After it's sad cancellation, after twenty years of sporadic production, Adult Swim gave Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer the chance to fill in a few of the blanks in their characters lore with a feature length episode "Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart". Whilst it was certain a welcome addition to a show I loved, it's not quite as strong as the final seasons of the show.
Venture Industries latest invention, the Helper Pod is due to be shipped out, but supplies are hijacked by Mantilla (Nina Arianda) leader of a new flashy rival to the Guild of Calamitous Intent named ARCH. With the hover function activated on all the units, VenTech Tower is lifted out of New York, up into orbit. Dean (Michael Sinterniklaas) is wracked with guilt of his affair with Hank's (Chris McCulloch) girlfriend and recruits Dr. Orpheus (Steven Rattazzi) to help him find where Hank has gone. Hank is wandering his past, both physically and metaphorically.
Perhaps it's understandable, due to the pressures of trying to fit everything in plotwise that they wanted too, but the balance between story and comedy feels just a little off to me here. There is lots to get done in 80 minutes; the nature of the relationship between Thaddeus and The Monarch, the returning of Hank to the fold and ... finally ... the explanation of who the boy's mother is. It's not that it's not good, it's just that, particularly after that final season it's not quite as good. I'd imagine it would be incomprehensible to anyone who tried to watch this without having watched the show before, but then how many people would really do that?
Occasionally it's not quite right visually too, there are a couple of occasions when characters look the tiniest bit off model.
It is still though remarkable that it exists at all and is testament to the creative strength and fan commitment of a beloved and underseen series.
Venture Industries latest invention, the Helper Pod is due to be shipped out, but supplies are hijacked by Mantilla (Nina Arianda) leader of a new flashy rival to the Guild of Calamitous Intent named ARCH. With the hover function activated on all the units, VenTech Tower is lifted out of New York, up into orbit. Dean (Michael Sinterniklaas) is wracked with guilt of his affair with Hank's (Chris McCulloch) girlfriend and recruits Dr. Orpheus (Steven Rattazzi) to help him find where Hank has gone. Hank is wandering his past, both physically and metaphorically.
Perhaps it's understandable, due to the pressures of trying to fit everything in plotwise that they wanted too, but the balance between story and comedy feels just a little off to me here. There is lots to get done in 80 minutes; the nature of the relationship between Thaddeus and The Monarch, the returning of Hank to the fold and ... finally ... the explanation of who the boy's mother is. It's not that it's not good, it's just that, particularly after that final season it's not quite as good. I'd imagine it would be incomprehensible to anyone who tried to watch this without having watched the show before, but then how many people would really do that?
Occasionally it's not quite right visually too, there are a couple of occasions when characters look the tiniest bit off model.
It is still though remarkable that it exists at all and is testament to the creative strength and fan commitment of a beloved and underseen series.