Sunday, June 26, 2016

'redvsblue: The Chorus Trilogy' BD: More Than Idiots Sitting Around A Canyon Talking

  • Red vs. Blue: The Chorus Trilogy (Seasons 11-13) Steelbook [Blu-ray]
The Blu-ray (BD) steelbook set of the latest installment in the long-running Rooster Teeth web series "redvsblue: The Chorus Trilogy" (RvB), which hits actual and virtual store shelves on June 28 2016, has so much awesomeness that knowing where to start is challenging. This plethora of material additionally requires staying true to the spirit of the release by dividing coverage of it into individual posts on each of the three seasons that make up this trifecta.

This inaugural post provides an overview of the series and discusses the Season 11 episodes that comprise the first part of the trilogy; the second post will discuss the cheesy goodness of Season 12, and the third post will show that 13 sometimes is a very lucky number.

Like the late '80s-early '90s cable series "Mystery Science Theater 3000," which mines comedy from characters hilariously cracking wise during the worst movies ever made, the simple but brilliant concept of RvB is giving raunchy and pop-culture reference laden voices to armor-clad characters in video game footage. The title relates to characters wearing (and hilariously arguing about) armor in varying shades of the titular colors.

S11 references to "Battlestar Galactica," "Star Wars," Oprah Winfrey, the ABC drama "Lost," offensive racial stereotypes, etc. particularly pays home to MST3K. Hearing video game soldiers regularly curse each other out and openly discuss topics that include masturbating and chafed nipples adds to the teen boy fun of this "Adult Swim" worthy series.

The aforementioned good news regarding "Chorus" commences with sharing that even RvB virgins can follow and thoroughly enjoy these episodes. The plot that the Teeth website describes as "in the distant future, two groups of soldiers battle for control of the least desirable piece of real estate in the known universe: a box canyon in the middle of nowhere" starts things fresh for new fans. 

Other good news relates to RvB showing the awesome potential of multi-media productions. This web series enhances actual video game footage with additional animation to create episodes that look and sound awesome in BD.

The countless ways that S11 expertly incorporates the video game concept into the plot includes having a character complete an "obstacle  course" full of elements that are completely foreign to the story and the setting. 

The S11 episodes, which are edited together to create a two-hour movie, begin with the Red and Blue armies peacefully living (with the exception of regular fall-on-the-floor bickering among colleagues and the other group alike)  in separate sections of the aforementioned wasteland. 

Stupidity, boredom, and horrible leadership combine to try to create conflict where none need exist. These space Marines getting caught up in an actual conflict by the end of the season provides the fight for which some of them wished.

The good news continues with the boys with Teeth producing awesome special extras more than a decade after RvB first beginning its journey down the information superhighway. A "making-of" features discusses the history of the series and the new adventure from the perspective of a group that loves its work. The insights include the observation that the series is more than a group of idiots sitting around a canyon talking.

Th best parody of public service announcements in a trio of these presentations in the set is one in which two characters hastily assemble a song on the importance of voting, A literal interpretation of the metaphors in the lyrics is must-see.

The final (for now) good news regarding Rvb, "Chorus," and S11 is that they all demonstrate that creativity is not dead in American show business. They further illustrate that racial stereotypes, mindless violence, and good-natured raunchy humor are funny. As stated in an Unreal TV post on a documentary discussing the undue sensitivity of the American public in the 21st century, our nation sadly has gone from f**k 'em if they can't take a joke to f**ked if you tell 'em a joke. Thanks Teeth team for keeping the fight alive.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Chorus" is strongly encouraged to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy,




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