Nerd-centric commentary a must on new DVD

By Tom VanBuren

‘ ‘ ‘ Remember Sid, the kid in ‘Toy Story’ who took such sadistic pleasure in blowing up,… ‘ ‘ ‘ Remember Sid, the kid in ‘Toy Story’ who took such sadistic pleasure in blowing up, melting, decapitating and otherwise maiming his action figures? He would’ve loved Adult Swim’s ‘Robot Chicken,’ a stop-motion sketch comedy where nothing is sacred, least of all the action figures that give their lives and limbs in the name of humor. ‘ ‘ ‘ The third season of ‘Robot Chicken’ makes its DVD debut today, and for fans of the show, the appeal is simple ‘mdash; 11-minute episodes of rapid fire, nerdcore comedy using animated action figures to skewer pop culture. Want to see Snoop Dogg (voicing himself) kung-fu fight Bob Barker? Done. Wonder what would happen if Skeletor ever did defeat He-Man or how Smokey the Bear got his name? ‘ ‘ ‘ The answers are all here and more, often in graphic detail ‘mdash; in this unrated set, be prepared for all the puppet nudity and vulgarity that even Cartoon Network won’t show on its Adult Swim programming block. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Robot Chicken’ has found its niche in a generation of proud nerds who love to see the entertainment of their childhood scrupulously satirized. The popularity of the Emmy-winning show, the highest-rated original program on Adult Swim, shows as much. ‘ ‘ ‘ But of course, it takes one to know one, and with co-creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich at the helm, it shows. Episode commentaries featuring the two ‘mdash; along with special guests ‘mdash; show that when it comes to making fun of pop icons, you always hurt the ones you love. Devoted fans of every staple of geekdom from Star Wars to Nintendo, Senreich and Green clearly see the show as a labor of love and give insightful behind-the-scenes insight. ‘ ‘ ‘ Also included on the two-disc set are deleted scenes, a tour of the massive animation studio where the show is filmed and a series of video blogs giving an insider’s look at every aspect of production, from pitching the sketch and recording the voices to post-production and special effects. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Robot Chicken’ is a show for nerds, by nerds, and the attention to detail on the season three DVD is no different. If you like the idea of Sir Mix-a-Lot throwing down rhymes in medieval times, or just want to see for yourself who thought that would be a good idea, this set won’t disappoint.