The Venture Bros. - Season Two
by Christopher McCulloch
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DVD details
Actor: Christopher McCulloch, Doc Hammer, James Urbaniak, Michael Sinterniklaas, Patrick WarburtonDirector: Christopher McCulloch
Brand: whv
Producer: Christopher McCulloch
Writer: Christopher McCulloch
Writer: Doc Hammer
Producer: Jeremy Rosenberg
Producer: Nathan Graf
Producer: Rachel Simon
Writer: Ben Edlund
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 295 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-04-17
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Turner Home Ent
DVD Reviews of The Venture Bros. - Season Two
DVD Review: Best. Show. Ever.
Summary: 5 Stars
Season 2 of the Venture Bros is awesome. I watch these episodes so much I'm surprised my DVD player hasn't exploded. This show just keeps getting better and better. DVD Review: A continuation of a great series
Summary: 5 Stars
I have nothing but good things to say about "The Venture Brothers: Season Two," which chronicles the continued misadventures of failed super-scientist 'Dr.' Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture, his naive and socially inept sons Hank and Dean, their savage bodyguard Brock Samson and myriad other friends, associates, villains and arch-enemies. I think it intriguing that the four main characters are effectively the most consistent, having evolved the least throughout either the first or second seasons... and though the secondary characters are, well, secondary, the plot of each episode evolves predominantly around one or more of them at a time - for reasons that I cannot really explain, this works extremely well for the program.
The program itself all boils down to a darkly hilarious spoof on a 45-year-old Hanna-Barbera action cartoon... or, as I said in my review of The Venture Brothers: Season 1, "'Johnny Quest' gone horribly, horribly wrong..." and again, that is all you need to know.
DVD Review: ..........you look like the mayor of candyland.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is w/out a doubt one of the funniest & edgiest shows ever! The animation is awesome w/ the comedy writing is as equally intoxicating as Family Guy, America Dad, or The Simpsons (is that even still going??). Its such a great genre bending & pop culture spoof that doesn't let up. If there's one show that deserves it hype or word of mouth. This it! DVD Review: Funny
Summary: 5 Stars
What's up with the Monarch and Dr. Venture? Related? Is it an "Austin Powers" type thing? Anyway.
So they say it's a show about failure? I can see that's true BUT it is life affirming, sort of.
Actually of all the Adult Swim shows Venture Brothers has mainstream appeal and potential for a much, much larger audience than it enjoys now. Or it would if America wasn't so hung up on naughty language and sexual references. Things change though. Just look at South Park. (I still can't believe what they get away with, so who knows?) But only airing late on Adult Swim it will never be as popular a success as Fox cartoons. (Maybe that's OK, I'm just sayin.)
Anyway, I did read a review of Venture Brothers by this guy Michael Abernethy for "Pop Matters" that dismisses the show as "idiotic" and says his "nightmares are more enjoyable than this infantile series". I really didn't know we're supposed to take the show so seriously. See, that's why people love to hate critics. He get's it all wrong. I'd say if you haven't seen it, don't be looking for the sharp social commentary of a South Park or the Simpsons -that isn't the point of the freakin' show. Properly viewed without a stick up your --- Venture Brothers can be enjoyed (by adults) as a lighthearted homage to Johnny Quest and seemingly countless adventure serials, pulp magazines, television shows, movies, toys, fashion trends, and comic books. Characters directly based on James Bond and Blade to GI Joe commandos and Scooby-Doo and Star Wars make appearances as do real-life media personalities Hunter S. Thompson and David Bowie -both enjoying memorable roles in the series as themselves, so to speak. No change to names or alteration of looks. (Well just certain body parts in one case). I just got a kick out of a show so loaded with cultural references and one that would feature a figure like Hunter Thompson and in the way that it does. For that matter Bowie's role is perfect.
