Copper kettles, woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with string...

Robot Chicken: Star Wars


Speaking of Robot Chicken (and yes, that is a shameless plug for my recent post), their Star Wars specials are well worth seeing. True, it seems as if everybody and their agent has done some sort of homage to the sci-fi titan (Jennifer Aniston does Princess Leia on Friends! Family Guy goes all Blue Harvest in their “very special” Star Wars, um, special, etc. etc.), but Robot Chicken’s material is solid stuff.

I’ll be honest, I think that the TV show Robot Chicken, an Adult Swim stop-motion animation show (think Creature Comforts but with action figures and, hem, phrasing appropriate for its late-night time slot), can be hit or miss. Even though co-creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich certainly seem like they’re having a lot of fun creating each 15 minute episode, with the help of their various writers, crew members, and celebrity guest voices.

Fortunately, though, there are plenty of hits in each of the show’s Star Wars specials (there have been two specials so far, each with a running time of about 20 minutes).

Featuring Admiral Ackbar cereal, an “Empire on Ice” show (aka, Disney on Ice but with twirling stormtroopers), Cloud City real estate agents, what Han Solo really said over the intercom during the Princess Leia rescue, touching moments between Darth Vader and Luke, such as when Vader reveals deeper truths to a skeptical Luke (”And The Force? Well, that’s just microscopic bacteria in your bloodstream called midi-chlorians…”), Darth Vader murdering an unwelcome Jar Jar Binks, and Luke and the Emperor having a “Yo Mamma” fight. That’s right.

Unfortunately, the second Star Wars special (titled Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II, of course) isn’t available yet on DVD, although the first one is. However, you can buy it on iTunes.

Also, Adult Swim’s website features plenty of clips. For example, you can check out Adult Swim’s Top 10 Family Guy and Robot Chicken Star Wars moments here.

So ….

Okay, since I don’t really have a smooth segue ready, I’ll just say it. All I really want to accomplish in this post is to present my favorite quote from the Robot Chicken Star Wars canon. Who needs a full review of a product anyway? Let the quotes and clips speak for themselves, I say!

So you can find the quote directly below (it’s taken from Episode II) along with another clip that I love (from the first special); that way you can be very upset about what you’re missing if you haven’t checked out either special yet.

… And as you can probably see, Emperor Palpatine (voiced by Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane) is by far my favorite Robot Chicken target.

♦♦♦

Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine (who’s having a bad day at the baggage claim) in Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II

Darth Vader: Is that yours?

Emperor: No, for the hundredth time, that’s that same stupid black bag. Mine doesn’t have a stripe… It’s like that stripey bag is mocking me. @#&$ you, stripey bag!

♦♦♦

Emperor Palpatine dealing with his Death Star contractor, from Robot Chicken: Star Wars (the first one)

Emperor: Anyway, I hate to interrupt, I know you’re very busy, but is there any way you could finish this area, you know, later? I’m kinda in the middle o’ somethin’.

Contractor: [sigh] Look, Mr. Saltine. I don’t tell you how to threaten your… [gestures in Luke Skywalker's direction] blond kid, so why don’t you go back over there to your sit ‘n spin and let me do my job.

Emperor: [very "buddy-buddy"] Okay, okay, copy that. Good job… [walks back to Luke and Darth Vader] Well, they’ll, uh, just be a little longer. I’d tell ‘em to stop, but, you know… “no speako minimum wageo.” Heh heh heh.

January 12, 2009 | Filed Under TV 

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  • featured brown paper packaging

    What is it with accessories and DVD sets these days? Are knick knack companies going through some rough times? Or are studios just really desperate to sell DVDs? (Probably the latter.) First there was A Christmas Story (Ultimate Collector's Edition), with its cookie cutters, recipe book, apron, commemorative Christmas tin... (Whoa, I know.)

    And now there's The Notebook (Limited Edition Gift Set), which comes with a scrapbook album (with stickers!), notecards, envelopes, and "themed" bookmarks. But... wait for it... no new DVD extras or features! So totally worth it. Check out Entertainment Weekly for the lackluster DVD set review (a grade of D - harsh). Or, even better, Amazon's video montage of the contents, set to the soothing, Jane Austen movie-esque sounds of The Notebook's theme music. Hey, they know their audience.