Robot Chicken:Star Wars

Adult Swim

Madman Entertainment

R4 DVD

Robot Chicken is a sketch-based comedy show currently airing on the Comedy Channel’s Adult Swim section on pay TV. It is now up to its fourth season, which started in December 2008.

It is the creation of Matthew Senreich and Seth Green, and the various sketches are produced by the companies shown above. They use stop-motion animation and claymation effects, and feature action figures, toys and dolls. Figures from TV shows are popular, especially as it allows the team to parody some really dreadful shows that fully deserve this treatment. At the outset I must warn you that the shows are gross, disgusting, vulgar feasts of splatter, swearing and sex. There is absolutely no subtlety in their humour. If you are a fan of the British style of laid back comedy, you are not going to enjoy these shows at all. If, however, shows that look like a crudely made splatter movie are your style, you will certainly enjoy the series. It is most definitely an American style, though, and it won’t appeal to everyone.

A long, long time ago in a galaxy not far enough away ….

If you find the show itself a little too gross, try the Star Wars spoof. A lot of clips from this episode have been released on the Internet. Look for the clip of Darth Vader explaining to the Emperor that the Death Star has been destroyed, to get an idea of the content. “I thought my Dark Lord of the Sith could protect an exhaust port only two metres across”. “What the hell is an Aluminum Falcon?” . The sketch of George W Bush discovering that he has the Force is disturbing. Abraham Lincoln’s very brief appearance as Obi-Wan is even more so. At least we get to see Jar Jar spaced through the airlock. The chicken chorus clucking the Star Wars theme at the end is not be missed. The Star Wars episode was nominated for an Emmy award in 2008.

I particularly liked the Transformers sketches. One clearly shows the dangers of transforming into a car where your girlfriend and best friend can have sex and leave stains on your leather seats, where the car will be stripped and vandalized (leaving you legless when you transform back) and the final indignity of being towed away.

Famous figures get a regular serve of ridicule, too (in George W Bush’s case, a king size serve). Even Arnold Schwarzenegger is not too sacred to be featured. Dinosaurs, aliens, mad scientists, loveable old grannies – they are all there. In spite of this, leading personalities seem to be lining up to get a guest appearance on the show. Robot Chicken has achieved the ultimate accolade of becoming a Cult Show.

There is a wide range of extras in the form of outtakes, gags, alternative audio, commentary on the episodes, and behind the scenes.

The shows have an MA 15+ rating in Australia. The warning sticker really sums it up – “Strong themes, strong sexual references, strong drug references, strong animated violence, moderate course language, and frequent crude humour”. Yep, that’s Robot Chicken all right.

Programme content, package design and supplementary material © 2008 Cartoon Network. ADULT SWIM, the logo, ROBOT CHICKEN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © 2008 Cartoon Network. A Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

This review will appear in Volume 2:1 (2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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