Uncle G’s FUN 420 Reviews: Two Cheech & Chong Projects (2013)

Cheech & Chong Animated Movie (2013 20th Century Fox)

Uncle G’s FUN Movie Reviews

April 20, 2016

Note: In honor of it being April 20th & always enjoying the humor of comedy legends Cheech & Chong, this is a reprint of review(s) published back in 2013.

Authored by: Gary “Uncle G” Brown on 05 May 2013

So after viewing this DVD four times, I’m ready to comment. Four times? Let me explain. In the wee hours of the 4th of May, I entered my neighborhood Walmart in search of medical relief. A few days before I was diagnosed with strep throat. Am taking antibiotics. For the fever, runny nose, sore throat symptoms, something over the counter. Compliment the real medicine my Doctor prescribed. Once securing that and while working my way over to the orange juice, I walked past the new Cheech & Chong flick / DVD; Cheech & Chong’s Animated Movie. Life should not totally suck when feeling under the weather. So along with the cold medicine, orange juice, and a box of snot rags, the kind with Aloe to help the nose from its overuse of being blown, I grabbed the second to last DVD available and made my way to the checkout counter.

Arriving home and while under the influence of…cold medicine…I laid up on the couch, and pressed play. Was so entertained at the end of it that when hitting special features, I decided to listen to all three bonus commentaries. The first one with the legendary comedians themselves; Cheech & Chong. Worth the price of admission, all by itself. May I point out that this is the legendary comedy duo reminiscing together in the year 2013. Semi-seriously discussing not only the movie but their careers together. Not only funny but fascinating. Learning the inner workings of what made all the pot/drug jokes so good to begin with.

Saying all that…I’m glad I don’t pay attention to movie reviews. If I did, I would have passed buying the newest Cheech & Chong product. What a shame that would have been. From reading how the animation sucks to the lack of new routines, the ratings are near the bottom of the ladder. I ask myself; I say Self…WTF? Plenty of reasons pop into my head. Let me spit out a couple:

01. The reviewers expect old-school animation. Every item is hand drawn like they did in the early days of Disney, and Warner Brothers. Guess what, it’s not. Still, looks as good as what we currently have on television; The Simpsons, or South Park. I think the overall look of Cheech & Chong’s Animated Movie totally fits the material. Quality is good enough to pause the picture and admire everything in that frame. When watching more than once, one notices items in the background they might not have seen the first time around. Sight gags. A sign awarding Dick Chaney Water-boarding Champion for several years running. In the same sketch, Tortured Old Man, on the wall in the background it reads in BIG letters; Helliburton. About two blocks up the road from me is a company called; Halliburton. A more modern reference than the original Nazi storyline. Summing up picture quality…seriously…looks fine to me. I might even use the word, outstanding. We’ll see a few paragraphs down if I do.

02. To say all this film consists of is OLD ROUTINES…duh….it’s a visual greatest hits depicting some of the best Cheech & Chong sketches ever assembled in one place. Every word said in the classic routines is preserved, the way it should be. Because of the decades that have gone by, there are certain words, locations, and even objects, like a payphone, that have departed our existence. Cool references to days gone by. Stoner’s are as a rule, not stupid. Just generally speaking. The under age 30 ones who watch this, are bright enough to use Internet search engines to look up whatever puzzles them. That or I suggest with them knowing this is the duo’s original routines, watch it with an older pothead so to ask questions to. So the backdrops may be more 21st century but done so without rewriting comedic/pop culture history. To me, the movie’s a very cool way to archive/preserve some of Cheech & Chong’s funniest bits. All details paid close attention to. A job well done by all involved.

As one views the movie, one grows in appreciation they have for the comedy duo. For example, every voice you hear in the sketches is theirs. The joke is they were too cheap to hire anyone. The beauty of it is that they were good enough to pull it off. Dialects from around the globe. All characters are done in a way to individualize and make them memorable. Add to that, Cheech & Chong wrote their own material. When on stage or film, they project the words further by acting out the scenes fans heard and envisioned, mostly while under the influence of their favorite substance; pot. Not Cheech & Tommy. Sure they admit to using at times, but both for decades have been into a healthy lifestyle, including going to the YMCA between gigs in the old days to work out. Comedy is a business folks. Both men into their seventies now. Still going strong from a reunion a few years back. This writer was lucky enough to see them twice in concert since the two started performing together again.

Uncle G’s Rating: Using the one to five lid system, I give Cheech & Chong’s Animated Movie, five lids. Trust me, that’s a lot of grass. If one lid, a stranger would come and steal it from you. So, way better than that. All 5 lids you would get to keep. Friends you knew, would bring strangers to help you smoke it. Like they were doing you a fucking favor. Tell them next time to at least bring beer and a hot pizza. Damn! In the marijuana community, there are plenty of cool people and then there are lots of moochers. Beware of that shit.

Joking aside, Cheech & Chong’s Animated Movie is a DVD that one will give repeated views/listens to. Sound-wise, it’s like playing the old albums but without having to hear the scratches and skips. Visually, straight or high as a kite, it catches and holds your attention. Oh yeah…I almost forgot; outstanding! A solid new product in the Cheech & Chong official products category.

Note: The film has a soundtrack as well. Contains original…NEW…material from Cheech & Chong.

Cheech & Chong Animated Movie Musical Soundtrack Album

Authored by: Gary “Uncle G” Brown on 23 Aug 2013

We’ll resume with the regularly scheduled program already in progress…
Oh ho, oh ho, oh ho ho ho
It’s Cheech & Chong time
Oh ho, oh ho, oh ho ho ho
It’s Cheech & Chong time

Instructions: Repeat the chorus and dance around like a fool. More fun in your underwear if listening to it within the confines of one’s own home.

Some of the coolest dudes to ever walk the planet man, are back; Cheech & Chong. And somehow they miraculously after decades of threatening to, found themselves in a recording studio with Lou Adler being one of the producers and made a new album. I’m in shock!!

For a couple decades, fans of Cheech & Chong hoped for a reunion. And then it happened. After that, rumors of new movies, and various other projects including performing in concert again (yours truly seeing them twice in recent years) and television appearances.

So what’s the deal Man? The official 411 is that this is a part of the new Cheech & Chong’s Animated Movie project. May I please introduce you to, the accompanying musical soundtrack album; Cheech & Chong’s Animated Movie !! Musical Soundtrack Album.

Check it out, Man. This is where the STUFF is. Includes NINE, count them NINE brand new songs (DON’T FREAK OUT) that are in essence NEW C & C sketches. So here it is mostly stoner folks who are reading this – word for word — after all this time has gone by…A BRAND NEW CHEECH & CHONG ALBUM. Now YOU can say it; Like WOW Man!!

Not to give everything away, but I will tell you the new material celebrates the old while making references to today’s twenty-first century world. It’s great hearing the old names/characters mentioned. Just as AWEsome is the guy’s new material. Put it all together and it’s an incredibly funny listening experience that begs for the repeat button to be hit once the disc stops playing.

Rating: Using the one to five bong rating system, your favorite “Uncle G” rates Cheech & Chong’s NEW comedy record; Cheech & Chong’s Animated Movie !! Musical Soundtrack Album, FIVE BONGS MAN !! “Uncle G” is TOTALLY blown away. The whole production is tight…job well done to ALL involved. It’s what you expect from Cheech & Chong, and that includes having HIGH expectations for like FOREVER Man.

End of Article

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