The Venture Bros.: Season One (2004)
The Cast
James Urbaniak .... Dr. Venture
Patrick Warburton .... Brock Samson
Michael Sinterniklaas .... Dean Venture
Christopher McCulloch .... Hank Venture/The Monarch
Doc Hammer .... Dr. Girlfriend
The Premise
For the most part this entire series is basically Jonny Quest with a twist. Instead of a loving family environment, the Venture Family is fairly dysfunctional and not at all typical. Dean and Hank are somewhat naive, innocent and sheltered and probably wouldn't survive a day on the streets of the real world. Dr. Venture is basically a failure when compared to his deceased genius father, but he appears to just be doing the best he can while dealing with the poor upbringing he received. Brock Samson is Dr. Venture's bodyguard, an agent of some government branch with a licence to kill, and he's all man and impressively fearsome to watch in action.
All episode synopsis were supplied by Wikipedia and if you've never watched an episode of this animated show, you might want to skip the Episode reviews and move right on down to The Breakdown.
Episode 1 - Dia de los Dangerous Airdate: August 7, 2004
Synopsis: When the Venture Family visits Tijuana for a lecture Dr. Venture is giving at the (community) University of Mexico, the dastardly Monarch weaves a cocoon of villainy that leaves the Venture Brothers trapped in his clutches, Dr. Venture kidney-less and Brock...dead? If only Dr. Venture would return his calls...
Rating: once again, watching the first ep on DVD is my first exposure to the show, so I wasn't exactly sure what it was all about... right off the bat I was amazed by how stunning the animation is, somewhat atypical for and Adult Swim show... and then after the theme song the animation goes back to it's normal AS-type quality, still very crisp but the style tends to make all AS shows look like they come out of a cookie cutter... while the show definitely veers into absurdist territory with the neurotic villains and whatnot, it tends to stay fairly grounded in some form of reality, Brock Samson living after getting shot with dozens of tranq darts notwithstanding... the intensity of Brock is perfectly captured and amazing to watch... I was fairly impressed by my first exposure to the Ventures 4 / 5
Episode 2 - Careers In Science Airdate: August 14, 2004
Synopsis: Dubbed the Ninth Wonder of the World, Jonas Venture's space station, Gargantua 1, has developed a problem, and it's up to Dr. Thaddeus Venture to fix his father's creation. But could the station be haunted by vengeful ghost?
Rating: I'm amazed at how good this show is... you can tell there's a lot of thought and character backgrounds put into the cast, even in the second ep... amazing that Dr. Venture's father was so smart that he thought a blinking PROBLEM light on his space station would be enough to solve anything... it's a fairly graphic ep as well, what with the sexin' up going on and the descriptions of Brock's "area" and the horrible horrible beating the Venture Bros. give Helper... two eps and twice Brock should be - by all rights - dead 4 / 5
Episode 3 - Mid-Life Chrysalis Airdate: September 25, 2004
Synopsis: The Monarch sends Dr. Girlfriend undercover to seduce Dr. Venture in order to inject him with a body-altering serum. Meanwhile, Brock is deeply depressed to learn his secret agent license to kill has expired, but the boys are hell-bent on helping him cram for his government exam.
Rating: bit of a step back as Brock can't kill anyone thanks to his license expiring... Dr. Venture's transformation into a caterpillar would've been more alarming if he actually reacted to it with more that mild surprise... actually quite shocked at how graphic some of the animation is, or was about to be as Monarch was interrupted before he could get a handle on himself 3 / 5
Episode 4 - Eeney, Meeney, Miney... Magic! Airdate: September 4, 2004
Synopsis: Dr. Venture's new experiment has the entire family interested--not to mention trapped inside! The Ventures' strange new neighbor, master of mysticism Dr. Orpheus, may be the only one who can help them escape. Meanwhile Dean falls for Dr. Orpheus's teenaged daughter and Brock has an encounter with his old flame, Molotov Cocktease.
Rating: this is what the show was needing right now, the introduction of the Ventures potentially wacky neighbours... first few eps were good seeing them in their own environment, now seeing them deal with others in their "fraternity" was great timing... you may not have noticed but the eps on the DVD set are presented in a different order than they were broadcast... Dr. Orpheus reminds me a lot of Mentok the Mindtaker from Harvey Birdman... Dean's innocence and naivety is perfectly captured in this ep with the intro of Trianna Orpheus and developing a crush on her... love that the only thing that seems to make Brock happy is death and sex 4.5 / 5
Episode 5 - The Incredible Mr. Brisby Airdate: August 28, 2004
Synopsis: Dr. Venture is offered a job by theme park owner and cartoon magnate Roy Brisby, who won't take no for an anwser in his quest for worldwide entertainment dominance. Meanwhile, the boys are given the Patty Hearst treatment by the Orange County Liberation Front, a group of militant suburbanites who want to take down Brisby's empire. Brock enlists the aid of former lover and fellow superspy Molotov Cocktease to "mount" a rescue, but she may have her own agenda.
