The continuing misadventures of a psychotically aggressive Chihuahua and his idiot feline sidekick.

CRITIQUE

This final collection of the original Nickelodeon series contains the second half of the fourth season of Ren and Stimpy as well as the forgettable fifth and final season. While the second half of season 4 is less twisted than the previous episodes of the season, none of the Games Animation episodes have the energy and fun that the Spumco Animation episodes had. Of season 4, the most entertaining episodes include: Weiner Barons (in which Ren and Stimpy travel to Canada to get rich on during a “Weiner Rush”); My Shiny Friend (in which Ren must help Stimpy break his TV addiction); and Travelogue (in which the boys go to the country of Acromeglia and learn about their strange customs.)

Season 5, on the other hand, has very little to offer. While there are a few funny episodes, most are boring, confusing, or both. Of the final 21 segments, only 3 have any real life to them. The first Stupid Sidekick Union has Stimpy going on strike and Ren trying to find a scab to take his former partner’s place. The second segment is Space Dogged, in which Ren and Stimpy are part of the Russian Space Program trying to beat the Americans in the space race. The final lively segment is Feud for Sale which features the Ren and Stimpy “Salesman” character who makes a fortune selling useless products to a pair of feuding hicks.

THE VIDEO

Like the previous DVD, the video transfer of Ren and Stimpy is both very good and very poor. While the image is crisp and clear, this ends up making the poor quality of the animation stick out like a sore thumb.

THE AUDIO

Ren and Stimpy is mixed in Dolby Digital 2.0. The mix is good, but nothing to speak of.

THE EXTRAS

Commentary on Select Episodes by John K. and some of the Spumco and Games crew: A pretty good group of commentaries, most are fairly interesting, but nothing really special. There is, however, one track that is outstanding. The commentary for Feud for Sale with John K. and Bill Wray is a fantastic listen.

Commentary by Ren and Stimpy: Lame. Very. Very. Lame.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The lack of features is regrettable; it would have been nice to have some interviews with the cast and crew about the series (as this is the last of the original episodes.) If you are a die hard fan, then definitely pick this up. But if you are just a casual watcher or a new fan of the series, this is best rented.