What really makes the Venture Brothers a great show are the rich background stories to all the characters, some of whom are purely original creations. The writers know what they are doing. I wonder what the story is with Dr. Venture and the Monarch, really? Is it an Austin Powers type deal? Read a perfect tag for the show that also sums-up why I dig it: "If filmmakers Woody Allen and Sam Peckinpah had collaborated on Jonny Quest, it would have come out a lot like this." I love Woody Allen and Sam Peckinpah. Highly recommended show.
Season 2, in humble opinion not only vastly surpassed everyone's expectations -taking the series to another level- but so far it is the best. 3 is up there though. Best to go chronologically and see the incredible development of all the characters and their rich, highly entertaining background stories.
DVD Review: Scraping Foetus off the Mors Syphilitica!
Summary: 5 Stars
If someone would have bet me ten years ago Foetus would be doing music for a cartoon show, I would have almost bet, because if you listen to old Foetus EPs, what would make up the Sink LP/CD later, it does sound a bit soundtrackesque. But then if you told me Mors Syphilitica would also be a part of this show, be it not with music, but with writing and voices, I would definitely not place a bet. It just would seem to far-fetched and too much something I would enjoy. I tend to love the things a lot of people don't enjoy, like foreign films and...reading...history...and...writing...poetry...
But here it is. I tend to poke my Venture Bros. box sets with a stick to see if they are real.
First off, I love the design of the box set and the slide film art that gets you to the episodes and extras. I wish, once again, some credit was given to the people or company which did it. Unlike the 1st and 3rd seasons, this box gives credit to the writers, producers, etc. I like the fact that all the characters are shown in box artwork with guns, yet none of them really shoot guns in the series.
If you read my account of how I came about buying this set (see the Foetus pun title of my first season review), I am similarly disappointed about the censorship. I thought I would bypass the boxes and blurs, the bleeping and ... ing. Nope. I have no idea why the company chose to do it this way. I am not scared by nudity or the male member. I spent many a time looking at that old Sacrum Torch "Phallus as Icon" painting. Didn't we all want to buy that thing? (Ok, now I am writing for the 1-2 people in all of Amazon land that would get that reference). Is it that scary? I guess it is. It would be nice to have an uncensored version, as long as buyers could trade their censored copies in for it. I get a bit miffed at having to re-buy something later when it could have been perfect the first time around.
But still, I am an adult with no kids, I know, crazy, so I don't care if the nudity, swearing and sexual situations are pushed to the limits, as long as the show doesn't give up its wit, charm and intellect in exchange for cheap thrills.
Season Two is both better and worse than Season One. The first season's titles and episodes were a bit more polished, but the first season, like many a first CD, is the one thought of and coddled the most. But Season Two was more smartly written. The writing styles vary. Mr. Publick has a stronger traditional cartoon style which is based on strong characters and plot lines, while Mr. Hammer draws in a lot more of the historical, literary and musical references and underlying wit that is more my style. Together, they are a nice mix. I mean, it isn't without fault or a plot hole here or there, but it sure beats most of the other shows on the idiot box. I'd watch just to hear the word "draconian". I like it when they just let the jokes ride, but do succumb to having to explain jokes like Jessie's Girl. Other shows do that every single joke, like the viewers won't get it. I am glad The Venture Brothers doesn't explain all the time.
This season starts with the Monarch in jail and the loss of the Venture Brothers Jr. being replaced by credits of the Venture Brothers Sr. I wasn't the biggest fan of the jail stuff, but it soon kicks in with a lot of psychology themes that happened in Season One. The characters are sort of life's losers. Monarch has girlfriend problems, Dr. Orpheus is a single father who has to literally go in the closet to speak to his Master about it (who takes the form of the horse that supposedly killed Catherine the Great), Dr. Venture has to deal with the looming shadow of his father and being a single dad and Brock ends up having a hallucination filled vision quest once he kills a minion who doesn't deserve to die. But yet, it is also a gross out comedy and reference laden good time too.
