"Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm" Talkback (Spoilers) [11/8]

[[classic swim]]

Releasing on November 8, 2022

Synopsis: Everyone's favorite rascals Frylock, Master Shake, Meatwad and Carl fight the corporate overlord Amazin, led by tech mogul Neil and his trusty scientist sidekick, Elmer.

I’m immensely excited for next week. Still calling it Deathfighter.

 

[Daikun]

It's out now. Enjoy the movie!

 

[[classic swim]]

[Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm/Deathfighter]

This was a sequel idea that I had followed well over ten years ago. I used to go by all of the clearly BS rumors in hindsight that I just wanted to believe out of wishful thinking.

Who knew it would actually become a reality?!

Back when the first film was in production, I had no possible idea what an Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie could even be. Many people weren’t sure either!

Some were skeptical from the start. This was a show that thrived off 11-15 minute surrealist humor...plus limited animation. Putting it on the big screen sounded like a nightmare.

I didn’t have the greatest experience attending the first film in theaters, not at the fault of the film itself. But I gladly would’ve done it again a second time around for Deathfighter.

From what I remember with the early HBO MAX press release, the film’s premise was supposed to go into the infamous story about the Aqua Teens originally needing to be detectives in order to go on television.

I’m actually glad they didn’t go that route. Mainly because it was already joked about at the start of Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1...and then dropped after a few minutes of it.

When I attended the live ATHF panel in Philly for the film’s sneak peek, we briefly saw the beginning and introduction.

I think it goes so wonderfully with the first film. The first film began with Shake’s ridiculous pyramid fantasy with Time Lincoln. His delusional explanation for how the Aqua Teens came to be.

In 2007, that visual of Shake slow-mo fighting a giant poodle blew me by storm. And all they did was amp up the effects a bit.

Present time, that beginning fantasy of Shake in space set the tone for how the rest of the movie would look visually; absolutely stunning. And it will mostly likely stand to be the most profound art direction makeover that ATHF has ever had.

I probably still would’ve enjoyed a film like this had it stayed exactly the same as the show always was. The simplistic nature was always one of the most appealing things, after all.

However, while I still love the first film, the fact it looks roughly the same as the show can be a fair criticism. I don’t consider it a flaw that ever truly needed any correcting, but it’s so commendable of the team to step out of their comfort zone and commit to a full on makeover that still managed to stay true to the show.

Going back to Shake’s intergalactic fantasy: this wasn’t his buffoonish way of explaining the origins of his team. This was a well directed fable in Shake’s mind where he literally kills off all his friends and just explodes in a blaze of glory...to paint himself as a hero for being a homeless ****** that everyone eventually stopped putting up with.

The fantasy from the first film was so damn funny the second Frylock angrily disputed the entire thing.

With this new film, it’s just as good except there’s no one left to indulge him except for some weird alien guy. And even he barely has the patience for what Shake is saying.

While I hardly doubt anything will top Mastadon’s “Cut You Up With a Linoleum Knife” from the first ATHF flick, Run The Jewels does a triumphant job with Deathfighter’s theme music.

The first film takes a jab at more classical animation like Let’s All Go To The Lobby, where as this movie understandably goes with a more modern approach parodying Space Jam.

When [adult swim] had previously tweeted out a clip bump from that sequence to promote the release, I thought it could’ve been just a bumper ID. Kinda ruined the surprise but not so much.

This movie is all Clerks III Jay & Silent Bob-y when it comes to the Mooninites. I mean, of course they’d take over the movie in some fashion. Except here it’s interactive with you the viewer and not just them messing with the guys.

I tried like hell to text that number for Err. I guess it might not have been activated yet when I had the morning off to watch the thing early. I might need someone’s help on that.

The text feature regardless is brilliant and something the team would’ve LOVED to have done with Colon Movie Film For Theaters.

Many of the jokes in Deathfighter spoke to me in one way or the other.

This movie, AquaDonk Side Pieces, and the short revival of 12 oz. Mouse all had a great way of revisioning this type of material that I’ve adored for decades.

The movie doesn’t really hit as hard as what it was like watching the show end years ago, but quite frankly, it didn’t need to.

Deathfighter fortunately has some of that heart, but Aqua Teen at its core has always just been nothing more than a fun distraction.

The ending joke of Carl FINALLY pointing out the Aqua Teens could be edible food was almost the equivalent of Kenny McCormick revealing his face for that first time.

Everything from the production crew to the celebrity guests were perfect. But believe me when I say Carey Means gave this his all and is the true unsung talent here.

Everyone in Philly gave him the highest standing ovation out of the main three, and it was well deserved.

