Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
America: The Motion Picture.
I stumbled on this new release on Netflix this past weekend, and watched it. I had no expectations going in (I had not heard anything about it whatsoever), and noticed from the opening credits that it had its genesis from Lord & Miller (Lego Movie, Spider Man: Into the Spiderverse) and Thompson & Reed (Adult Swim, Archer).
Here's my quick take-
I'm glad I watched it. It was ... mostly good. At one point, I said, "You have to be really really smart to make something this dumb" - I meant that as a compliment. Much like Archer (the show I would say this movie most closely resembles) there are the obvious jokes, the jokes that require a working knowledge of pop culture to really get, the jokes that require a good understanding of American history to get, and those that cross the streams- that mash up obscure pop culture references and obscure historical references. Sometimes, you might be too busy patting yourself on the back to laugh.
Which gets to main issue I had with it. On the one hand, I'd recommend this show to any high school student who has just finished AP US history (see, it can be fun!). Um, well, assuming said student could handle gratuitous violence, animated nakedness, and swearing. They did earn their R rating. The movie, while being completely ahistorical (Washington and Lincoln are best buds, Edison is ... well, you have to watch to appreciate it) is also, somehow, truer to American history than the usual Hollywood tripe (Gibson's The Patriot? ugh).
On the other hand, as a movie, it doesn't land. It really is like an extended Archer episode- and not the best season (maybe season 6). There is no real emotional resonance with the characters.
But I'd still recommend it. Oh- and watch to the end, the last bit is worth it.
Anyway, it stuck with me, and it's geek-adjacent, so I'm throwing it out there as a general topic. Did you watch it? Do you plan to watch it? Did you like it? And, given the many non-Americans that are on the forum, is it any good if you don't have a passing knowledge of US history, or just stupid?
I stumbled on this new release on Netflix this past weekend, and watched it. I had no expectations going in (I had not heard anything about it whatsoever), and noticed from the opening credits that it had its genesis from Lord & Miller (Lego Movie, Spider Man: Into the Spiderverse) and Thompson & Reed (Adult Swim, Archer).
Here's my quick take-
I'm glad I watched it. It was ... mostly good. At one point, I said, "You have to be really really smart to make something this dumb" - I meant that as a compliment. Much like Archer (the show I would say this movie most closely resembles) there are the obvious jokes, the jokes that require a working knowledge of pop culture to really get, the jokes that require a good understanding of American history to get, and those that cross the streams- that mash up obscure pop culture references and obscure historical references. Sometimes, you might be too busy patting yourself on the back to laugh.
Which gets to main issue I had with it. On the one hand, I'd recommend this show to any high school student who has just finished AP US history (see, it can be fun!). Um, well, assuming said student could handle gratuitous violence, animated nakedness, and swearing. They did earn their R rating. The movie, while being completely ahistorical (Washington and Lincoln are best buds, Edison is ... well, you have to watch to appreciate it) is also, somehow, truer to American history than the usual Hollywood tripe (Gibson's The Patriot? ugh).
On the other hand, as a movie, it doesn't land. It really is like an extended Archer episode- and not the best season (maybe season 6). There is no real emotional resonance with the characters.
But I'd still recommend it. Oh- and watch to the end, the last bit is worth it.
Anyway, it stuck with me, and it's geek-adjacent, so I'm throwing it out there as a general topic. Did you watch it? Do you plan to watch it? Did you like it? And, given the many non-Americans that are on the forum, is it any good if you don't have a passing knowledge of US history, or just stupid?
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