Honestly, the most disheartening thing about "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return"- the long-awaited revival of what might be the greatest cult-series of all time, is that the floodgate has opened for comparison. It's almost impossible not to think about the old seasons while you watch it. And because that original run throughout the 80's and 90's is so beloved... there's going to be a lot of people who can't (or won't) give the new episodes the credit they deserve, just because well... they're new. I can definitely see some of the hardcore fans feeling uncomfortable with it and nit-picking it to death.
Which is really a shame, because if you can get over the minor flaws that pop up now and then, it's just about as perfect a continuation as is possible. It has that same delightfully kitschy homemade quality. The same delightful sense of self-awareness. And the same brilliantly hilarious and hilariously brilliant "riffing" that made the original such a classic. Sure, there's some hiccups here and there, but for the most part "The Return" is absolutely fantastic and captures the spirit of the original.
It's been almost 20 years since the Satellite of Love last drifted the far reaches of space, and in the meantime a new villain has risen- Kinga Forrester (Felicia Day), who has decided to resume the experiment known as "Mystery Science Theater 3000" along with the help of hapless sidekick Max (Patton Oswalt), also known as "TV's Son of TV's Frank." Together, they kidnap Gizmonic Institute pilot Jonah Heston (Jonah Ray) and trap him along with the classic gang of "robot friends" (including of course Tom Servo, Gypsy and Crow) on a new S.o.L. on the Dark Side of the Moon, where they will be forced to watch a slew of terrible movies... all the while joking and riffing along with them to pass the time.
In a lot of ways, it's almost as if the series never really left. After a short prologue sequence in the "pilot" that sets up the new story and characters, the show gets right back to what the original did so best- showcasing some of the best of the worst bad B-movies of yesteryear, while poking fun at them through clever jokes and riffs. Mixed in are short skits (including a number of infectiously charming musical sequences) where Jonah, Day, Oswalt and the 'bots have some on- screen fun, along with amusing new "commercial bumpers" for the non- existent commercials.
Series creator and original host Joel Hodgson returns as a producer, and in many ways, this series seems to capture the same sort-of laid back and quirky tone of his original run on the series before his departure. From the inclusion of the "invention exchange" to the fact that much like Joel, our new host Jonah seems to take everything in stride, it feels like a slightly beefed up and somewhat higher- budget rendition of early MST... which I personally love as a fan of those first few seasons. They also cleverly maintain the same no-budget homemade "look" of the original without pushing it too far or holding back too much. It's a fine balance that Hodgson and the rest of the creative team have, but they always walk the line perfectly.
The new cast is just splendid and really get "into" the vibe and spirit of the series. I quite love Jonah Ray as the new host, and in a lot of ways he captures the best of both the Joel and Mike Nelson "eras" of the original series. He has Joel's casual attitude, with a touch of Mike's higher energy and broader humor. He's just great, and it's clear from the very first scene that Ray's loving his job. His wide-eyed excitement is all too often infectious, and he's just a joy. Day and Oswalt are both a blast and a half as the new "Mads" (respectively the offspring of Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank) and have great chemistry together... in addition to a lot of nerd-cred that I enjoyed. And even though they are controversial... I love the new voices for the robot friends. Story goes they decided to recast with new voice-over artists that Jonah had worked with in the past to aid in their chemistry, and I think it works very well. Baron Vaughn and Hampton Yount both capture the essence of Servo and Crow to perfection, and even though it's jarring to hear an actual woman's voice coming from Gypsy, Rebecca Hanson does well with the role.
Really, the only complaints I have are so minor that they're almost completely negligible in the grander scheme of things. And it mainly pertains to the fact that the show takes a few episodes to reach its stride. The first three or so episodes do have the occasional odd skit that falls flat, or moments where the riffing is overdone to the point of feeling inorganic. And some of the recurring gags can wear a little thin. (They really love their jokes about Fudgy the Whale in the first two episodes...) But those are only small moments in otherwise very entertaining episodes. And they can't pull the series down that much for me.
I understand that some people aren't going to like Jonah. I understand that some people won't be able to get over the new voices for the 'bots. And I understand that some people will just not particularly like the humor as much as they once did. But to me? This feels like classic "MST3K." And I love it. It's just about perfect, and I hope that this signals the start of a new run, and that we'll be seeing the Satellite of Love for years to come. I've missed you, "MST3K." And I'm beyond thrilled that you're finally back!
