Porn stars, phallic restaurateurs and balloon animals in heat make an appearance in the latest full season of ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force.’ It’s a sign that the offbeat Adult Swim cult classic has taken a turn for the (even) cruder side. Luckily, for fans of the cartoon, it’s still funny.

And honestly, if the musings of an egocentric milkshake, a brainiac box of french fries and a rotting ball of meat offend you – this isn’t your type of show.

The recently released fifth season of ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force’ loses some of the wit that earned the show its renown among fans when it debuted in 2000. The cartoon follows the adventures of three anthropomorphic crime-solving foods, and while the show has changed much since its first season – the eccentric humor still shines despite plots centered on gross-out comedy.

The season’s opener, ‘Dirtfoot,’ kicks off the lewder themes in a story in which the main character Master Shake enters a relationship with his new roommate, a giant foot – the elusive equivalent of Bigfoot. The episodes following ‘Dirtfoot’ include strange, if not stranger, perverse fare. In ‘Hand Banana,’ the oft-maligned neighbors of Shake, Frylock and Meatwad, are viciously and repeated sexually abused by a yellow balloon animal. And all you need to know about the episode ‘Dickesode’ is the title to get an idea about what’s in store.

Yeah, it’s a strange show.

Alongside the bawdy humor, the oddball plots also might make it difficult to attract new fans. One plot features Carl under the control of hypnotic tire rims. Another stars Shake hocking a new Boost Mobile product as the cartoon seems to straddle a line of turning into blatant product placement. Also, hard rocker Andrew W.K. and former New York Giants Super Bowl-winning center Bart Oates make cameos throughout the season.

The DVD’s extras also include some bizarre elements. Most of these, however, fall flat. The skits include Cartoon Network fave, Space Ghost, talking to guests at the debut of the Aqua Teen feature film, which came out last year. Another includes the show’s creators playing guitar and singing songs dedicated to their favorite episodes.

These bits run on too long though, and although there are laughs, the material appears to be nothing more than run-of-the-mill filler. However, if you want to see adult movie star Tera Patrick eat a hot dog, while voicing her character in an episode – that’s available in the extras. It’s silly, inane stuff – but nothing laugh-out-loud hilarious.

But overall, season five maintains its entertaining, envelope-pushing edge. Sure, sometimes the show feels like it tries to push the boundaries of taste too much. Nevertheless, the laughs remain, and for fans of this wacky television show, that’s all that should matter.

mrlevin@syr.edu

Published on February 17, 2008 at 12:00 pm