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Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy
By: M. Enois Duarte, 5.26.2009
The Movie Itself:
What makes most of the primetime cartoons funny is the censorship. As strange as it may sound, the idea of being told what one can and can't do on television is what makes many network programs so entertaining and enjoyable. It forces creators like Matt Groening and Seth MacFarlane to be inventive with their delivery, to design subtle "wink-wink" references, and to originate well-hidden innuendos throughout. MacFarlane's Family Guy is one show that uses these rules to its advantage by pushing the limitations of those same rules. Hence, MacFarlane is funny when working within certain restricted boundaries, but raises an eyebrow and accompanied by the rare chuckle in the uncensored Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy.
Like a hodgepodge of disjointed ideas and incoherent afterthoughts, Cavalcade is a rambling mess of cartoon shorts that go nowhere but aim to offend and disgust its audience. Problem is that it fails to do so if one is already vaguely familiar with MacFarlane's other work: Family Guy and American Dad. Only, those shows are entertaining to watch, because part of their value comes from the knowledge that they are prohibited to say or show certain things. The fact that they push those restrictions to the very edge while making references - explicit or otherwise - to the real world gives rise to some very humorous, at times taboo, results. Remove those guidelines of censorship and the whole things crumbles beneath a cavalcade of stupidity.
Granted, the occasional chuckle or laugh could be heard in the room, but it was nothing boisterous or loud. None of the animated skits contained cohesion or lead from one sketch to the next, which seems to work with Family Guy, but looks as unintelligible as the animal penises used in a game show scene. Each spoof, if we can even call it that, is a standalone wisecrack, like a humorous greeting card from the XXX section. The Vaudeville Singers appears to be the only memorable sequence and likely to be enjoyed by most watching this dribble. As a fan of the dysfunctional Griffin family and their wacky adventures in Quahog, Rhode Island, I was expecting better and possibly even more out these uncensored cartoons. C'est la vie, I suppose. Fans will likely watch for curiosity's sake, while others are likely to avoid it.
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Rating: 4/10
 The Presentation:
Being 2-D computer animation, one wouldn't expect much from this Cavalcade. However, compared to its standard definition compatriot, this AVC transfer, framed in 1.33:1 window, is a considerable upgrade with fine lines that are better resolved and cleanly rendered. Then again, detailing is as good as it could ever be for this sort of animation, as those same lines are not always stable. The color palette is well saturated, showing a nice variety of secondary hues. Still, they wavered a tad, one instant lush and the next, dull and boring. The picture showed many instances of banding in the background, such as the portion with the unicorn doing a PSA. I also caught several glimpses of ringing, which is strange for a cartoon, but not sure if it's inherent to the animation or the use of edge enhancement. Contrast is comfortably bright with clean whites, while blacks are sometimes inky and others flat. Overall, the image is nothing spectacular, but passable.
Rating: 6.8/10
Expectations were also set low for this DTS-MA track to allow a pleasant surprise. Well . . . , I was not surprised. The sound design is really more of a stereo presentation, with a rear background that is practically non-existent. The front soundstage contains the entire mix with decent separation between the channels, but nothing to rave about. The only impressive segment worth mentioning was the dirty vaudeville singers in chapter 32, which displayed some expansion to the mostly monaural mix. This short alone provided a pleasant enough mid-range and clean fidelity. Dialogue is sufficiently rendered from the center channel, while low-frequency response never makes itself known. In the end, this lossless track barely even makes a blip on the radar.
Rating: 5.6/10
Overall Presentation: 6/10
** 10 = Reference / 8 - 9 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **
The Extras:
This throwaway package of supplements from Fox Home Entertainment is less than interesting and can't imagine fans even caring to watch any of it. But here it is and in standard definition.
- Red Carpet Premiere (4 min)
Excerpts from the premiere party interspersed with interviews of cast, production team, and others partygoers.
- Rough Character Models (2 min)
Literally, quickly drawn images of the character eventually used in this cavalcade.
- Cleaned up Character Models (4 min)
Pretty much the same thing as above, only more refined.
- Colored Character Models (4 min)
Same characters, now with some color and life in them.
Rating: 1/10
Final Thoughts:
As unnecessary and pointless of a release this may be, Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy will very likely find a home with some fans of Seth MacFarlane. For many others, this incoherent mess of raunch, or at least, an attempt at that, is easily forgettable and one of MacFarlane's weakest works. The Blu-ray collection of shorts fares no better with several problems in the video department and a weak audio presentation. For those who actually enjoyed it, the supplemental package also offers little entertainment value.
Rating: 6/10
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