STREET DATE: JULY 25th
Official Synopsis:
The Boondocks is Aaron McGruder’s boundary-busting series based on his provocative comic strip. A breakout hit on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, it was nominated for a 2006 NAACP Image Award (Outstanding Comedy Series). When Robert "Granddad" Freeman becomes legal guardian to his two grandsons, he moves from the tough south side of Chicago to the upscale neighborhood of Woodcrest (aka "The Boondocks") so he can enjoy his golden years in safety and comfort. But with Huey, a ten-year-old leftist revolutionary, and his eight-year-old misfit brother, Riley, suburbia is about to be shaken up. Race relations, tabloid media, hip-hop culture, Santa Claus-nothing and no one is safe from these boyz 'n tha ‘hood. Featuring the voices of Regina King (Ray, Miss Congeniality 2), John Witherspoon (Soul Plane, Friday After Next), Mike Epps (Roll Bounce, Guess Who), and Charlie Murphy (Chappelle’s Show), The Boondocks: The Complete First Season presents all fifteen envelope-pushing episodes on three discs, uncut and uncensored with footage never shown on TV!
Our Take:
The Boondocks is the most twisted, subversive, outrageous, and offensive cartoon to come down the pike since the advent of South Park.
And I love it! Unlike South Park, The Boondocks is also brilliant, hilarious, well-written, and wickedly sharp. Rather than relying solely on foul language and potty humor to elicit laughs (although the show certainly fills its curse word quotient every episode, and then some), The Boondocks savagely lampoons black people, white people, pop culture, and society at large. It's probably one of the funniest shows I've seen in a long time.
It will also undoubtedly offend someone. Maybe even several someones. This is not a show for the faint of heart. Don't be taken in by the fact that it's a cartoon; the first episode alone features a full-frontal nudity shot of a grandfather, several hundred utterances of "The N-Word," and, oh yeah, a song about "The N-Word." If this sounds like something that MIGHT possibly offend you, take my word for it: it will. On the other hand, if you can revel in the satire and appreciate sheer brilliance when you see it, you should laugh your way through The Boondocks.
This inaugural DVD set includes all of the first season episodes, plus a nice collection of bonus features.
* Audio & Video Commentaries - Almost every episode has an audio commentary, and several have video commentaries in which you can see the participants in a split screen video. The commentaries are by creator Aaron McGruder, voice director Andrea Romano, visual director Lesean Thomas, and a few writers and producers. There are also a couple of audio commentaries by Uncle Ruckus, which are just ridiculously fun, in a wrong sort of way.
* The Boondocks: From Strip to Screen (20 minutes) - Creator McGruder talks about bringing the show to life.
* Deleted Scenes - Three deleted scenes, running about four minutes total.
* Animatics (10 minutes) - View storyboarded versions of certain scenes.
* Unaired Promos (4 minutes) - Pretty self-explanatory, I think.
I've always enjoyed the Boondocks comic strip, but I was unsure how it would translate to an animated medium. Imagine my surprise when I realized that it's even funnier on television than it is in the newspaper. Plain and simple: The Boondocks rocks!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Overall Picture:
Show: A
DVD: A-
- Mike Spring
Editor
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