7.5/10. I feel like the same thing happens with my reaction to a given Venture Bros. episode all the time -- I'll spend the first 2/3 of the episode going, "this is a bit disjointed, there's good material here but it seems kind of cut up and glued together," and then the episode nails the landing and I bump it up a half point or so. I'm not sure what it is about the people behind the show to where they sort of meander around in terms of story and focus for a big chunk of the episode, and then realize they need to draw things to a close and mix all the elements together in a pretty satisfying way, but it's an interesting approach.
So the hunt for the big midnight device was a very solid premise, that kind of gave us a Venture Bros. all stars routine along the way. Getting to revisit Jonas Jr., the fake ghost captain, the James Bond expy, the Impossibles, and Jonny Quest (kind of weird?), was fun, and each had their moment in the sun. Plus the alien robot who was a pastiche of The Day the Earth Stood Still bot was amazingly hilarious with his blaring "IGNORE ME!" routine.
The best part was the ending though, both for bringing everyone together and getting back at Dr. Impossible and for the Jonas Venture fake out. The Dr. Impossible skyscraper escape was actually a pretty sharp action sequence. And there was a great conversational weirdness to the alien's cofession that he was just using Jonas's persona to put them at ease, with Dr. Venture being understandably upset. (Take that, Contact!). Also, it wasn't subtle, but the fact that Dr. Venture is still insecure about living up to his father's legacy (with Jonas Jr. clearly better suited to take the mantle) is a nice twist on the themes from the prior season.
Again, it's weird that I spend a good portion of the episode with mild chuckles and a general ho-hum and walk away feeling like it was, at least, a very solid episode, but here we are!
EDIT 5/30/2023: I rewatched this one several years later and loved it. I'd bump it up to at least an 8/10. The structure of the episode is a bit scattershot, but knowing the characters/humor better now, I can't help but love the comic interludes among each of the rescue teams. Plus god help me, the "IGNORE ME" Galactic Inquisitor is a laugh riot. The action beats are sharp. Professor Impossible is extra creepy. Dr. Venture's plea to his ersatz father is full of genuine pathos. And the argument between him and the alien at the end is hilarious. I've found that more of the early episodes of the show click for me now than they did on the first watch since now I'm much more steeped in the rhythms and vibe of the series.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2016-05-10T01:56:52Z— updated 2023-05-31T00:20:31Z
7.5/10. I feel like the same thing happens with my reaction to a given Venture Bros. episode all the time -- I'll spend the first 2/3 of the episode going, "this is a bit disjointed, there's good material here but it seems kind of cut up and glued together," and then the episode nails the landing and I bump it up a half point or so. I'm not sure what it is about the people behind the show to where they sort of meander around in terms of story and focus for a big chunk of the episode, and then realize they need to draw things to a close and mix all the elements together in a pretty satisfying way, but it's an interesting approach.
So the hunt for the big midnight device was a very solid premise, that kind of gave us a Venture Bros. all stars routine along the way. Getting to revisit Jonas Jr., the fake ghost captain, the James Bond expy, the Impossibles, and Jonny Quest (kind of weird?), was fun, and each had their moment in the sun. Plus the alien robot who was a pastiche of The Day the Earth Stood Still bot was amazingly hilarious with his blaring "IGNORE ME!" routine.
The best part was the ending though, both for bringing everyone together and getting back at Dr. Impossible and for the Jonas Venture fake out. The Dr. Impossible skyscraper escape was actually a pretty sharp action sequence. And there was a great conversational weirdness to the alien's cofession that he was just using Jonas's persona to put them at ease, with Dr. Venture being understandably upset. (Take that, Contact!). Also, it wasn't subtle, but the fact that Dr. Venture is still insecure about living up to his father's legacy (with Jonas Jr. clearly better suited to take the mantle) is a nice twist on the themes from the prior season.
Again, it's weird that I spend a good portion of the episode with mild chuckles and a general ho-hum and walk away feeling like it was, at least, a very solid episode, but here we are!
EDIT 5/30/2023: I rewatched this one several years later and loved it. I'd bump it up to at least an 8/10. The structure of the episode is a bit scattershot, but knowing the characters/humor better now, I can't help but love the comic interludes among each of the rescue teams. Plus god help me, the "IGNORE ME" Galactic Inquisitor is a laugh riot. The action beats are sharp. Professor Impossible is extra creepy. Dr. Venture's plea to his ersatz father is full of genuine pathos. And the argument between him and the alien at the end is hilarious. I've found that more of the early episodes of the show click for me now than they did on the first watch since now I'm much more steeped in the rhythms and vibe of the series.