for granted.

The Critic is about a very short pudgy New York City film critic and divorced father named Jay Sherman (voiced by Jon Lovitz). Sherman hates blockbuster films with a burning passion. He makes his hatred known with two simple words: "IT STINKS!!!". This makes him one of the least popular people in the city. John Rocker may get the key to the city before Sherman does if that tells you anything. Sherman's life is full of some interesting and sometimes oddball characters. He comes from a rich family - his mother is a haughty aristocrat and his father is still recovering from a stroke, which is evident with his eccentric behavior. The only other normal person in Sherman's family is his loving, but slightly insecure teenage sister. Sherman's best friend is an Australian actor who is basically cross between Mel Gibson and Paul Hogan. The actor stars in precisely the same big budgeted films that Sherman likes to pan. And finally there's his boss, a Southern-bred media tycoon would love to cancel Sherman's hugely unpopular show for purely business reasons, but the tycoon for some reason likes having Sherman around.

What set The Critic apart from the other creative animated shows was how it would joke about cinema, much in the same way Family Guy would do to modern television, or how King of the Hill would do with rural stereotypes. One of the funniest skits (Lord knows The Critic had a lot of them), involved a trailer with Arnold Schwarzeneggar in a Jewish-themed action film. Arnold's new catch phrase was "Haga Navilla, Baby!!!". Pure hilarity.

For those of you who can't get enough of these amazing animated shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and King of the Hill; you owe it to yourself to watch The Critic. Once you've watched it, realize that it has been cancelled for nearly a decade, and see the sickening glut of reality shows that now reign over prime time with an oppresive fist - Don't be surprised to hear yourself saying this about the sickening state of 21st Century television: "IT STINKS!!!"

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: IT STINKS!!
Review: just kidding, i loved this show. this show was one of the first fox prime time cartoons to get cancelled in it's prime. john lovitz is so funny and it's the kind of series you can watch all the way through again and again. if you liked the clerks cartoon, you'll love this

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I love this set!
Review: Great packaging, nice presentation of an extremely enjoyable show.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Family Guy, Simpsons, Futurama, and/or Dilbert
Review: The Critic is a very witty and funny animated comedy that makes fun of popular movies and actors. It may be a little 'dated,' but that doesn't mean that you won't get the jokes. Rather than trying to explain what makes this show funny, in long paragraphs that you won't read, I'll just simply say that if you like the Family Guy, Simpsons, Futurama, South Park, and/or Dilbert, chances are that you'll like The Critic.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Family Guy Ripped off the Critic!
Review: What a great show! Too bad it didn't last. I'm really surprised they bothered to release this show on DVD since it was never very popular and has been off the air for many years now. I'm really glad they did though! Now I can forever cherish the zaniness of Jay's father, the bitchiness of his ex-wife, the constant smoking and coughing of Doris, and the fat, witty antics of Jay Sherman. If you liked the show, I'd say get the DVD while you can. I'm sure it won't be returning to television any time soon, and I don't even think they're showing the reruns on Comedy Central anymore. There are also commentaries on this DVD and several other interesting features. The set is worth buying for the "clip" of Rabbi: P.I. alone!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The First Show I Missed
Review: In my 23 years, I've seen several shows come and go, and this was the first that I was sad to see leave the airwaves. It never became as popular as the Simpsons so it got canned, and I think that may have been asking too much from the show. It started on ABC, who quickly washed their hands of it for more family-oriented slop. Fox picked it up and cleaned the animation a little, but they didn't keep it all that long, either.

At $35, this collection is a great deal. The show is really funny! John Lovitz had no trouble translating his Swiss watch precision for comedic timing into the cartoon medium. The constant parodies of classic and (at the time) current movies were always a welcome break from the story. And the stories were great, too.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not as I remembered; dated
Review: When this show was on the air 10 years ago, I was 10 and 11 years old. Already a Simpsons fan at the time, I remember watching this show faithfully for the two years it was on. And I remember really liking it then.
Now that the DVD is out and I can see it all these years later, I have to admit that I am a little let down. Yes, there are some very funny moments. But it is not nearly as funny as I remembered. Whenever they make fun of Jay for being fat, or seeming gay, or put him in women's clothing, it really annoys me. Vlada really annoys me. But I do like Margo a whole lot. She's cute, and voiced by Nacy "Bart Simpson" Cartwright.
As others have mentioned, many of the jokes and references are dated.
And some are downright creepy. You've got Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's now governor of California. You've got Gene Siskel, who's passed away. You've got the WTC in the backround of the main titles. And you've got an entire episode about the first Gulf War, which is now being reprised.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not that great
Review: I'm surprised at all the high ratings; the show is just not that funny. Jon Lovitz becomes annoying fairly quickly, and the characters have no depth.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not quite what I remembered
Review: I must admit, this show isn't as funny as I remembered it. My roomates seem to agree that it has its high points, and I guess I'm glad I bought it, but I'm a little dissapointed. There are more than a handful of terrible episodes on this 3-DVD set.


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