Let's jump into this review by talking about the steelbook first... wubba lubba dub dub baby! This season the team sent over a steelbook with some really cool (I want to say... ) Holiday-themed color to it.
This is Rick and Morty, so... outside of the color, I can't say this has anything to do with the holidays in terms of theme (not even a little). Regardless of that, the red and green steelbook is sure to deliver some warm cozy somethings for anyone who gets it this season.
Story: Rick and Morty: The Complete Fifth Season comes crashing into the first episode... literally after escaping the cluthes of yet more pending doom. If you didn't know the franchise, you'd think the madness stopped there, but not quite... because that was just a crack in the glass holding back all hell from breaking loose.
This episode wasn't just crazy because they ended up taking on the bootleg Aquaman, but because of what Morty had to go through in a short period time to keep the peace in a situation taking place on the home front. I found this episode really interesting because while it only took a few seconds of Morty's time to step through a portal to do something... decades had passed for the being in the other world. Generation after generation there Morty's legend grew bigger and bigger, then he would become a myth until he popped back up, and then something else would happen that caused the people to prepare for his return. It was a really interesting concept, and this wasn't the only episode where the concepts shined.
Episode two was interesting enough also, you didn't know who was who... which we've been there before as far as not knowing if the real Rick and Morty would stand up... but this was an all out clone war with character variations. The homefront always makes an appearance to keep things somewhat grounded, no matter how crazy things get... but home doesn't exactly feel like it's where the heart is as much as previous seraons. The characters are more cold hearted... which stood out to me. They still delivered as far as the family bumping heads and working things out while on their adventures, and they even made time for turkey day (in the craziest way possible).
It was still a good season overall, but... I think if things were pulled back into the realm of normalcy because something occurred that axed Rick's ability to just create any and everything that came to mind, it could give it a breath of fresh air. It doesn't have to be something done every season, but if he had to figure things out on earth with his relationships + life, and even how to deal with beings seeking revenge... that would be cool. It would also be good to see Morty go back to school a bit more and bring more charm back to the show with local life. How that's going to happen based on the way things ended in episode ten, I have the slightest idea... but the team always thinks of something.
One thing I do have to keep in mind is that the pandemic happened, and I was reminded of that with one I watched. They were even talking about... hmmmm, actually I won't say anything, you can check it out in the special features.
Visuals: Visually when it comes to the Rick and Morty art team, they definitely find creative ways to maintain the art style. You have civilization after civilization, underworld beings, out of this world freakazoids (hello), and the list goes on in this action-packed season.
The art style remains recognizable throughout the season, but you will notice during multiple episodes that the depth was of the visuals were heavier than others (even in the same episode). Compare the shading above, compared to what you see below. I salute the team for pulling off all that animated action... because Rick and Morty is certain a show that puts your creative skills to the test I'm sure.
Audio: The zaps, explosions, teleportations, and other special effects were delivered in 1080p DTS-HD Master Audio.
DTS-HD Master Audio: This is the top dog of DTS audio formats, and can be thought of as DTS’s equivalent to Dolby’s TrueHD. Master Audio provides up to 7.1 channels of uncompressed surround-sound audio. - Home Theater For Dummies, 3rd Edition
Price: Pricewise, you can get Rick and Morty: The Complete Fifth Season on DVD for $24.98, Blu-Ray + Digital Copy for $29.98, and the Steelbook (Blu-Ray) + Digital Copy for $39.99. The $39.99 steelbook version is definitely for the collector's out there... but regardless of the MSRP, you can get the hook up at the links above. The extras make the price worth it, especially for artists looking for inspiration from professionals in the industry.
Bonus Features include:
- "Fighting Gravity": The Making of Season 5 (Exclusive to Set) - In this feature, co-creator Dan Harmon and the team reflect on the challenges of completing season 5 in the middle of a pandemic + the creative process behind the biggest revelations in the story. I'd recommend avoiding any bonus features until you watch the season.
- "Inside the Episode" (Available for every episode)
- B-Story Generator Vol. 1
- B-Story Generator Vol. 2
- Backgrounds (Calling all artists, they're showing love in here)
- Animation and Compositing (artists will enjoy this)
- Coloring Rick and Morty (artists will also enjoy this too)
- Directing 'Mortyplicity'
- Directing 'Rickmurai Jack'
- Season 5 Hype
Story 3
Visuals 5
Audio 5
Price 5
4.5 out of 5 Cool Points
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