Seth and Matt unleash more hilarious mind-monsters on a grateful (or bewildered) public...

It’s very hard to describe Robot Chicken. If you tried to in regards to a school environment, it would most likely be the group outsiders: ridiculed and mocked, the popular ‘clique’ never quite understood by the group, and as such they were cast aside. However, to a small number of individuals, these were the funniest individuals on earth. Witty and zany at the same time, the group found comfort in each other’s diversity, knowing that their peculiar interests and distinctive comical tastes were what kept them together. Laughing at themselves or their own fatuous antics, the group’s actions could occasionally be viewed as sheer lunacy; except by the minority who understood them. It is from these very unusual characteristics that Robot Chicken is derived.

With Seth Green and Matthew Senreich firmly behind the wheel, Robot Chicken remains as outlandish and unorthodox as comedy could possibly be. Just by looking at the two, you can almost see their awkward college days, with Robot Chicken simply being an expression of their innermost selves. It’s odd, strange and unconventional but overall it is an interesting look into the psyche of these two amazing individuals.

Robot Chicken is void of any form of continual story. Instead, each episode is its own, personal story, allowing anyone, anywhere, to get into it from whatever episode they happen to stumble across. As a result the show has clumsily stumbled its way from a late night, chance addition to its current position as Adult Swim’s most popular and successful show. Having received much financial backing from the network following its success, RC has just been renewed for another 40 episodes, guaranteeing at least a fifth and sixth season.

"For the returning fan season four offers plenty of what first enticed us to it: an extensive array of mindless violence infused with a mild delirium that we now expect from the series"

Interestingly, it was never created for mass awards or for monstrous success. As Seth Green commented after being commissioned for two more seasons, “we never expected to do a second season, let alone a fifth and sixth.” Green’s surprise was echoed by Senreich, who added that “Robot Chicken was a show where we play with friends and we look forward to doing that for years to come”; it certainly shows.

Watching it is an adventure in itself. The pinnacle of hit and miss comedy, there are no areas that it will not poke fun at. Whether it’s witnessing Batman confronting the joker on a pogo stick, seeing a baby Arnold Schwarzenegger save Sarah Connor from a Skynet puppy (see YouTube video below), Robot Chicken is unlike anything else you will have ever experienced.

For the returning fan season four offers plenty of what first enticed us to it: an extensive array of mindless violence infused with a mild delirium that we now expect from the series. A new level of zaniness is presented before us, with many of the sketches balancing on the borderline of downright childishness. While the season fortunately hits much more than it misses, it does regrettably feel a bit jaded in comparison to other seasons. The sketches don’t possess the same shock level that was present in the earlier seasons, and you even feel that at times the creators have gone a little too overboard in the pursuit of originality. Conversely, while the season may not be as fresh as it once was, its roster of featured talent has really been stepped up as the years have gone by. David Hasselhoff, Neil Patrick Harris, Simon Pegg, T-Pain and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane all feature within the season, offering their unique vocal contributions to various roles throughout.

Recommending Robot Chicken is not something that I feel anyone is in the position to do. Instead, I suggest that you try it out because, like Marmite, I feel it’s one that you’re going to love or you’re going to hate. Either way, you have to applaud its originality. In a modern world where films and television are saturated with 3D imagery or CGI effects, Robot Chicken continues to use a filming technique dating back to 1898. If you have grown tired of the same old sitcom or whether you just can’t handle another watered down episode of Family Guy, this may be just what you’re looking for.

RATINGS:

For Robot Chicken as a show to people who have not seen it:

For pre-established fans who have already experienced it: 

EXTRAS

Deleted scenes, video blogs from the cast, deleted animatics and alternate audio...a nice little extra

Robot Chicken - Season 4 is released today.

See also:

American Dad Volume Six Review

Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode 3 Review

Robot Chicken: Star Wars: Episode 1 and 2 DVD review

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