Happy Tree Friends – Season One, Volume One
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: C Episodes: C+
WHO LOVES
SENSELESS VIOLENCE?!? This reviewer
surely does. Happy Tree Friends: Season One, Volume One
is a title that fits this new cycle of entertainment. For new comers to the violent cartoon series,
the series takes place in a variety of locations with a cast of cute and cuddly
woodland creatures. Their general
appearance is where the cuteness ends, the show’s main feature and intention
centers on violently mutilating the creatures in every way imaginable, and many
unimaginable. The basic storyline for
each episode is similar to any basic cartoon short, setup with a light
situation and a cast of bumbling misfits.
The spark
that Happy Tree Friends brings to
the table, however, is the massacre of its characters until none are left
standing. In some ways this may be a
simplistic take on a Shakespearean tragedy or Tarantino film with a mixture of
comedic relief. This reviewer failed to
see the humor in most of the work, and merely questioned the artistic direction
of the animators with this senseless violence.
With such great animated series as Aqua
Teen Hunger Force, The Venture Bros.,
and Harvey Birdman that manage to
use senseless violence as a mode to reinforce a creative storyline, it begs the
question of why can’t Happy Tree Friends
do the same? The show does have its
occasional moments throughout its 7 minute shorts, but loses its luster
quickly. The show has a huge internet
based following, that not only supports the series but a plethora of
merchandising as well. The creature
debacle is better watched in a group setting where you can better hear the
‘Owws’ and ‘Ekkks’ of the audience, making it more exciting when infused with
mob mentality.
The
technical features of the DVD are nice, though the extras are quite
boring. The picture is presented in a
1.33 X 1 Full Screen format that is clean, crisp, and has well balanced
colors. The original picture being
created in flash, the animation remains very fluid and clear. The sound is adequate in its Dolby Digital
5.1 mix, though not much is said throughout the series except a few mumbles and
screams. The background music is well
balanced and fits the chaotic atmospheres dreadfully well. The extras are a random set of not very
entertaining features. Features include
still storyboards, useless commentary, and two featurettes. The one featurette centers on the creative
process for the show, which is nothing more than the creators goofing off in an
attempt to be humorous that falls short.
The second featurette is entitled ‘Cubes,’ being a parody of MTV’s Cribs, meant to poke fun at the
less than stellar work atmosphere of the crew and once again falls short of
being funny.
In the
end if you are a fan of the series this 1 disc, 9 episode set is perfect for
you. New comers may want to hold off or
view a few Webisodes off the internet prior to purchasing. The show did cause this reviewer to chuckle
occasionally, but overall fell too short creatively.
- Michael P Dougherty II
