Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Darkside – Review

FGSW

The cast of Family Guy returns for another round of intergalactic lunacy in the second installment of their Star Wars parody episodes. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is the target of gag after gag as Seth
MacFarlane and his merry band lampoon and satirize one of the world’s most successful film franchises.

Plus, it helps to have Lucas’s blessing over the project.

This is funny stuff. I had the opportunity to see an advanced screening on the FOX lot last week, and was very happy and entertained by what I saw. It should be noted that this particular special will not initially air on TV like Blue Harvest did.

Something, Something, Something, Darkside will be exclusive to DVD and Blu-ray on December 22, 2009. I’m sure eventually either FOX or Adult Swim will air it, but no airdate has been officially announced.

The hour-long episode follows the same storyline as the real Empire Strikes Back, but there are plenty of jokes, sight gags, cameos, and other crazy moments to offer up a fair share of laughs. I would say that about 98% of the jokes work; the other 2% were either not executed well, or I didn’t get the references.

All the major players in the Family Guy universe are utilized in this second installment (yes, even Meg), and all of their choices for who they play in the Star Wars world are pitch perfect. Look for Lois’s father Carter Pewterschmidt, Mort Goldman, Joe Swanson, and Peter’s nemesis, the Giant Chicken who join Peter, Lois, Chris, Stewie, and Brian for this comedic outing.

I was concerned about their choice for Yoda, and even though I still believe they could have cast a better character (Joe Swanson? Tom Tucker? Neil Goldman?) I was still moderately pleased with the results (their casting choice makes up 1% of my problem with the special). I know, I know, who am I to nitpick? But once you watch the special, leave a comment and let me know if they chose wisely, or could have done a better job at casting Yoda.

Something, Something, Something, Darkside is hilarious, fun, and uncensored, which is one of the best reasons to see Family Guy on DVD. Even though the censors let a lot by, it’s still nice to hear jokes and comments unbleeped.

If you are a Family Guy fan, I highly recommend you put this on you Christmas Wish List (there will still be time). If you are a Star Wars enthusiast and enjoyed Blue Harvest, you’ll more than likely get a kick out of this homage to Episode V. There’s a lot to enjoy and laugh at in Something, Something, Something, Darkside. A definite must-see!

On DVD and Blu-ray December 22, 2009!

One thought on “Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Darkside – Review”

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.