The references keep me sated. This show could verve into complete gross out territory, but remains true to its course by having references about but not limited to: Maya Angelou, Oscar Wilde, Klaus Nomi, The Damned, the Residents, William Burroughs, Poe, Lincoln, Caligula, Sigmund Freud, Ra, Hunter S. Thompson, David Bowie and Henry Kissinger. Those are the ones off the top of my head. There are many others. I liked the fact that Underland was in Michigan, since I am by birth, a Michigander (look it up). There are plenty of old cartoon references too. I am still thinking this works best for those in their 30's, those who had to sit through silde films in the 70's. The show makes me relive my like of the cartoon shows of my youth and memories of music of my 20's and early 30's. It's a real time machine.
This could have easily been another parody cartoon, but now its morphed into more than a Jonny Quest parody. It is its own thing, full of amusing characters, intellectual writing, good design and a score that draws you in. I noticed Jarboe was a voice in this season and I use to scare people I knew with Swans music in my youth (you can do that in a small town). I hope the show can keep its quality and not give in to being too commercial. A lot of shows end up getting watered down in order to get a bigger audience. I have a feeling this one won't. At least, I am crossing my fingers.
Description of The Venture Bros. - Season Two
An inspired spoof of 1960s action cartoons such as "Johnny Quest," The Venture Bros., follows the bizarre mis-adventures of Hank and Dean who believe themselves to be an unusually gifted team of "brains" and "braun" while actually possessing very little of either. The boys travel the world with their renowned scientist-father, Doctor Venture -- and treat even the most mundane situation as a bold new adventure. As a result, they often find themselves in danger with a host of oddball villains -- but rarely find their way out. The rely instead on their body-guard/undercover government agent Brock Sampson, voiced by Patrick Warburton of "The Tick" and "Seinfeld" fame, to save them.DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:on all episodes
Deleted Scenes
Other:Tour of Astro-base Go!
How do you launch a second season of a series when you concluded the previous one by murdering the title characters in cold blood? As is often the case on The Venture Bros., Adult Swim's hilariously funny poke at '60s adventure cartoons like Johnny Quest, the answer comes down to: weird science. It would be a crime to reveal how Hank and Dean Venture's beleaguered dad, Doc Venture (voiced by James Urbaniak) brings his hapless offspring back from the grave, but suffice it to say that the boys are back by the end of Episode One ("Powerless in the Face of Death") and making life miserable for their dad and bodyguard Brock Sampson (Patrick Warburton) shortly thereafter. But Team Venture's exploits share the spotlight this season with the misery of their main antagonist, the Monarch, who struggles to reclaim his lady love, Dr. Girlfriend (voiced by series co-creator Doc Hammer) from the suave Phantom Limb (also Urbaniak). Over the course of the sophomore season's thirteen episodes, the Monarch endures countless humiliations in the name of love (not the least of which is a disastrous double date with Dr. G and Limb in "Victor. Echo. November), while the Venture boys encounter countless historical figures (not the least of which is a thinly disguised Scooby-Doo and friends), screw up their own dates, and generally make a mess of things in their own cheerful but ridiculous ways. Meanwhile, the Ventures' neighbor, the overwrought Dr. Orpheus (Steven Ratazzi), also gets his own story arc, in which he re-assembles his "team" of vampire hunter Jackson Twilight and sexually ambiguous monk The Alchemist (voiced by Dana Snyder of Aqua Teen Hunger Force), with disastrous results. Exceptionally sharp writing that's rich with pop culture references and excellent voice performances make this series one of the smartest and funniest in Adult Swim's anarchic stable; here's hoping the network doesn't allow another two years to pass before they greenlight a third season.
The two-disc set offers raucous commentary by Hammer and co-creator Jackson Publick on all 13 episodes (Urbaniak and Michael Sinterniklaas, who voices Dean Venture, join them for several commentaries), as well as a barrage of deleted scenes from each story, and an amusing mock behind-the-scenes look at Astro-Base Go, the orbiting moon station where Hammer and Publick create the series with the help of SoulBot, a big-hearted robot which also lends its bloops and bleeps to the Ventures' mechanical assistant, H.E.L.P.E.R. Praise should also go to the exceptional packaging art and menu design (which feature Publick's character sketches), which evoke the series' retro feel with style. -- Paul Gaita
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