Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin - The Untold Story

Often one will hear the phrase tossed about that a show was too edgy for TV. Usually, this is just apologia for a poorly conceived product, but in the case of Family Guy it is absolutely true. This is a show that was every bit as radical as South Park but in a much more sophisticated, droll manner. The odd thing is that at the same time its skewering every sacred cow imaginable (more on that latter) with brilliantly satirical writing, it was also producing some of the most hysterical physical (for lack of a better phrase for a cartoon) comedy I have ever seen on any show. Much like The Simpsons, Family Guy revolves around one family, in this case the Griffins. Thats pretty much where the similarities end though. Whereas the Simpsons interact with a huge cast of characters, and will frequently tackle an overarching theme, Family Guy involves a cast that is largely replaced from episode to episode (other than a few neighbors) and manages to turn utterly inane pop-culture references and mundane household events into major plot points. A particularly good example of this would be when Peter (the father) has his choice for the town parade theme selected; the fact that his theme revolves around an obscure reference to the `80s TV show Whos the Boss? barely even registers as odd within the context of the show. Also, whereas The Simpsons operate within the context of a `world that is relatively similar to our own, the Griffins have a talking, booze-swilling dog and a psychotic, super-genius baby bent on killing his mother. Furthermore, there are constant flashbacks, pop-culture references and super-natural visitors (Death appears in several episodes). All those details aside, what makes this show so brilliant is that its willing to tackle any subject. Bathroom humor? Done. Abortion? Done. Politics, the handicapped and sex? Done, done and done. There is absolutely nothing Family Guy wont tackle, and it does so in such a pragmatic way that one cant help but laugh. I suppose if youre really sensitive, this isnt a series for you, but since everyone and everything is a target, its hard to get too upset (especially since youll be too busy laughing yourself sick). In the end, Family Guy is the perfect blend of satire, physical comedy, pop-culture send-ups and excellent animation. It is a genuinely raw show that on more than one occasion left me thinking, Can they say that? and thats probably why its not on the air anymore. But its also hysterically funny, and well packaged on the DVDs in this set. While the extras are nothing to get worked up about, the episodes alone are more than funny enough to justify the purchase. Enjoy! Jake Mohlman

Love this show! So much better with the Star Wars spoof! AWESOME!!!

Family Guy is a raucous irreverent animated comedy propelled back into production due to fans (like me) who appreciated its incredible daring satire of, well - everything and everyone! This DVD is a no-holds-barred masterpiece of iconoclastic humor, not for the faint of heart. The censors have had a field day with Family Guy episodes since its first broadcast, and that is a recommendation in its own right! All our favorite characters have their moments - Brian the alcoholic intellectual dog, Stewie the evil mastermind infant, Meg the homely teen girl, Chris the overweight underachiever, Peter the buffoon who enjoys the guilty pleasures in life, Lois the former party girl from a wealthy family turned Mom, and Mayor Adam West (played by the 70s classic Batman, Adam West) as a paranoid Mayor of Quahaug RI. In the very beginning, you see Lois tumble ass over teakettle on the red carpet from the limo to the opening night of this film, tanked from the champagne in the limo and wanting to do Peter then and there - and it sets the stage for the rest of the film, which is a bawdy fun tale of Stewie seeking the mysterious man whom he believes must be his biological father. Stewie is inspired by the concept that Peter, a simpleton, could not have produced the DNA which created such a brilliant sinister genious, and decides to find the mysterious man he glimpsed who resonated with him so strongly. The revelation of the mysterious mans identity drives the plot, as pop culture references, quips, and the never-ending insult duels between Brian and Stewie keep the laughs going. We all know a Quagmire (clich? ladies man ridiculous to all but himself and the conquests he ensnares with his lifelong experience of chasing tail), a Cleveland (sweet stable guy-next-door who is the calm in the storm and the voice of ethics and helping our fellow man), a Joe (while he is in a wheelchair, his personality as an overly macho jock is abundantly clear) and all our favorites. We know people like these, and this is an unabashed portrayal of them that is only a slight exaggeration! If you are easily offended, Family Guy isnt for you, but it should be. If you cant laugh at your own beliefs, they are dogma not truth - truth is strong enough to handle the challenge of humor. The pop culture references and laughs are sharp social commentary and the humor is edgy to say the least. I agree with another reviewer - this was more like a few episodes put together, rather than feeling like a feature length film, but who cares when it is as good as this? Enjoy a few good laughs, get this!

