Boondocks : Season 1

Description

Product Description Short Synopsis: Popular, top-rated series based on Aaron McGruder's award-winning comic strip! Join Huey, a ten-year-old leftist revolutionary, and his eight-year-old misfit brother, Riley, as they leave the rough Chicago south side for the relative peacefulness of the suburbs. Although the boys torture each other and provoke the neighborhood, they are still no match for Granddad, who is eccentri desertcart.com Based on cartoonist Aaron McGruder's politically charged daily comic strip, The Boondocks brings no-holds-barred social commentary and comedy to the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming, and now, all 15 episodes of the 2005-2006 debut season are available in an uncut and uncensored format in this three-disc set. As with McGruder's strip, the animated version of The Boondocks uses a fish-out-of-water format--10-year-old revolutionary-in-training Huey Freeman (voiced by Regina King), his 8-year-old brother Riley (also King), and their salty Granddad (John Witherspoon) relocate to an upscale suburban neighborhood--to take aim at all manner of cultural issues in both the black and white communities. Targets sighted in these episodes include singer R. Kelly's bedroom shenanigans ("The Trial of R. Kelly"); gangsta rap ("The Story of Gangstalicious," which includes a wicked spoof of the documentary Tupac: Resurrection); Oprah Winfrey (who is almost kidnapped by Riley in "Let's Nab Oprah"); and Martin Luther King, who revives from a coma to be branded a terrorist in "Return of the King," which generated plenty of heat from the Rev. Al Sharpton upon its broadcast. All of the above topics are handled in a decidedly less-than-respectful and occasionally offensive manner, though exactly who will find The Boondocks scandalous and who will find its approach fearless and on the money will depend on the viewer. But there's no arguing that the show is frequently as funny as McGruder's comic. Extras include audio and video commentary by McGruder and the production staff (as well as commentaries by the character Uncle Ruckus, Granddad's thoroughly unhinged friend whose fixation on a White Jesus is tackled in the season closer, "The Passion of Ruckus"), as well as deleted scenes, some unaired Adult Swim promo spots, and a behind-the-scenes featurette that addresses the show's conception and production. --Paul Gaita Review: Worth every penny - Huey Freeman is angry. And can you blame him? As a ten-year-old aspiring black revolutionary living in the almost entirely white suburb of Woodcrest with his stern, authoritarian grandfather and his thug-worshipping younger brother Riley after relocating from Chicago's tough South Side, Huey is faced with the grim realities of both white condescension and black ignorance as he tries to call to light the truths people would rather not face. In the opening scene of The Boondocks, Aaron McGruder's confrontational, profane, and brilliantly satirical adaptation of his comic strip, Huey envisions himself inciting a riot at an all-white garden party by reporting some unpleasant truths (at least in his mind) about Jesus, Ronald Reagan, and 9/11, but when he actually gets a chance to do so he merely finds himself praised for being "articulate." And when he tries to bring his vision of a black Jesus to the masses via his school Christmas play (with some help from Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, and Quincy Jones), his work becomes the target of a boycott by parents angry at the exclusion of their children. Not to mention, he has to watch a race-baiting white laywer exploit black-white divisions to get R. Kelly off on underage peeing charges, and witness two wanna-be master criminals exploiting wartime paranoia to rob a store when he just wants to get his friend out of jail. All in all, Huey faces un uphill climb in his quest to shake a comfortable populace out of its complacency. Huey's attempts at fomenting revolution, however, are just the tip of the iceberg in The Boondocks, which presents viewers with a mix of the political, social, philosophical and sentimental that I have yet to see in animated TV. It comes along at just the right time, too, as many cartoon giants have come to feel increasingly calcified: South Park, while still a frequently brilliant show, has become increasingly reliant on excessive toilet humor and often contrived topicality; The Simpsons ran out of ideas about eight years ago; and the "revived" Family Guy has become a lazy, unfunny mockery of its former self, weighed down by interminable, punch line-less "jokes" and rapid-fire successions of random, context-free pop culture references. Viewed in this context, the Boondocks feels refreshingly raw, witty, and character-driven in its approach; and more importantly, it's frequently, gut-busting hilarious regardless of whether you're always in agreement with its subversive viewpoint or whether you approve of its near-constant use of the N-word among other choice terms. There are some overtly topical episodes-taking incisive aim at such subjects at hip-hop culture (The Story of Gangstalicious); the legacy of the civil rights movement and the post-9/11 closing of the American Mind (The Return of the King); and traditional attitudes regarding Christmas (A Huey Freeman Christmas)-but they never diminish the episodes as vehicles for telling stories or exploring characters. Some of the best episodes are actually more personal and familial than