Before I jump in... I want to thank Warner Bros for supplying us with a copy of this product for review, my opinions are my own.
Grab your adventurer's hat, bookbag, and a bag of popcorn, it's time to dive into... The Venture Bros: The Complete Series. This is one of the shows that I watched whenever I had the chance to tune in during the early 2000's, and what actually grabbed my attention way back when was that it gave me that... Johnny Quest vibe. Come to find out... it's actually meant to be a not-so-serious Johnny Quest parody, so I was spot on. I love the art style of this 20-year-old action-adventure sci-fi comedy drama.
Fun fact: The show was on the air from August 2004 (the pilot was in 2003) to the swan song of October 2018!
Story: Regardless of it coming from a parody angle, I've always appreciated the characters, their dynamic and the overall adventures they have in this show. They take Ls and take unexpected turns in regard to those Ls that are generally served up in a comedic way, including an episode where a ninja was suspected of trying to steal a device from Dr. Venture. When you see it, you'll know what his overall goal was (totally left field).
Dr. (Thaddeus "Rusty") Venture is the Dr. Quest of this show, and while he's brilliant, he lives in his father's shadow. You will see his father featured throughout in terms of flashbacks. You will see adventures based on Dr. Venture trying to pursue objectives related to his father, whether it's to recover or further his dad's pursuits.
Dean & Hank Venture are fraternal twins, one can go for a bootleg Johnny Quest, and... the other I guess fills the role of Hadji Singh (so that there are two boys instead of one). Dean & Hank are still on the immature teen side of things and their innocence is on full display as they react to certain situations in an oblivious way that adults can identify clear as day. Which... reminds me, this show is not for the kids.
Brock Samson... is the Race Bannon of The Venture Bros, and just like Race, he's the hired muscle with a love for action, danger, and... the ladies. He jumps in head-first into life-threatening situations... which cranks up the action even more.
So you have this team dynamic to enjoy... episode after episode, and I don't want to leave you with the impression that Johnny Quest is the only influence you see in this show. The parody is packed with all types of themes and characters that feel familiar, you have characters that resemble the Fantastic Four (i.e. The Human Torch, but in a way that makes a ton of sense), themes like A Christmas Story, etc.
I have a number of episodes that I enjoy, and there are 82 to choose from... but S2 E5: Twenty Years to Midnight is a fave along with:
S3 E6: R. Quymn, Medicine Woman
S4 E2: Handsome Ransom
S1 E1: The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay
S4 E16: Operation P.R.O.M.
S4 E17: From the Ladle to the Grave: The Shallow Gravy Story
The Venture Bros... flows well, which has always made it something easy to watch, you're drawn in by what goes down during the misadventures. If you're wondering, there is advancement in the story regarding the characters, including Hank & Dean getting older with increased differences regarding their personalities (Hank is more the extrovert bad boy, and Dean is more of the soft-served prep). It's not just them, the relationships between characters (including Villains like the Monarch) become more defined as well. I began looking at the Monarch's rivalry with Dr. Venture differently as the seasons progressed (nearing the end of the series), but I won't go into detail.
I think that the overall story will be something you can appreciate, even if it changes up a bit and gets a little more serious towards the end, luckily the comedy is still present.
Visuals: Visuals for The Venture Bros. are vibrant and borrow from the retro look of yesterday's animations, including the way the backgrounds are colored. It might not make sense to some of you, but I describe the art style as billabong.
Audio: In terms of audio, I didn't mind it, but... there was nothing that stood out to me beyond the intro. There could've been a bit more oomph for The Complete Series release.
Price: The Venture Bros: The Complete Series comes in at $79.99 for the digital version, and $134.99 on DVD with bonus content included. There isn't a Blu-Ray version yet, but... if there is one, they need to consider format and audio enhancements. I would've brought this in at maybe... $100, which we give you the hook-up anyway... so just click here, but at $134.99 at least include a badass poster!
Even a holographic cover or something for the skull would've been sweet. I just think it's a missed opportunity for a show that they put time and effort into for two decades.
Special Features include:
Show Pilot: The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay (as mentioned above)
A Very Venture Christmas Bonus Episode (as mentioned above)
Deleted Scenes
Behind the Scenes of the Venture Bros Live-Action Movie
Cast & Creator Commentaries
Tour of Astro Base
Comic-Con Promo
"Lost" Open
All This and Gargantua-2
and more!
Overall, if you're in the market for an adult cartoon that's equal parts hilarious and clever, you need to check out The Venture Bros. The show has a great art style, an enjoyable story, and serves up laughs in each episode.
