DVD REVIEW

Family Guy: Volume 1  (1999)

Voices: Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green

Rating: NR

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Review Posted: 4.30.03

Spoilers: None

Reviewed by Jon Bjorling

Family Guy, for those who never saw its short run on Fox network, is the unholy bastard child of Married with Children and The Simpsons. Seth MacFarlane's manic creation is a show made for people who watch cartoons.

The show is about the Griffins, a family so dysfunctional, it makes the Bundy's seem normal (okay, this is where the Fox show references end). Peter, the head of the house, works at a toy factory and would make Homer look like a candidate for MENSA (okay, THAT'S the last Fox reference); Lois, the wife, is a house maker who acts like the anchor of the family, keeping them all grounded in reality; Meg, the teen daughter, sees only her cosmetic faults, never any of her virtues; Chris, the teen son, overweight and possibly dumber than his father; Stewie, a megalomaniacal baby who wishes to kill his mother and take over the world; and Brian, the family pet who loves his alcohol and witty remarks.

Like the ill-fated Clerks cartoon, Family Guy is littered with pop-culture references and social commentary the likes of which do not play well with general audiences.  For instance, how many people would catch the Trainspotting reference in the episode "Love Thy Trophy"? Sadly, like many shows of its type, Family Guy never found an audience, which is a shame. However, now the show is available on DVD and hopefully it will find an audience.

8 out of 10

For the most part, the transfer is well done. However, there are a few moments that look pixilated (due, I found out, to the animators having to extend a scene or two). Aside from these few momentary annoyances, the transfer is decent.

7 out of 10

The show is featured in 5.1 Dolby Surround, however since it is a cartoon, there is little need for it.

5 out of 10

- Commentary on selected episodes featuring Seth Macfarlane, producer David Zuckerman, and the writers and cast members:

- Disc 1: Commentary on "Death Has a Shadow" and "The Son Also Draws"

- Disc 2: Commentary on "Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater", and "Holy Crap"

- Disc 3: Commentary on "Fifteen Minutes of Shame" and "Let's Go to the Hop"

- Disc 4: Commentary on "He's Too Sexy for His Fat" and "E. Peterbus Unum"

- 28 episodes from the first 2 seasons on 4 discs
- Internet Promo Spots
- Behind the scenes

This set is pretty anemic on extras, which is a shame.  Another shame is that the extras are pretty much worthless. The commentary is pretty much a few cast and crew members sitting in the room watching the show and occasionally cursing because they can. Very little information is learned about the origin of the show or why it ended up being canceled. The behind the scenes is nothing more than interviews with the cast and creators, and a few bits of in the studio work. Unless you've never seen this sort of thing before, don't bother. The promo spots are pretty funny, but mostly feature clips from the show, which is somewhat redundant.

2 out of 10

 

Overall

It's great to have this show on DVD, but couldn't they find the original short Macfarlane did? I remember seeing it on Cartoon Network some time back and would love to see it again. Maybe we'll get to see it on the next season due on DVD later this year.

Overall DVD Rating: 8 out of 10 (not an average)

DVD REVIEWS BY JON BJORLING:

- Battle Royale

- Rashomon: Criterion Collection

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