Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie (2013_20TH Century Fox) Rated: R

Classic Rock Radio Dot EU - *After Hours*
Spotlight: Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie (2013_20TH Century Fox)
Rated: R

So after viewing this DVD four times, I'm ready to comment. Four times? Let me explain. In the wee hours of the 4th or May, I entered my neighborhood Walmart is search of medical relief. A few days before I was diagnosed with strep throat. Am taking antibiotics. For the fever, runny nose, sore throat symptoms, something over the counter. Compliment the real medicine my Doctor prescribed. Once securing that and while working my way over to the orange juice, I walked past the new Cheech & Chong flick / DVD; Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie. Life should not totally suck when feeling under the weather. So along with the cold medicine, orange juice, and a box of snot rags, the kind with Aloe to help the nose from it's over use of being blown, I grabbed the second to last DVD available, and made my way to the check out counter.

Arriving home and while under the influence of...cold medicine...I laid up on the couch, and pressed play. Was so entertained at the end of it that when hitting special features, I decided to listen to all three bonus commentaries. The first one with the legendary comedians themselves; Cheech & Chong. Worth the price of admission, all by itself. May I point out that this is the legendary comedy duo reminiscing together in the year 2013. Semi-seriously discussing not only the movie, but their careers together. Not only funny, but fascinating. Learning the inner workings of what made all the pot / drug jokes so good to begin with.

Saying all that...I'm glad I don't pay attention to movie reviews. If I did, I would have passed buying the newest Cheech & Chong product. What a shame that would have been. From reading how the animation sucks, to the lack of new routines, the ratings are near the bottom of the ladder. I ask myself; I say Self...WTF? Plenty of reasons pop in my head. Let me spit out a couple:

01. The reviewers expect old school animation. Every item hand drawn like they did in the early days of Disney, and Warner Brothers. Guess what, it's not. Still, looks as good as what we currently have on television; The Simpsons, or South Park. I think the over all look to Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie totally fits the material myself. Quality well enough to pause the picture and admire everything in that frame. When watching more then once, one notices items in the background they might not have seen the first time around. Sight gags. A sign awarding Dick Chaney Water-boarding Champion for several years running. In the same sketch, Tortured Old Man, on the wall in the background it reads in BIG letters; Helliburton. About two blocks up the road from me, is a company called; Halliburton. A more modern reference then the original Nazi story line. Summing up picture quality...seriously...looks fine to me. I might even use the word, outstanding. We'll see a few paragraphs down if I do.

02. To say all this film consists of is OLD ROUTINES...duh....it's a visual greatest hits depicting some of the best Cheech & Chong sketches ever assembled in one place. Every word said in the classic routines is preserved, the way it should be. Because of the decades that has gone by, there are certain words, locations, and even objects, like a payphone, that has departed our existence. Cool references to days gone by. Stoner's are as a rule, not stupid. Just generally speaking. The under age 30 ones who watch this, are bright enough to use Internet search engines to look up whatever puzzles them. That or I suggest with them knowing this is the duo's original routines, watch it with an older pothead so to ask questions to. So the backdrops may be more 21st century, but done so without rewriting comedic / pop culture history. To me, the movie's a very cool way to archive / preserve some of Cheech & Chong's funniest bits. All details paid close attention to. A job well done by all involved.

As one views the movie, one grows in appreciation they have for the comedy duo. Example, every voice you hear in the sketches, are theirs. The joke is they were too cheap to hire anyone. The beauty of it, is that they were good enough to pull it off. Dialects from around the globe. All characters done in a way so to individualize and make memorable. Add to that, Cheech & Chong wrote their own material. When on stage or film, they project the words further by acting out the scenes fans heard and envisioned, mostly while under the influence of their favorite substance; pot. Not Cheech & Tommy. Sure they admit to using at times, but both for decades has been into a healthy lifestyle, including going to the YMCA between gigs in the old days to work out. Comedy is a business folks. Both men into their seventies now. Still going strong from a reunion a few years back. This writer lucky enough to see them twice in concert since the two started performing together again.

Uncle G's Rating: Using the one to five lid system, I give Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie, five lids. Trust me, that's a lot of grass. It's a DVD that one will give repeated views / listens to. Sound wise, it's like playing the old albums but without having to hear the scratches and skips. Visually, straight or high as a kite, it's catches, and holds your attention. Oh yeah...I almost forgot; outstanding. A solid new product in the Cheech & Chong official products category.

Note: The film has a soundtrack as well. Contains original...NEW...material from Cheech & Chong.

Internet Link -- Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheech-Chongs-Animated-Movie/297400352946

Gary Brown
American Corespondent for Classic Rock Radio Dot EU