political-in Riley Wuz Here, Huey's ignorant younger brother explores his artistic side with the help of a kindly but insane gun-toting art-teacher, while Wingmen sees both Huey and Granddad confronting figures from their pasts in a return to their old neighborhood for the funeral of Granddad's friend. And throughout, there's the show's examination of the generation gap and the dynamics of a decidedly atypical family, as we frequently see the size of the gulf between Huey, Riley, and their old-school, tough-loving grandfather. The voice acting is top-to-bottom terrific, starting with Regina King, who deserves special props for taking on double duty by performing the roles of both Huey and Riley (most impressively, I heard that she read all her Huey lines and all her Riley lines separately, no small task considering how different the voices are and how frequently she has to act against herself). In the other principal role, John Witherspoon is suitably grizzled and cantankerous as Granddad, while Gary Anthony Williams (aka Stevie's father from Malcolm in the Middle) is hilariously over the top as Uncle Ruckus, an elderly Uncle Tom with a freakishly large right eye who in one episode actually turns his hatred of his own people into a religion. An array of one-off and recurring guest stars including Adam West (R. Kelly's slimy lawyer), Ed Asner (rapacious capitalist Ed Wuncler), Charlie Murphy (inept criminal and George W. Bush mockup Ed Wuncler III) and Samuel L. Jackson (Ed III's partner in crime and Donald Rumsfeld caricature Gin Rummy) helps expand the show's stable of memorable characters even more, bringing it close to prime-era Simpsons in terms of creating a far-reaching and (somewhat) lifelike make-believe world. Where the Boondocks really outshines much of its competition, though, is its appearance. Simply put, this show looks incredible: rich, colorful, and expressive it a way most animation scarcely approaches. Owing a heavy debt to Japanese anime, especially in its occasional, but brilliantly shot, fight scenes, The Boondocks far surpasses the likes of Family Guy and South Park in its attention to detail, be it the astonishingly lifelike background scenery or the intimate (if not always pleasant) details of its characters' appearances. Hell, Huey's afro and Uncle Ruckus's oversized eye alone are practically worth the price of the DVD set. Along with the 15 episodes on these discs, the season one DVD set is laden with the kind of time-wasting extras hardcore fans crave: several insightful commentaries (plus two not-so-insightful ones with Uncle Ruckus, which are just plain funny), animatics, three deleted scenes (all of them hilarious), and a 20-minute featurette, heavy on McGruder's commentary, regarding the process of bringing his vision to the screen. In all, this season set is more than worth the price for those in the mood for a departure from the animated-TV norm. Review: Can't Deny A Perfect Series - Yes, Yes, and Yes I have waited for this DVD and I think everyone should be just as happy as me. The Boondocks is everything it looks to be and more. It goes with its comedy and Aaron Mcgruder goes even further with his take on today's government and today's society. If you don't already know the comic strip the Boondocks is about a nice grandfather (John Witherspoon) stepping up to take care of his grandkids so he moves them from the city to the suburbs. As soon as you start watching the series you'll notice he's not really a nice grandfather. He's got a short temper, a dirty mouth, and hates it when somebody drinks all his orange juice. Now Huey and Riley are two very interesting kids, Riley is a big follower but a leader at the same time. He chooses to go the opposite way in life than Huey but at the same time he follows the stereotypes while Huey is trying to destroy that cycle. The amazing characters definitely make this series what it is especially Ruckus who is given a name that fits his demeanor. I have never met a person so racist towards their own people the way Ruckus is and though that might sound crazy to some he is actually hilarious. He really reminds you of Clayton Bigsby from Chappelle's show. Thank goodness Adult Swim picked up this series because anywhere else it would have been canceled by now. Aaron uses an outstanding set of characters to put across messages and he assigns that power to Huey Freeman. Sometimes no matter how serious Huey tries to be you can't help but laugh at the things he does. He's a strong little man with a much different style than most 10 year olds you know. If you think the scene from the preview at the Garden Party when Huey gets on stage and makes an unforgettable announcement was funny wait till you see what else he's got for you. A great thing about this series is that it stays true to the comic strip and Mcgruder is allowed to go crazier than he does in the strip. If you ask me this show is exactly what we need, not only to give a few laughs but also to show what is being ignored. I think Mcgruder is absolutely right about R Kelly and somebody needed to say it again. Mcgruder's sketch on Martin Luther King and how he feels about what's going on with the youth is interesting and is probably accurate. Guest appearances kill and give the series that extra something especially Mike Epps when he plays Granddads old buddy that he absolutely hates. The series is unique and hilarious and no lie the more you see it the more you love it and I can't wait for season 2.