Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters

It is not only unequivocally necessary for a viewers of Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatres to be familiar with the Cartoon Network Adult Swim animated series, but it is necessary for anyone who even attempts to watch ATHFCMFT to be an ardent devotee of the ultra-2D cartoon about a talking, but not particularly bright, wad of meat (voiced by Dave Willis); a lying, sardonic milkshake (voiced by Dana Snyder); and a super-genius box of French fries (voiced by Carey Means). It is also necessary for them to possess a deep understanding of and appreciation for the aesthetic and conceptual touchstones of series creators/filmmakers (including voice actor Matt Maiellaro) if they are going to get any of this.

And still it will mostly be dumb and repugnant. Which does not prevent it from being extremely funny, at least in 15-minute bite-size chunks, which is the format the show takes on cable. In the larger context of a feature-length film (albeit barely), it's less funny—or, put another way, more funny but less often.

The opening sequence, which spoofs the old talking-concessions-products "Let's All Go to the Movies" trailers that opened films in days of old, is patently hysterical. No point in ruining it here. That is quickly followed by another very funny sequence wherein the origins of the ATHF are described by Master Shake, who, of course, is lying. Seriously, you've got to be completely in on these jokes or ATHFCMFT just isn't going to make any sense. Not that it ever really makes any sense.

Nevertheless, and unlike many of the Adult Swim episodes, there is a plot here. Shake steals quasi-human neighbor Carl's (Willis) Insane-O-Flex exercise machine, but it turns out to be some sort of crazy killing machine that the ATHF must stop in their own extremely destructive way. In the process many—if not all—of the characters that fans of the series will be familiar with show up, often for no reason at all, which, again, fans of the show will both understand and appreciate greatly.

Among them are Oglethorpe and Emory of the "Plutonian League" and their often horny friend the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past; the mad scientist Dr. Weird and his assistant Steve (both voiced by C. Martin Croker); Err and Ignignokt, who are these two Atari game figures hell-bent on destroying the earth with their mediocre technology from the ‘70s; and "Drummer Neal Peart from veteran progressive-metal trio Rush." You really have to be into this stuff. Distributor: First Look
Voices: Dana Snyder, Dave Willis and Carey Means
Directors/Screenwriters: Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis
Producers: Jay Edwards, Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis
Genre: Animated comedy
Rating: R for crude and sexual humor, violent images and language
Running time: 86 min.
Release date: April 13, 2007