DVD Review: Family Guy – Blue Harvest

Imagine being part of an unabashed pop culture animated television show, and having the opportunity to pay tribute to perhaps the biggest pop culture icon of the last forty years.

The Family Guy team has done just that in a two hour show, Blue Harvest, presenting a retelling of Star Wars, the likes of which we have never seen. The set up for the story occurs with a power failure which forces the family to have to rely on storytelling for the evening’s entertainment. Peter begins the familiar saga of the rebel forces, the death star, Luke and Leia, Han Solo and The Force, but is soon adding bits in the typical Family Guy style giving characters and dialog crazy twists and abandoning any thought of political correctness.

There are clever sight gags, and beautifully rendered animation, the viewer chuckles as the blueprint for the Death Star appears to resemble the Mall….hey isn’t that a Lady Footlocker on level two? When characters use the elevators, various Star War themes are played in fine elevator music style, something that is disturbingly familiar! Select elements of the comedy are groan producing, and lines at times are shockingly blunt or rude. There are however, many moments that are ridiculously silly and can stir a hearty laugh. It is obvious that the team adores Star Wars and has made this show with great enthusiasm and care. Family Guy Blue Harvest is presented in widescreen format on a single disc, with a running time of just under an hour for the feature. The specials on this DVD are plentiful and most interesting. There is a film commentary with the entire team Seth MacFarlane, Patrick Clark, Mike Elias, David Goodman, Joseph Lee, Dominic Polcine, Danny Smith, Alec Sulkin, and Kara Vallow. These people have a great deal of fun talking about their work, and the laughter is contagious, as the viewer gains insight into the production. “A Conversation With George” is a conversation with George Lucas, who is a great sport about this project, and adds a lot of fun to the interview. The Animatic Version of the film is included, which is an animation of the drawings into a film that is predecessor to the finished product. “Once In a Lifetime: The Making of Blue Harvest” featurette is a fascinating look at the process behind the film. So many of the team express the fact that Star Wars was a huge influence in their lives, and even their choices of careers, and how they turn time and again to Star Wars inspirations. This showcases the devotion of the Family Guy team to Star Wars and their commitment to this film, making it something beyond the ordinary show. The Family Guy Star Wars Clip Show is a compilation of all the Star War references through out the series, and is laugh provoking.

With humor that runs from very funny to extremely crude, and language that is unabashed, this may not be everyone’s idea of comedy. Star Wars fans will probably go along with George Lucas in enjoying the creativity of the project and the obvious tribute to the original. Family Guy – Blue Harvest is now available at Amazon. It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a Jan. 21st release. Visit the DVD database for more information.