A fantastic 9 out of 10.
Which is really a shame, because if you can get over the minor flaws that pop up now and then, it's just about as perfect a continuation as is possible. It has that same delightfully kitschy homemade quality. The same delightful sense of self-awareness. And the same brilliantly hilarious and hilariously brilliant "riffing" that made the original such a classic. Sure, there's some hiccups here and there, but for the most part "The Return" is absolutely fantastic and captures the spirit of the original.
It's been almost 20 years since the Satellite of Love last drifted the far reaches of space, and in the meantime a new villain has risen- Kinga Forrester (Felicia Day), who has decided to resume the experiment known as "Mystery Science Theater 3000" along with the help of hapless sidekick Max (Patton Oswalt), also known as "TV's Son of TV's Frank." Together, they kidnap Gizmonic Institute pilot Jonah Heston (Jonah Ray) and trap him along with the classic gang of "robot friends" (including of course Tom Servo, Gypsy and Crow) on a new S.o.L. on the Dark Side of the Moon, where they will be forced to watch a slew of terrible movies... all the while joking and riffing along with them to pass the time.
In a lot of ways, it's almost as if the series never really left. After a short prologue sequence in the "pilot" that sets up the new story and characters, the show gets right back to what the original did so best- showcasing some of the best of the worst bad B-movies of yesteryear, while poking fun at them through clever jokes and riffs. Mixed in are short skits (including a number of infectiously charming musical sequences) where Jonah, Day, Oswalt and the 'bots have some on- screen fun, along with amusing new "commercial bumpers" for the non- existent commercials.
Series creator and original host Joel Hodgson returns as a producer, and in many ways, this series seems to capture the same sort-of laid back and quirky tone of his original run on the series before his departure. From the inclusion of the "invention exchange" to the fact that much like Joel, our new host Jonah seems to take everything in stride, it feels like a slightly beefed up and somewhat higher- budget rendition of early MST... which I personally love as a fan of those first few seasons. They also cleverly maintain the same no-budget homemade "look" of the original without pushing it too far or holding back too much. It's a fine balance that Hodgson and the rest of the creative team have, but they always walk the line perfectly.
The new cast is just splendid and really get "into" the vibe and spirit of the series. I quite love Jonah Ray as the new host, and in a lot of ways he captures the best of both the Joel and Mike Nelson "eras" of the original series. He has Joel's casual attitude, with a touch of Mike's higher energy and broader humor. He's just great, and it's clear from the very first scene that Ray's loving his job. His wide-eyed excitement is all too often infectious, and he's just a joy. Day and Oswalt are both a blast and a half as the new "Mads" (respectively the offspring of Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank) and have great chemistry together... in addition to a lot of nerd-cred that I enjoyed. And even though they are controversial... I love the new voices for the robot friends. Story goes they decided to recast with new voice-over artists that Jonah had worked with in the past to aid in their chemistry, and I think it works very well. Baron Vaughn and Hampton Yount both capture the essence of Servo and Crow to perfection, and even though it's jarring to hear an actual woman's voice coming from Gypsy, Rebecca Hanson does well with the role.
Really, the only complaints I have are so minor that they're almost completely negligible in the grander scheme of things. And it mainly pertains to the fact that the show takes a few episodes to reach its stride. The first three or so episodes do have the occasional odd skit that falls flat, or moments where the riffing is overdone to the point of feeling inorganic. And some of the recurring gags can wear a little thin. (They really love their jokes about Fudgy the Whale in the first two episodes...) But those are only small moments in otherwise very entertaining episodes. And they can't pull the series down that much for me.
I understand that some people aren't going to like Jonah. I understand that some people won't be able to get over the new voices for the 'bots. And I understand that some people will just not particularly like the humor as much as they once did. But to me? This feels like classic "MST3K." And I love it. It's just about perfect, and I hope that this signals the start of a new run, and that we'll be seeing the Satellite of Love for years to come. I've missed you, "MST3K." And I'm beyond thrilled that you're finally back!
A fantastic 9 out of 10.