Aqua Teen Hunger Force The Movie (2007)
Directed by Matt Maiellaro, Dave Willis
Written by Dave Willis, Matt Maiellaro
Starring Dana Snyder, Dave Willis, Carey Means, Andy Merrill
Release Date April 13th, 2007
Published April 14th, 2007
In my early 20's I had a brief bout of depression. I was placed on a drug called Wellbutrin which took the blues away but left me completely numb. After about a day I realized I would rather be miserable than feel nothing. Watching the new movie adaptation of the Cartoon Network cult fave Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters, I was reminded of my Wellbutrin experience. Walking out of the movie, I felt nothing. I didn't hate the film, I didn't like the film. I was actively indifferent to it. It's the most unique reaction I've ever had to a movie and, somehow, the most forgettable.
A group of crime fighting foodstuffs, Frylock -a flying box of talking French fries-, Master Shake -a shuffling, talking milk shake- and Meatwad - a rolling, talking, childlike piece of meat- have been cult faves among stoners and late night drinkers since its cartoon network debut 4 years ago. The show, only 15 minutes in length or less, was arguably the single most scatological and scattershot pop culture satire since Andy Warhol trained his camera on a blank wall for several hours.
In the first feature length Aqua Teen adventure, our heroes are attempting to assemble a piece of exercise equipment that may in fact destroy the world. The guys are aware of some of the danger but plow ahead anyway. Standing in their way is a pair of stoned. lazy aliens from the future and a mohawk and duck bill wearing robot that humps everything. Along for the ride is AQHF's poor put upon, loudmouth neighbor Carl who is often the victim of their shenanigans, and is especially this time their victim.
That is what I could make of the narrative. For the most part, ATHFT is a meditative experience that never rises above the level of a dull not unpleasant hum. A droning bore with sometimes eye catching visuals and minor jokes, Aqua Teen is mostly just bizarre. A character called Dr. Weird dresses as a chicken, a robot humps everything in sight. Exercise equipment comes to life and becomes a killing machine. Wildly scatological ideas that have zero context and no obvious humor beyond the mere creation of them as thoughts turned into images.
My reaction to the Aqua Teen Hunger Force the movie was something I would describe as active indifference. I know that I watched the movie. I know that I didn't hate the movie but I certainly did not like it either. I was entirely apathetic toward it. The movie stirred no emotion in me whatsoever. I was completely numbed by it, hypnotized by some of the exceptionally bizarre scenery but still, by the end, completely dispassionate.
I can't tell you how many times people have told me that I just don't get it. However, when I press them on why I don't get it; they have no answer. Could the joke be so meta that it's actually a prank on the people who think they get a joke that doesn't really exist? That would go a long way toward explaining the bizarre experience that is Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie For Theaters.
