Hey folks, Valkor here. Love it or hate it, the animated series "Family Guy" is pretty much here to stay. It's been through its ups and downs. And fans, such as myself, have kept it afloat and the series hasn't stopped bringing the funny. In 2007 Seth MacFarlane and crew took on an ambitious task of parodying the first Star Wars Film entitled "Family Guy: Blue Harvest". The show was well received, which left it open to a sequel. In 2009 "Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side" was released and again met with praise, especially from yours truly. So imagine my surprise when I rummage through my daily packages, to find a copy of Seth's latest Family Guy/Star Wars outing – "Family Guy: It's a Trap", which is a spoof of the final film "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi". Does this new film match the laughs of the previous?
Family Guy: It's a Trap begins with Luke (Chris Griffin), Leia (Lois Griffin), and Lando Calrissian (Mort the Jew) as they attempt to rescue Han (Peter) from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt (Joe Swanson). And if you know the original it's based on, you'll know they succeed. The troop split up with Luke going back to Degobah to complete his training, however Yoda (Carl the Mini Mart owner) tells him that his training is finished and that there's another Skywalker. Luke returns to his group, in the midst of a rebel meeting, which would see an attack on the second Death Star, lead by Admiral Akbar (Claus the goldfish from American Dad), while a second group would head to Endor to take down the shield generator. Of course this introduces us to the Ewoks and also Wicket (played by Tim the Bear from The Cleveland show). Luke sets off to meet with his father Darth Vader (Played by Stewie Griffin), who turns him over to the Dark Emperor (Carter Pewterschmidt). Long story short, Luke doesn't turn, Emperor dies, Vader dies, Death Star gets blown up, Rebels win, happy ending. I mean if you know the ROTJ story, this film was meant for you.
Other key highlights include:
- Consuela the maid makes a voice cameo "Missa Jabba no home"
- Meg plays the Sarlacc monster.
- The Ragnarok is performed by Rush Limbaugh.
- Peter gets tired of all the cutesie crap in Jedi and lets loose his "dark side"
- C-3PO doesn't tell the rebel story to the Ewoks, rather he tells the story of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air"
- Luke is nearly turned to the dark side not by the attack on his friends, but the fact they make fun of the person who voices his character.
- You get a snippet from the Disco Star Wars soundtrack as the Death Star goes into "Glitter Ball" mode.
- The funniest line in the film is when Han asks Lois to the Ewok Celebration. She agrees and Han says "And Save the Yub Nub for me. Come to think of it, you can shave your Yub Nub for me too" LULZ.
Of course I skimmed a lot of detail here; we still get the signature asides/flashbacks and loads of cameos from the cast of Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show. Of course the show opens with the blackout and ends with the family rippin on not only Seth Green, but getting in some jabs at Seth MacFarlane as well.
The Good:
The conclusion to the Family Guy/ Star Wars saga "It's a Trap" has to be the best in the trilogy – it's way funny and packed with much more action than the previous films. The jokes start out strong, and then things kinda peter out a bit in the middle, but then closes for a strong, hilarious finish. "It's a Trap" is a spot on perfect parody of the film it's based on, nailing all the key events of the film, sprinkling throughout that Seth MacFarlane humor. The cameos were a nice touch and I enjoyed the appearances from the other Seth toons; I especially enjoyed one obscure appearance by the laughing Ostrich (ha-haaaa). Of course I can't forget Rollo (The Cleveland Show) for his appearance as wingman to Lando in the Falcon, but I cannot forget one sweet cameo from one Peewee Herman (I don't think it was really his voice). The pacing of the film is spot on perfect; even though the show is an hour long, it'll feel like the shortest hour you've ever sat through. Finally the animation is ten times better than the previous films, particularly the CGI. Great job Seth and Team.
The Bad:
Though a lot of the jokes were a hit, there were some misses like C-3PO's airline joke, the "giving the signal" nod at the beginning, and the speeder bike chase scene on ten speeds – loved the action, just hated that they were on ten speeds.
The Ugly:
Meg as the Sarlacc.
Family Guy: It's a Trap hits the shelves on DVD and Blu Ray on Dec. 21, just in time for Christmas and you'll definitely want to pick up a copy, especially if you're a fan of both the series and the films. It's loaded with laughs, tons of action, and a great ending to a great series of parodies. Out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving "Family Guy: It's a Trap" a 4.5 and it's been Valkor tested, TOV Approved.
