Techtite's TV Reviews!

"While it has its rough edges, this is the funniest science fiction parody I've seen since Mel Brooks' Spaceballs."

---from the review

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No pilot? Why? There are two reasons I feel the pilot wasn't offered on this season one DVD, each with their own pros and cons. They are: 

---First problem: this was a pilot offered online only, for an audience that could care less what the word "censored for young audiences" means. That allowed for graphic nudity (Six, of course), and a very gory storyline where Darph Bobo uses his evil powers to squeeze a trooper's head into a balloon animal and then pop it. Ouch! So; MAYBE they didn't include it into this set because it would up the ratings requirements for buying it, and frankly, the majority of this series' consumers will inevitably be too young to drive.

---Second problem: Season Two, well...sucks. How to sell season two on DVD? Simple: include the pilot episode, as an added incentive for purchase.

Tripping The Rift: 

The Complete First Season

A Review by Techtite

It's an old joke, I know, but seriously: what if Mel Brooks' Spaceballs, had more, well...balls? The result might've been Tripping the Rift, which out of three separate CGI "sitcoms" offered last season, was the only one that succeeded. Dare not compare this to CGI snafus like Game Over and Father of the Pride. Sadly, one must also not compare this first season to the second season currently on the air, which is not quite as good. No matter. Now with Season One on DVD, these premiere episodes can be enjoyed by every animation fan who never watched it. Both of you.

The back story is simple: a spaceship of misfits roams the galaxy in a ship so droll, its sardonic computer is named "Bob." Among these crewmembers are "captain" Chode (imagine a walking purple butt with three eyes), Six (a former sex slave cyborg who's now, ahem, "first mate"), the effeminate robot Gus, a half-horse alien female named T'nuk, and even Chode's young nephew, who's the amalgam of every sci-fi fanatic you ever bumped into at a Star Trek convention.

This is a really unique list of characters, so you can imagine the imagination elsewhere, particularly for anyone who ever wanted a parody of "Star Wars" pitted against a parody of "Star Trek." Among the villains are the Dark Clowns, consisting of --get this-- Darth Bobo. The supposed "good guys" of the galaxy are the Feds, aka the Federation, led by a Captain-Kirk-type who often seems no less shifty than Bobo. Chode's band of misfits are neither the perfect good guys nor the dastardly villains, so they often find themselves attacked from both sides. Let the parody stories begin!

Mind you; all the tween boys will be oogling at Six, and with good reason, since she's voiced by Gina Gershon (who, sadly, only remained on board for this one season). My own favorite character, however, would have to be the villainous Darth Bobo. Come on; "Dark Clowns"...? That's one imaginative parody idea. This is a guy who, in this series' original pilot, uses his "evil powers" to squeeze a soldier's helmet into the shape of a balloon animal. Ouch. Yet it's the whole idea of a race of Darth "clowns" which gets me laughing. Likewise for his troopers, red "saber" and other qualities which show how much of a sense of humor George Lucas has because, as funny as all this is: there's some serious copyright infringements going on here, right down to the first usage of the word "Darth." But hey; it's all in fun right?

Not that Trek is the only sci-fi parodied here. "Six" is a not so salute to Star Trek Voyager's "Seven of Nine." Though Seven's own Jeri Ryan may not get the humor here, the fact is this is a cable TV "sitcom," and a cartoon at that, so expect to see "Six" half dressed in nearly every other episode. The funniest moment: Six is placed into a beauty pageant under protest, leading to her wearing a cotton T-shirt during the show, while reading feminist poetry. Enters Chode as a pageant judge, who smirks, "Time for a Wardrobe Malfuntion," as he zaps away all her clothes. Who wins the beauty contest? T'nuk. Now that's comedy.

It's also a pretty darn funny cartoon. From the effeminate C3PO parody to the episode where Chode tries to create peace in the universe by linking up Darth Bobo's Daughter with the Federation Captain's son, this is some good comedy. It helps if you're a fan of the sci-fi shows which are so brilliantly parodied, but it's not necessary. Even a non-fan of such sci-fi should love the merciless jabs this series delivers.

If only its DVD set "delivered" as well. Let me shoot it straight. Both Game Over and Father of the Pride include more extras in their limited "complete series sets" than this. If the CGI series that succeeded has less extras than the shows that got cancelled, something is wrong. For one thing: unless it's foolishly offered as a "hidden bonus" there is no sign of the series' original online pilot. That alone would be worth the price of the whole DVD set because, as this pilot is only offered online in postage-stamp sized video formats. Read my "sidebar" conspiracy laden rant above right for why this is so, or let's just move on to the obligatory concluding sales pitch...

                                                                    ---Techtite

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