He absolutely did not have to come back for this. He’s suffered the unthinkable thanks to the way this god awful industry treats its creatives.

What this movie will show you more than anything was how pivotal Means was for the entire series. Despite all that he’s gone through, he’s always cared about the fans.





For those like Dave Willis, Dana Snyder, Carey Means & Matt Maiellaro that went above and beyond to make this movie what it is... thank you. We didn’t need this, but you delivered.

AQUATEEN4EVER

 

[Moe]

Is it theatrical release or direct to video release?

 

[[classic swim]]

Is it theatrical release or direct to video release?

Direct to video.

 

[Silver-7]

eh, it was okay imo, not perfect by any means, i stand by my belief that aqua teen only works in a short form factor, but it was still alright. aqua teen is my favorite show of all time so i might have some bias here. someone else could see this movie and call it absolute garbage. which makes sense, i cant really see this appeal to anyone BUT athf fans

totally see the comparrsion between this and clerks 3. there both alright but not bad

 

[[classic swim]]

eh, it was okay imo, not perfect by any means, i stand by my belief that aqua teen only works in a short form factor, but it was still alright. aqua teen is my favorite show of all time so i might have some bias here. someone else could see this movie and call it absolute garbage. which makes sense, i cant really see this appeal to anyone BUT athf fans

totally see the comparrsion between this and clerks 3. there both alright but not bad

I only mentioned Clerks III just because the Mooninites were dumbed down about the same.

Clerks III was as subtle as a kick in the groin when it came to Jay & Silent Bob. There’s that whole meta thing where Randall dissects those two characters bit by bit.

I agree that this was pretty much a fans only movie. Then again, the 12 oz. Mouse revival was riddled with things I had blurted out into a echo chamber with friends for years on end; but that didn’t stop high schoolers from appreciating Ozmo back when it was in viral town awhile ago.

Aqua Teen fortunately keeps growing new fans as we speak. But yeah, this return was never necessary. I was contempt with the yearly puppet shows they’d do as a annual reunion.

 

[Sam the Cartoonist]

[Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm/Deathfighter]

This was a sequel idea that I had followed well over ten years ago. I used to go by all of the clearly BS rumors in hindsight that I just wanted to believe out of wishful thinking.

Who knew it would actually become a reality?!

Back when the first film was in production, I had no possible idea what an Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie could even be. Many people weren’t sure either!

Some were skeptical from the start. This was a show that thrived off 11-15 minute surrealist humor...plus limited animation. Putting it on the big screen sounded like a nightmare.

I didn’t have the greatest experience attending the first film in theaters, not at the fault of the film itself. But I gladly would’ve done it again a second time around for Deathfighter.

From what I remember with the early HBO MAX press release, the film’s premise was supposed to go into the infamous story about the Aqua Teens originally needing to be detectives in order to go on television.

I’m actually glad they didn’t go that route. Mainly because it was already joked about at the start of Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1...and then dropped after a few minutes of it.

When I attended the live ATHF panel in Philly for the film’s sneak peek, we briefly saw the beginning and introduction.

I think it goes so wonderfully with the first film. The first film began with Shake’s ridiculous pyramid fantasy with Time Lincoln. His delusional explanation for how the Aqua Teens came to be.

In 2007, that visual of Shake slow-mo fighting a giant poodle blew me by storm. And all they did was amp up the effects a bit.

Present time, that beginning fantasy of Shake in space set the tone for how the rest of the movie would look visually; absolutely stunning. And it will mostly likely stand to be the most profound art direction makeover that ATHF has ever had.

I probably still would’ve enjoyed a film like this had it stayed exactly the same as the show always was. The simplistic nature was always one of the most appealing things, after all.

However, while I still love the first film, the fact it looks roughly the same as the show can be a fair criticism. I don’t consider it a flaw that ever truly needed any correcting, but it’s so commendable of the team to step out of their comfort zone and commit to a full on makeover that still managed to stay true to the show.

Going back to Shake’s intergalactic fantasy: this wasn’t his buffoonish way of explaining the origins of his team. This was a well directed fable in Shake’s mind where he literally kills off all his friends and just explodes in a blaze of glory...to paint himself as a hero for being a homeless ****** that everyone eventually stopped putting up with.

The fantasy from the first film was so damn funny the second Frylock angrily disputed the entire thing.

With this new film, it’s just as good except there’s no one left to indulge him except for some weird alien guy. And even he barely has the patience for what Shake is saying.

While I hardly doubt anything will top Mastadon’s “Cut You Up With a Linoleum Knife” from the first ATHF flick, Run The Jewels does a triumphant job with Deathfighter’s theme music.