But it gets even better as it goes on.

I lost my copy during a divorce, one of the worst things about the split. So happy to have it back in my possession. If you are a Family Guy fan, I have no doubt that you will get a kick out of the movie.

Other very detailed reviews already cover the episodes listing etc, so its pointless to add to the clamour. The show is a witty and darkly hilarious look at our society, and fans of the show (which really should be anyone with a couple of brain cells or more) should definitely pick up this terrific set. Ill pitch in a word about the DVD itself. The show is presented in its original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. The picture quality is good, although theres the occasional issue with jagged lines that occasionally appear on the earlier episodes (an issue with the animation itself?) The picture does offer the shows bright color palette though, vivid and well-saturated throughout. No instances of edge enhancement or pixelation appeared, as do on some of The Simpsons DVDs. The sountrack is Dolby 2.0 and my copy has subtitles in English, French and Spanish. The shows dialogue remains crisp and forward throughout, with the surround sound providing some reinforcement for music and occasional sound effects. Audio quality is superb, as sound effects remained clear (and occasionally punchy) throughout. Plus, the extras are great. Creator Seth McFarlane and various members of the cast and crew provide commentaries, there are over 20 deleted scenes provided in animatic (moving storyboards) form, the original pilot pitch (a rough, shortened version of the pilot episode), a 7-minute featurette on how the show pushed the envelope across its three seasons and a 17-minute documentary that takes a look at the overall series, from development to characters the voice talent. If you want to own a fab show, get these couple of seasons. The DVD is worth every penny and probably a little better than the 3rd season.

Something something darkside didn’t want to play in my PS5 but otherwise worked when I loaded it onto my computer

Last night I watched the entire version of Family Guy Presents - Stewies Untold Story and I enjoyed it. As I read some of the past reviews, I noticed that some viewers didnt think of it like the TV show, and I could understand that viewpoint. It was a little slow in the beginning, but it ends with one of the best Family Guy endings ever. As far as special features go... I think there could have been a lot more features but I can only hope the producers hope to make this up to us in Season Four (Volume 3) of Family Guy coming out on DVD in late November. Finally, (as I was one of the first reviewers that mentioned this), to select the uncensored audio track go into Language Selection and select it from the menu. The edited audio track is the default one, and personally I believe that is a good idea for those younger viewers out there. Overall, I thought the movie deserved 5 stars and to Seth... send out more of those direct-to-DVD movies/specials from Family Guy!!

As you already know, the show is hilarious and these 4 DVDs capture the complete first two seasons. Unlike some other people, I found the DVD layout to be fine. Included is a brief commentary by the shows creators. Its not as easy to include extras in an animated series, but it doesnt matter; the material itself is worth more than gold. I have a new DVD player and witnessed no problems whatsoever with the DVD encoding. The picture quality was perfect. I dont really understand why others would complain, but suspect it is their equipment and not these DVDs. It is true that there is a slight delay when waiting for the programs to load so that several warning screens can be displayed. (But this is par for the course with many DVDs.)

When this series first aired on TV, it was cancelled after a short while and was criticized to be a Simpsons knockoff. And really, there are similarities: The setting is similar, a guy, married, with three kids, living in a suburb, being extraordinarily stupid. Differences: The youngest kid is a criminal genius on his way to world domination, the two older kids are typical underachievers. Oh and they have a talking dog! Just like the Simpsons the show is outrageously hilarious, fantastically funny and absolutely politically uncorrect. You cannot put your finger on just what it is that makes it different from the Simpsons, maybe it is the pace (faster!) of the show, but if you like humour like the Simpsons, it is definitively worth watching.