Day Sixty-six - Bob's Burgers: Pilot - Human Flesh, or "I see potential here... crass, crude potential."

I think H. Jon Benjamin can be hit or miss for me. I sort of like Archer, but for the most part could take it or leave it. Bob's Burgers, his other acting gig in animation right now, is a bit more palatable, maybe because while burger joint patriarch Bob can be a bit of a tool, he never quite rises to the detestable levels of the superspy everyone loves to hate, Archer.

That's not to say Bob's Burgers can't be as crude and tasteless as Archer (or Family Guy, for that matter), but it manages to reel in the horror with endearing family comedy.

Or, at least, that's the case with the pilot.

To be honest, I'd been staying away from Fox's animation line-up (aside from Futurama) mainly because of, well, how they handled Futurama (and Firefly). Family Guy ceased being entertaining pretty much immediately and is probably the main reason I can only digest Seth MacFarlane when he guests on Robot Chicken.

Then I saw a brief short from a recent episode of Bob's Burgers that someone had posted on Reddit and I was thoroughly intrigued.

The pilot never quite reaches what I was expecting from the brief clip, but it was still pretty enjoyable. Whether it's the casual irreverence of the children or how Bob tries to be both a father and a businessman and fails miserably, it's pretty funny stuff. Maybe not laugh out loud funny, but certainly better than what I tend to get from the casual riffs that Family Guy throws at the audience.

I think the stand out for me, though, is Kristen Schaal who plays Bob's younger daughter Louise. Pretty much every line she is given ends up with me being extremely entertained. Louise is a holy terror of a child, even more so than the Bart Simpson-esque son, Gene (played by Eugene Mirman). If you could make the show about Louise, I'd probably be happy... in the same way that the rest of America probably feels about Stewie on Family Guy.

How weird is it, that I detest Family Guy but like Bob's Burgers for similar reasons that most folks have in regards to the former?

Weaknesses?

Well, the main plot arc about wife Linda's ex being the health inspector trying to ruin the family business out of spite is more than a bit weak and probably could've been saved for a non-pilot episode. You really need to bring the big guns in a pilot and this felt like a clip full of blanks whenever Louise wasn't on screen.

And, to be honest, Linda as a character just doesn't thrill me. Maybe it's just John Roberts getting used to the character, but I could've easily gone the whole episode without her. 

Anyway, I'll definitely be giving Bob's Burgers a shot now. Only the first season is currently on Netflix, but that's okay. It's not like I'm lacking in other things to watch when I run out of episodes. I'll just keep hoping for more Louise wackyness... even though it kind of makes me feel dirty, thanks to the whole Stewie/Family Guy comparison.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Five - Butter, or "Wow. Shockingly Good Cinema About Sweetened Lard."

Watching the trailer for Butter quite a few months back, I knew that I really wanted to see the film, but I've been burned by seductive trailers before. That is the often broken promise given to us by marketing departments in studio after studio. The trailer is there just to get your butt in the seat and that's all, so lies and deception are almost expected whole-heartedly.

Still... the trailer for Butter gave me hope... and, oddly enough, it delivered on most of it's promises.

One of said promises was Olivia Wilde. Pretty much any role she chooses to play, I'll be there to watch if given the opportunity. I am an utterly unashamed fanboy of hers thanks to House and Tron:Legacy.

The other of said promises was actual thoughtful comedy. It's not highbrow or anything. You don't have to have a degree in standup or The Complete Works of Woody Allen and Mel Brooks (No Relation), but it's also doesn't "pander to the lowest common something or other." There are biting, if obvious, jabs at both the left and the right... even if you can tell which way the overall slant is.

This is all not to say that it doesn't have it's flaws. The premise is silly, but not ridiculous enough to wash away how uncomfortably real it all is. I mean, with something like The Campaign or The Hangover, there's a certain amount of incredulity that makes those films more palatable. It's also just a bit too ridiculous to maintain the warmth and relatability of films like Grumpy Old Men. Butter sits somewhere in the middle, and in doing so, is caught between two ideals... not serving either very well.

Maybe that's too harsh. Maybe Butter is it's own thing and should be judged as such, but this is the way I feel.

In any case, very solid (if mellow) performances by many of the folks involved, including: Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry, Ty Burrell, Kristen Schall, and Phyllis Smith. I say (in parenths) that they're mellow due to the fact that even Rob Corddy's much deserved meltdown is pretty tame.

Also, I've seen Jennifer Garner is this character before. She does a good job, don't get me wrong, but it feels old hat.

I think my main disappointment was also my original draw to the film. Olivia. It's not that she didn't bring it, it's just that there wasn't exactly all that much to bring. She didn't have really enough to work with, and her brief interactions needed expanding for her character to have more worth other than just a convenient foil. It just didn't feel like she had enough skin in the game (ironic, considering she's a stripper here) for her to really care all that much and do the things she does, especially towards the end of the film.

It would be unfair not to give props to relative newcomer Yara Shahidi, who plays butter sculptor Destiny and has worked mostly television before this. She trades off narration duties with Ms.Garner over the length of the film and her commentary is a nice offset to the stereotyped Mama Grizzly character of her opponent.

All in all, Butter is a pretty solid flick. Perhaps a little too overzealous with the cracks at the Christian Right and not the best film I've seen all year, but certainly pretty safe.

Not quite gripping satire, not quite heartwarming slice-of-life, it's a fairly tame, yet still pleasingly entertaining. I definitely recommend it, even through its flaws.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~