Posted on 11/19/2018 9:44:53 AM PST by Morgana
MST3K season 12 scales back in various ways, but delivers a strong set of six episodes on Netflix.
When Mystery Science Theater 3000 returned for its eleventh season, they had big shoes to fill. While the series has evolved over the decades, prior change only happened in pieces. When Mike Nelson replaced Joel Hodgson as MST3K host, everything else remained the same. With the jump from Comedy Central to the Sci-Fi Channel, it still just boiled down to losing Trace Beaulieu and having to cover for it. The eleventh season, on the other hand, was a total changeover. New host, new voices for the robots, new antagonists, new set, never everything.
They did pretty damn well. The fourteen-episode season was well-received overall, even if it had some growing pains. The biggest issue was that the jokes were too rapid-fire and felt unnatural. Lines werent given time to breathe and things felt so overly scripted that you never got to hear the genuine laughter of the other riffers. Otherwise, the season had a lot to offer, including one of the all-time best episodes in Cry Wilderness.
Then comes the follow-up, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Gauntlet. In order to get seasons out and done quicker, the count has gone from fourteen to a mere six. Its not the first time weve had a six-episode season, as the seventh season had the same length, but even that was a double-edged sword as we got an incredibly solid season that was also the end of the Comedy Central run.
To make the quantity downgrade work, the gimmick is that the twelfth season is supposed to be binge-watched. Six episodes in one go, not only for the viewers (optional), but for Jonah and the bots (mandatory). Theres a continuity in there where our heroes feel a bit more tired and desperate in the opening segments, but thankfully it doesnt show during the movies themselves.
While Ill go in more depth a bit later, the movies are a good selection for the most part. They were able to pick six movies that have very little to do with each other. A very nice variety, all things considered.
All the regulars are back, from test subjects Jonah Heston (Jonah Ray), Tom Servo (Baron Vaughn), and Crow (Hampton Yount) to the mad scientist Kinga Forrester (Felicia Day) and Max (Patton Oswalt). Rebecca Hanson returns as both Gypsy and Synthia, the latter of which gets written into being intelligent in order to make her more than just a one-dimensional gag. Also, new robots from season 11 Growler and M. Waverly return and are accepted as regular fixtures on the Satellite of Love. Heck, they even get added to Gypsys riff cameos at times.
Theres also a certain new character added who shouldnt be a surprise for those who have watched the current live tour.
While the last season featured a bevy of special appearances from old characters and big names in entertainment, this one scales back. A lot. In fact, theres only one notable appearance and while I wont say who, I will say its someone I honestly didnt see coming.
The drop of quantity isnt just in the amount of episodes, but also in the format of the episodes themselves. For about the entire series, the structure has been pretty set in stone: not counting the host segment bookends, the movie would be broken up by three host segments with four commercial bumpers thrown in. Even in the eleventh season, where its on Netflix and doesn't need to cut to commercial, they used this style. Now theyre going with something different.
Rather than show the entire movie due to the non-televised nature of it all, each episode is an hour and twenty minutes instead of an hour and a half. The unnecessary commercial bumpers are gone and the movies lose a host segment. In other words, the show starts, movie begins, a host segment happens, the movie continues, another host segment happens, the movie ends, and the show ends.
Of the host segments we do get, they mostly hit better than last season. What I find kind of funny is how they do a bit about how impossible it is to follow up on last seasons hit song Every Country Has a Monster, only a later episode has a brilliant song of its own thats very much on that level.
The important thing is that they slowed down on the jokes. The opening minutes had me scared for a sec because they were just rapidly throwing out line after line, but that was only because it was a scene without dialogue, so what else can you do? After that, the trios timing is a lot more normalized and there are a few moments where the guys chuckle at each other. Just like old times.
So lets talk about the movies. The titles are all shown in the trailer and the opening minutes of the first episode, so I dont feel like Im spoiling. Heres just a look at what to expect from each experiment. Much like in season 11, all the movies are in color.
First up is Mac and Me, a rather infamous knockoff of ET. These days, this one is mostly well-known for Paul Rudds running gag on Conan OBriens various talk shows, so it pains me to say that theres no reference to Mr. Rudd in the episode. Even though ET featured some product placement with Reeses Pieces, the people behind Mac and Me thought that they could go further and did even more aggressive product placement with Coca Cola and McDonalds.
