Starring:
Seth MacFarlane as Peter Griffin/Brian Griffin/Stewie Griffin/Glen Quagmire/Tom Tucker/Additional Voices (voice)
Alex Borstein as Lois Griffin/Loretta/Tricia Takanawa/Barbara Pewterschmidt/Additional Voices (voice)
Mila Kunis as Meg Griffin (voice)
Seth Green as Chris Griffin/Neil Goldman/Additional Voices (voice)
Mike Henry as Cleveland/Cleveland Jr. (voice)
Patrick Warburton as Joe Swanson (voice)
Butch Hartman as Mr. Jonathan Weed (voice)
Lori Alan as Diane Simmons/Additional Voices (voice)
Carlos Alazraqui as Mr. Jonathan Weed (voice)
Adam West as Mayor Adam West (voice)
Jennifer Tilly as Bonnie Swanson (voice)
John G. Brennan as Mort Goldman (voice) (as Johnny Brennan)
Special Features:
“When You Wish Upon a Weinstein”
“Road to Rhode Island” with Optional Commentary by Brian and Stewie
“To Live and Die in Dixie” with Optional Commentary by Seth MacFarlane, Dan Palladino, Steve Callaghan, Danny Smith, and Mike Henry
“I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar” with Optional Commentary by Seth MacFarlane, Chris Sheridan, Alex Borstein, and Craig Hoffman
“Lethal Weapons” with Optional Commentary by Seth MacFarlane, Chris Sheridan, Garret Donavan, and Steve Callaghan
Preview of American Dad
Seth MacFarlane Talks About American Dad
Seth MacFarlane Talks About Family Guy: Season 4
Other Info:
Fullscreen 1.33:1
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Spanish Language
Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 112 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“Get ready for five deliciously absurd chapters in the lives of America’s most twisted animated family! These are the handpicked, hands-down favorite episodes of Seth MacFarlane, the delightfully demented genius behind Family Guy. He’ll also treat you to an inside look at the long-awaited return of the series as well as his newest TV brainchild, American Dad. What a guy. What a family. What a Family Guy treat!”
“The Family Guy The Freakin’ Sweet Collection” is not rated.
The Movie:
If you like The Simpsons then it’s a sure thing that you’ll enjoy Family Guy. Both series have a stupid father. Both dance the fine line between being funny and offensive. Both are filled with parodies of pop culture and society. And both take full advantage of the animation medium to take the stories well beyond anything that can be done in live action.
The show has quite a bizarre group of characters. There’s the idiotic dad Peter Griffin who could easily be Homer Simpson’s long lost brother. Brian Griffin is the one sane, intelligent member of the family .and he’s a dog. Then there’s Stewie Griffin, the baby of the family who’s an aspiring egomaniacal dictator. Throw in a dumb brother, a sister, and a mother and you have a bizarre family ready for adventures.
Family Guy is a rare series in that it was cancelled by Fox only to be picked up again a number years later. It found popularity again on Cartoon Network and on DVD long after it left the air. But if you missed it on TV and you can’t afford the box sets of the series, then this “Freakin’ Sweet Collection” may be an affordable option for you. Creator Seth MacFarlane has chosen his top five favorite episodes to include here.
Included in the batch is the episode “When You Wish Upon A Weinstein”, a show deemed so offensive that Fox wouldn’t air it, believe it or not. It’s a good example of the series. In it you see them laugh at and with Jews, feature a musical number, and more. There are also cameos by Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Optimus Prime, Indiana Jones and more. There’s also a parody of William Shatner in The Wrath of Khan. If any of this sounds entertaining to you, then you’ll want to see Family Guy.
My only problem with the series is that it sometimes tries a little too hard to be edgy. Rather than dancing right up to the fine line of what’s offensive, it blazes right over it in an attempt to get laughs. Fortunately there’s enough other funny stuff here to redeem it.
If you like adult animated comedy series, then Family Guy is a show you’re going to want to check out.
The Extras:
There are a number of bonus features included on the DVD. Here are the highlights:
Commentaries Several of the episodes have commentaries included with them. “Road to Rhode Island” features commentary by Brian and Stewie (in character). This is probably the funniest of the commentaries. “To Live and Die in Dixie” has commentary by Seth MacFarlane, Dan Palladino, Steve Callaghan, Danny Smith, and Mike Henry. “I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar” has commentary by Seth MacFarlane, Chris Sheridan, Alex Borstein, and Craig Hoffman. Finally, “Lethal Weapons” has commentary by Seth MacFarlane, Chris Sheridan, Garret Donavan, and Steve Callaghan. The ones with the cast members are more like a party atmosphere and are informative as well. It should be noted that the commentaries are R rated and contain language that they wouldn’t have on the show.
Preview of American Dad This is a look at Seth MacFarlane’s new series American Dad. It’s similar to Family Guy in that is has a large cast of absurd characters (including an alien and a goldfish with the brain of a German), but it takes more shots at America, conservatives, and liberals. This is only a small taste of the show, but it’s obvious that it’s very much in the spirit of Family Guy.
Seth MacFarlane Talks About American Dad This video just shows all the footage in the preview of American Dad along with an interview with Seth MacFarlane. It’s a bit redundant, but it’s interesting to hear about how they developed the characters and where they are going with the series.
Seth MacFarlane Talks About Family Guy: Season 4 MacFarlane talks about the upcoming season of Family Guy which comes after their cancellation at Fox. It’s a unique position to be in and he addresses it as well as talks about where the show is going.
The Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of The Simpsons, then you’ll want to check out Family Guy. And if you couldn’t afford the previous boxed sets, this “Freakin’ Sweet Collection” may be a more affordable choice for you.