The first film takes a jab at more classical animation like Let’s All Go To The Lobby, where as this movie understandably goes with a more modern approach parodying Space Jam.

When [adult swim] had previously tweeted out a clip bump from that sequence to promote the release, I thought it could’ve been just a bumper ID. Kinda ruined the surprise but not so much.

This movie is all Clerks III Jay & Silent Bob-y when it comes to the Mooninites. I mean, of course they’d take over the movie in some fashion. Except here it’s interactive with you the viewer and not just them messing with the guys.

I tried like hell to text that number for Err. I guess it might not have been activated yet when I had the morning off to watch the thing early. I might need someone’s help on that.

The text feature regardless is brilliant and something the team would’ve LOVED to have done with Colon Movie Film For Theaters.

Many of the jokes in Deathfighter spoke to me in one way or the other.

This movie, AquaDonk Side Pieces, and the short revival of 12 oz. Mouse all had a great way of revisioning this type of material that I’ve adored for decades.

The movie doesn’t really hit as hard as what it was like watching the show end years ago, but quite frankly, it didn’t need to.

Deathfighter fortunately has some of that heart, but Aqua Teen at its core has always just been nothing more than a fun distraction.

The ending joke of Carl FINALLY pointing out the Aqua Teens could be edible food was almost the equivalent of Kenny McCormick revealing his face for that first time.

Everything from the production crew to the celebrity guests were perfect. But believe me when I say Carey Means gave this his all and is the true unsung talent here.

Everyone in Philly gave him the highest standing ovation out of the main three, and it was well deserved.

He absolutely did not have to come back for this. He’s suffered the unthinkable thanks to the way this god awful industry treats its creatives.

What this movie will show you more than anything was how pivotal Means was for the entire series. Despite all that he’s gone through, he’s always cared about the fans.





For those like Dave Willis, Dana Snyder, Carey Means & Matt Maiellaro that went above and beyond to make this movie what it is... thank you. We didn’t need this, but you delivered.

AQUATEEN4EVER

I saw the movie premiere during New York Comic Con where there was also a panel with the show creators and cast preceding the feature. They mentioned they were planning on activating that phone number but ultimately decided against it, so viewers wouldn't use that as an opportunity to record the movie on their mobile devices.

 

[[classic swim]]

I saw the movie premiere during New York Comic Con where there was also a panel with the show creators and cast preceding the feature. They mentioned they were planning on activating that phone number but ultimately decided against it, so viewers wouldn't use that as an opportunity to record the movie on their mobile devices.

I have seen pictures and gifs from people that were able to get it. Still doesn’t work for me even now when I try testing out any of the number combos, but I’ve seen those same gifs with the Mooninites float around.

Maybe it should’ve just been one of those voicemail recording lines instead? Adult Swim has done those before. A simple gag shouldn’t have that much power.

 

[Nobodyman]

Got my physical copy in the mail today. Finished watching it about an hour ago and...yeah, it was alright.

Half the time it felt like mid-tier Aqua Teen and the other half it felt like a generic action-comedy movie in Aqua Teen skin, like it was made by someone who just had a general understanding of the premise of ATHF. Which is weird, because apparently the entire original staff worked on this, so you'd think they'd at least get the tone right.

As for the animation, it wasn't overly distracting, but it was completely unnecessary. I always felt that the low-budget look was part of the charm of ATHF. By giving it a bigger animation budget, I think it just takes away some of its uniqueness.

If this is the last piece of ATHF material we ever get, I can't pretend that this is a particularly high note to go out on, but if something like this is what we can expect from future projects, then I'd be fine with ATHF staying dead.

The Aquadonk shorts were good though. Wouldn't mind seeing more of them.

 

[[classic swim]]

Aquadonk was excellent new material but yeah, they should leave ATHF alone.

 

[[classic swim]]

I finally got around to watching most of the Blu-ray’s extra content.

The commentary had some interesting notes on the production, although a lot of it was shooting the breeze and killing time like most commentary tracks. I really wish Matt Maiellaro & Jay Edwards could’ve been there for it but I understand.

Major highlight was the crew describing what it was like shooting those scenes with Shawn Kemp.

The slowmotion music video was fun and very much in spirit with how they shot filming extras in the past. Loved that Willis put back on his Baffler Meal attire, and giving C. Martin Croker some recognition in between was beautiful. A lot of the most striking visuals from the original show was partial thanks to Clay’s dedication.

Pretty good stuff. Most of the deleted scenes were just one single sentence each lol. I haven’t gotten around to watching the full animatic or alternate cut yet but I’ll get to that eventually.