The first half isnt all that special, but once McDonalds is brought into the picture, things get completely batshit, including a ridiculous finale. They absolutely hit their potential with this one and Id easily call it the highlight episode of the six.
Then we get the weakest movie in Atlantic Rim. This, the most recent movie MST3K has ever covered, is an Asylum flick and therefore is just a lazy and low-budget attempt to piggy back on whatever success Pacific Rim had going for it. Its Pacific Rim as done by the studio behind Sharknado, only without any of the fun from either. Just unlikable characters (except the commander guy...hes cool) killing time until theyre ready to eat up the CGI budget.
As RiffTrax Live has already taught us, Asylum movies don't work well with riffing. There are still some good laughs, so it isnt a total loss.
Our next stop is Lords of the Deep. This late-80s slog is about an underwater lab where a series of strange and mysterious disappearances and deaths start happening. All the while, our main character is a scientist studying a blobby organism thats rapidly evolving into something more intelligent. Theres also a guy there who looks an awful lot like Ryan Styles. While a bit slow, its still watchable and at times completely trippy.
The Day Time Stopped is a nice, little surprise. How to describe this one...hm... Okay, so take Evil Dead but replace all the supernatural stuff with science fiction stuff. A lot of science fiction stuff. Then never explain anything. Ever. Thats this movie. An unfocused stretch of film where a shitload of stuff happens, but in the end, nothing really happens at all.
Killer Fish, despite its overly simplistic title, is the movie of the season that falls under the, This isnt actually that bad, category. This Lee Majors vehicle is arguably watchable on its own, but leads to some inspired riffing as a MST3K target. As you can guess, its about a handful of people trying not to be eaten by a school of piranhas. Luckily, theres enough fun plot in there about the aftermath of a jewel heist to keep things afloat.
Pun might be intended. Ill have to get back to you on that.
Lastly, theres Ator the Fighting Eagle. This one is a prequel to the MST3K classic Cave Dwellers and loses a little bit of steam due to RiffTrax having already covered it. Its your usual '80s barbarian movie fare, only memorable for two reasons: 1) Ator has an adorable pet bear cub tagging along and, 2) the relationship between Ator and the damsel in distress is...interesting to say the least.
Its an overall good lineup, even if it does leave you wanting more. At least theres something of a minor storyline going on through the season. Then again, dont expect any answers on why Tom and Crow aren't still living with Mike Nelson on Earth. Just relax on that one.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Gauntlet hits Netflix on November 22.
Mike Nelson was the best
Everything since then was trying too hard to emulate him
I was excited to hear about the MST3K revival UNTIL I found out that the guy who was Jon Stewart’s head writer on “The Daily Show” will be the head writer on the new MST3K.
If that is the case, its not a matter of if but WHEN the show will go full bore Social Justice Warrior.
All the “jokes” on MST3k will be comments like “haha this movie is sooooooooo sexist! haha this movie is soooooooooo racist!! haha this movie is sooooo homophobic!!!” etc. etc.
Not interested.
I’m just happy to have more episodes. Last year’s Season 11 was an unexpected bonus and was much better than I thought it would be after so many years of inactivity. Seems like MST3K is going to be here to stay for a while. There are still plenty of cheesy movies out there yet to be riffed!
PING!
thanks randall I forgot to ping people for this
I rented a MST3K VCR tape years ago on THIS ISLAND EARTH. What a disappointment. Most of the important parts of the movie were cut out so the robots could make jokes and deal with their captors.
To finally see the uncut movie I had to buy it on DVD. A very good movie.
Some of their spoofs are great. Others just get in the way of a good movie.
Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt ruin the new version. THey’re both way too convinced of their “celebrity” and neither’s mugging is as entertaining as (s)he believes it to be.
Will be watching this weekend. Looking forward to it.
And to think Orion pushed "Barb Wire" to the distributors instead... (sigh)
So they don’t roast the Clint Eastwood movie The Gauntlet?
My first introduction to MST3K was The Movie. Glad it wasn’t my last since it was pretty disappointing. Part of the problem was the choice of This Island Earth to riff. It was actually a pretty good movie for it’s day but time constraints forced them to cut the movie to ribbons. I’m glad I decided to watch the show despite the movie.
It’s an objective fact that Mike is funnier than Joel.
By the way, Mike, Crow and Tom still do movie riffs. Riff trax I think is the name of the site.
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