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Regular Show: Fright Pack (2010-2013)

Studio:  Cartoon Network

DVD Release: September 3, 2013

Series Creator:  J. G. Quintel

Rating:  Not Rated

Reviewed By James M. Dubs

My son is too young to keep me informed of what's considered relevant in pop culture and I'm probably too old to be considered cool by the pre-teen and teenage nation.  So it's not surprising that J. G. Quintel's Regular Show would have been completely off my radar.  To say that "I have no idea WTF is going on" would be a major understatement.

Set to begin its 5th season on Cartoon Network Monday, September 2, 2013, I jumped into the Regular Show: Fright Pack head first, not prepared for what I was about to encounter.

Show [Rating: 4]
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For those of you already familiar with this show, feel free to skip ahead to my final comments, because most of what I have to say will be nothing new to you.  For the rest of my audience, this show is simply nuts.  Quirky, bizarre, ridiculous, zany, unconventional, eccentric...  Should I go on?  I'll admit to being a little shell shocked through the first few episodes as my brain came to terms with what it was experiencing.

This DVD includes a collection of the show's "terror-ific" tales from the first four seasons.  The specific episodes included are:

  1. Terror Tales of the Park

  2. Terror Tales of the Park II

  3. Dead at Eight

  4. Jinx

  5. Grave Sights

  6. Ello Gov’nor

  7. Death Bear

  8. Skunked

  9. See You There

  10. Meat Your Maker

  11. The Best VHS in the World

  12. Dizzy

  13. Last Meal

  14. Skips’ Stress

It would be easy to simply dismiss the show as strange and switch off.  However, to do so would be a disservice to the show and its creators.  It wasn't apparently clear to me at first, because this collection of episodes doesn't dabble in back-story to get you caught up on what is going on.  However, after watching several episodes it finally occurred to me that the ensemble are all misfit groundskeepers of a park represented by...well...literal misfits.  After all, the cast of characters include Mordecai (a human sized, talking blue jay), Rigby (Mordecai's irresponsible, raccoon roommate), Muscle Man (an obese green man reminiscent of Frankenstein's Monster), Hi-Five (a ghost with a hand sticking out of his head), Skips (a large, white Yeti who skips everywhere), Pops (the inept, human-like, lollipop man), and Benson (a walking, talking gumball machine).

Once you get beyond the nonsensical nature of the characters and allow your brain to simply take in the experience, what you're left with is one very funny show.  What's also worth noting is that the episodes may be strange but there is nothing overtly offensive about the characters or situations.  Most of the episodes center around the two main characters of Mordecai and Rigby who end up in absurd circumstances, typically by their own creation and folly.  The characters aren't role models and the worst parents may have to worry about are a few bad habits that the kids pick up.  But if you'll allow me to stand on my soap box for a minute, that's not the Cartoon Network's problem.  If your kid can't handle this show then the parents need to turn it off.

Sorry.  Things got serious there for a second.  I'll cut to the chase.  I loved this show, and I feel a little embarrassed that I didn't know about it sooner.  How could four seasons pass me by without my knowledge?  Oh yeah, I've passed the "cool threshold" and now require teenage guidance to keep me relevant.  Sigh...

Granted, I don't think Regular Show is for everyone and I don't see myself bringing it up in conversation with my drinking buddies.  However, if you have a sense of humor that leans a little to the side of normal, you won't be disappointed with this collection.

Video & Audio [Rating: 4]
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The video is presented in its original broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1.  Audio is in standard English Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0.  Subtitles are also in English.

Extras [Rating: 0.5]
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The only bonus is a "Villains Gallery" which offers a brief back-story to each of the villains showcased in the collection.

Overall [Rating: 3.5]
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Fans of Regular Show will find nothing new here.  If you don't mind the inevitable double dip, the only incentive for fans is getting your hands on some of these episodes before the eventual Season 3 and 4 Blu-ray/DVD release.  For the rest of us, Regular Show: Fright Pack succeeds in offering a collection of "spooktacular" episodes that serve to both introduce us to a very funny show and help grow the fan base.  I hate to admit when I've been so easily manipulated, but I'll be adding Regular Show to my regular TV line-up.  I have to go now.  I have four whole seasons to catch up on...

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