Aqua Teen Hunger Force Volume 1

Rating:
Summary: Whoever thought fast food could be so funny?
Review: The most popular original show on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, the first volume of Aqua Teen Hunger Force introduces us to three living fast food items who battle evil and solve mysteries. There is the self obsessed Master Shake, the wise and super intelligent Frylock, and the loveable and gullible Meatwad. Together, they take on evil rabbit looking robots, European accent talking aliens, and just plain oddball, off the wall characters; all the while driving their neighbor and landlord Carl crazy. The episodes contained in this volume aren't the best the series has to offer, but they get better with each passing episode. Carl is possibly the best supporting character to be featured on any of Adult Swim's shows (he's in a dead heat with Zorach of Space Ghost Coast to Coast and the Brak Show) as he deals with the insanity of his neighbors while making frequent trips to strip clubs. All in all, the first volume of Aqua Teen Hunger Force is only a sample of the hilarity to be found on Adult Swim, and the best of the series was still to come.

Rating:
Summary: Flip Flops?!?!
Review: Beyond off-beat, this is the sort of comedy that is best served under some kind of influence.The stories very rarely wrap up, which is great for those nights you really don't want to (or simply can't) follow anything anyway, but want to laugh and laugh and laugh.
This volume is obviously a little awkward, being the first episodes, however it's this oddball awkwardness which makes it all the more hilarious in my opinion. It is also when Master Shake (the self appointed leader, wickedly funny), Frylock (the actual smart one, although his intellect is often cryptic), and the adorable, slimey little Meatwad with all his "fluids and diseases" and big heart squished somewhere in his round, rolling little body are introduced as PI's.
The basis of this show was initally to have the appetizing trio work as detectives, for twenty dollars Shake can take his best possible guess on such mysteries as flattened cars, hairy maniquins, and mugging leperachans.
I can't close this without paying homage to the most memorable character Carl. Complete with tank top, sweat pants, flip flops on hairy feet and fake gold chain, it's hard to believe that it's the three foot pool in his back yard that can't keep the Aqua Teen's away from his home. The delivery of his comments and frustration knock me out of my chair.
This is certainly the best volume of the ATHF with episodes that never get tired.


Rating:
Summary: "Shake, get in here!"
Review: Two words, pure genius! I had heard people talking about this show for months before I knew what it even was! Then one night, I saw that an episode of ATHF was coming on, then after the first two minutes, I was hysterical with laughter and pain at the same time.

Carl (the neighbor to Frylock, Shake, and Meatwad) is always getting ticked off because his psychotic and stupid neighbors (who are self acclaimed "crime fighters" called the Aqua Teen Hunger Force) keep destroying his things, and using his pool.

Shake (a giant talking milkshake) is the laziest of all of them, he does nothing but sit around all day and watch TV, dreaming of getting anything he wants, when he wants. He is also the "leader of the group"

Frylock (a giant box of french fries) is the brains of the outfit that has supernatural powers. He is constantly trying to set things straight between everyone in the house, but never prevails. And the strange thing is that I never knew french fry containers wore braces...

Finally, Meatwad (the name says all) is as intelligent as a retarded monkey, who has a squeaky toy for a brain. He is always easily tricked into doing illegal things. Add in unintelligible speech, and you have the center of the humor.

Just add in a crime fighting vehicle that is an old rickety wagon, a few stoner aliens, (one who is german), a crazed mad scientist who never does anything right, and a few other characters like a demonic rapper who tries to take over the world by releasing demons from Hell and a diet pill pyramid scheme.

This may sound like a stupid premise, but I guarantee you one thing (if your sense of humor is twisted like mine), and that is that you will not be dissappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Plans are for fools.
Review: Matt Maiellaro (Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Hell Raiser 3, and Basketcase 3) and Dave Willis (Space Ghost Coast to Coast) direct and cowrite this masterpiece. I love these shows, and cannot wait to watch every episode from season two.

Frylock is the lead character so to speak. Frylock uses his super powers the most often (at least with a purpose), is the rational character, and plays referee between Meatwad and Shake. He may be a lot of people favorite character, but he is far from the funniest.

That honor goes to Meatwad. Meatwad is a character with child like attributes. He is taken advantage of by Shake, but when describing things that he sees, wants, or Shake has done to him, it is uncontrollably funny.

Master Shake is lazy, manipulative, broke, useless, worthless, unproductive, and a pain in the [...] to the rest of the characters. He usually gets everyone into trouble, and always tries to blame it on someone else. He is only funny in his interactions with Meatwad.

Frylock, Master Shake, and Meatwad are roommates; Carl is their landlord. Unfortunately for Carl, his tenants live to destroy his car, swim in his pool (which is not such a great thing when one of your tenants is a meatball. Carl is extremely funny, with his gold necklace, and having to put up with his tenants unbelievable stories, which are true.

This show is the best cartoon on TV right now, passing South Park, and the Simpson's in my opinion. I find myself holding my stomach laughing, and I do not even get to hear the whole back and forth. This show is too funny.

Grade: A


Rating:
Summary: I can't resist
Review: I've enjoyed dozens of offbeat, retro, imported and just plain bizarre animation series for years. The internet has added even more goodies in flash form (Strong Bad, Foamy), and even though (as with this series) the animation itself isn't exactly extravagant, it doesn't matter: the writing for Aqua Teen Hunger Force is solid and makes this one work, combined with one of TV's most wonderfully strange, off-kilter and consistently hilarious takes on... well, just about anything. Technically, this is a sitcom: three very strange roommates who get into one bizarre fix after another every episode while the neighbor--Karl--looks on and wishes they'd stay the hell out of his pool. If you can accept sentient food creatures with (sort of) super powers and things bursting into flames a lot, you'll get the rest. The first time I saw this on broadcast, I caught it in the middle and found it irritating and confusing. How wrong I was! Luckily, a friend properly introduced me to the DVD and I saw the light... let this comic anarchy gold wash over you, you'll be laughing all night.

Rating:
Summary: Deliciously Bizarre
Review: Before you view even one episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, be forewarned: it is extremely strange. I have introduced the show to several people and the only barrier to enjoying the show I observed was a certain amount of squeamishness at the sheer oddity of the premise. Believe me, I thought the same thing when I first saw ads for the show on Adult Swim. Honestly, it looked like a complete piece of crap. But if you're willing to bear with one or two episodes, I guarantee (unless you're straight-edge and normal, in which case you should run away, quickly) you'll be rolling around on the floor roaring with the rest of us.

The early episodes, as compared to the rest of the series, were still trying to maintain a cohesive plot. The writers got over that hang up relatively quickly, though. Not a show for the faint of heart; if you're ready for crack-induced hilarity, onward!

Rating:
Summary: Freakin Hilarious!
Review: For anyone who hasn't seen Aqua Teen Hunger Force, or has only seen a couple of episodes, this season is great!!! From aliens who "toke up" and trash everything to a psycho, alcoholic doll named Happy-time Harry. You will be quoting scenes for weeks.
"I laid about a thousand of my eggs in his throat and he's being a real baby about it..."
My husband got me hooked after an Aqua Teen marathon. We're just waiting for #3 to be released, so hurry up Adult Swim!