The residents
of Sealab engage, when not studying the life all around them,
engage in petty debates about becoming robots, fight bloodthirsty
alien predators, get stuck in time loops, and even start a pirate
radio station. Sealab 2021 stars the voices of
Harry Goz, Erik Estrada, Bill
Lobley, Brett Butler, Kate Miller and Ellis Henican.
CRITIQUE
Sealab 2021
is one of those shows that almost defy description. Like many of
the programs from Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim line up, this show
recycles a pre-existing Hanna Barbara cartoon (Sealab 2020)
and turns it into an outrageous, and many times raunchy, comic
romp. Each 11-minute show is jam-packed with gags galore, each one
more bizarre than the last.
The crew of Sealab
is filled with an eclectic mix of freaks. Capt. Murphy, the insane
commander, spends more time worrying about his HappyCake Oven (which
makes real cupcakes with a 40 watt bulb!!) than he does the safety of
his crew. Sparks, the communications officer, when not ignoring the
daily goings on of Sealab, lords over the henchmen in his secret
mountain stronghold. Dr. Quinn, the head researcher, and only
intelligent person on all of Sealab, spends as much time saving Sealab
from blowing up as he does getting lucky with the ladies. Debbie,
“White” Debbie, Marco, Dolphin Boy…each character has a unique (and
anti-PC) personality.
Sealab 2021
isn’t for everyone, however. Its offbeat humor ranges from brilliance
to complete stupidity, sometimes in the same scene. It’s the sort of
show that fans of Invader Zim or other Adult Swim shows would
appreciate. Others may be turned off by the randomness of the humor.
For those who have never seen the show, Sealab is a great
rental for a Friday night hang-out with friends.
THE VIDEO
The
transfer looks really good. The images are clean and sharp,
especially since most of the show is taken from the old 1970’s
Sealab 2020 show.
THE AUDIO
The audio is
presented in Dolby 2.0 and sounds good. The mix is nothing
special, just the standard TV mix.
THE EXTRAS
Sadly there
are only a few extras on the second disc in the form of
deleted segments. These include two alternate endings
to the first episode, I Robot, an alternate ending to
Little Orphan Angry, and the uncensored ending to Radio Free
Sealab. These deleted segments are interesting to watch and
see in which directions the directors wanted to go, before
finally settling on the final product. However, it’s a shame
there is nothing more than this.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Sealab
is a show made for those who hate the typical cartoon. It falls into
the same vein as SouthPark, Invader Zim, and Family Guy. It’s
not a show for everyone, but fans of the Adult Swim line up will love
it, even though it lacks in the extras department.