Rating: there's so many little things to love about this ep... the way the Venture Bros. are asleep from the long plane ride, their faces smushed up against the glass is a level of animation that you rarely seem to see nowadays, it's just such a normal human thing... this ep marks the 2nd appearance of Molotov Cocktease and I really enjoy hearing David Puddy say her name... more graphic body actions in cartoon form makes me feel like some soft-core-anime porn freak... this ep marks the first mention of David Bowie 5 / 5
Episode 6 - Tag Sale - You're It! Airdate: October 9, 2004
Synopsis: Always short on cash, Dr. Venture decides to unload some of his father's old scientific equipment in a huge yard sale that attracts fellow scientists and super-villains alike. Everyone is supposed to be on their best behavior, but the Monarch can't resist the temptation to wreak havoc once he finds himself inside the "belly of the beast"...and in desperate need of a bathroom.
Rating: nice little bit to open the show, with Brock's deadpan delivery stealing the scene... Baron Ünderbheit has the most fantastic villain name, and when he takes off his steel jaw you can see the horror beneath... Phantom Limb's "power" is exactly what his name is and it's ridiculously hilarious... the decal of the shrink ray gun on the shrink ray gun is a fabulous example of what a failure Dr. Venture is... despite being completely lame, Monarch actually demonstrates some shrewd behaviour in this ep... nice little subplot with the boys opening up a lemonade 'n grinder shack at the yard sale 4 / 5
Episode 7 - Home Insecurity Airdate: August 21, 2004
Synopsis: To protect the Venture compound while Brock is on his yearly mountain survival sabbatical, Dr. Venture builds a panic room and a robotic bodyguard--which are soon put to the test when both the Monarch's and Baron Ünderbheit's henchmen choose the same night to launch attacks. While the supervillains bicker over who has dibs on Dr. Venture, Brock is busy befrending the strangest couple in the Cascadian mountains, and H.E.L.P.eR. runs away in a fit of jealousy.
Rating: this is just a fantastic ep, top to bottom... you get to see Hank smash his own head trying to coolly exit Brock's car, then later on smash Dr. Venture in the head with a fire extinguisher... Steve Summers *cough* and Sasquatch make a hilarious and very disturbing appearance in this ep... Hank's bed clothes are just so ridiculous that they'd make Aquaman blush... so far it's my favourite ep of the series 5 / 5
Episode 8 - Ghosts of the Sargasso Airdate: September 11, 2004
Synopsis: On a scientific espedition in the Bermuda Triangle, Doc's experimental equipment awakens and possibly enrages the submerged ghost of Major Tom, a test pilot who crashed in an experimental aircraft designed by Doc's father. While there, the Venture's hydrofoll is hijacked by a group of fake ghost pirates who've been stranded in the sargassum since Jesus Jones was popular.
Rating: this ep definitely has a Scooby-Doo vibe to it... despite a lot of the bathroom and juvenile-themed humour that takes place in every ep, it still feels like a high quality adventure show... another David Bowie reference, and the ghost of Major Tom shows up to scream a lot... this ep also features the worst pirates ever 4 / 5
Episode 9 - Ice Station - Impossible! Airdate: September 18, 2004
Guest Starring: Stephen Colbert as Professor Impossible
Synopsis: Dr. Venture, Pete White and Master Billy Quizboy are invited to take part in a top secret government think tank run by supergenius Professor Impossible (coincientally their former college professor), but Doc's life is in jeopardy once he learns the dark secrets of Impossible's sequested family. Meanwhile, Hank has become a walking time bomb thanks to a stolen Cold War serum, and Brock and Dean are in a race against the clock to save him.
Rating: well now I have a new favourite ep... at first I thought this ep was just a Fantastic Four homage with a little bit of The Incredibles mixed in, but then it blew FF away... basically all of the FF are represented but in a far more realistic manner than the comic books or movie, and far more entertaining too... Stephen Colbert is spot-on as the narcissitic Impossible... Brock is just awesome in this ep, slaughtering a polar bear and giving its skin to Dr. Venture to wear for warmth in under 10 seconds... just awesome 5 / 5
Episode 10 - Are You There, God? Its me, Dean Airdate: October 2, 2004
Synopsis: The Monarch finally has the Venture family right where he wants them--hanging upside down above the Amazon river! But his victory is postponed when Dean suffers a strange ailment: according to the bylaws of the Guild of Calamitous Intent, a temporary truce must be called in order to get Dean medical attention, so Brock and Hank are held as collateral. Doc calls on his friends, Master Billy Quizboy and Pete White, to help Dean with his mysterious ailment.
Rating: there is so much fantastic dialogue and back-and-forth between Team Venture and The Monarch that I believe an ep of Monarch just doing the arch-enemy thing of holding them over some death-thing for 20 minutes would be a great watch... I enjoy how there's pretty much nowhere that the creators of the show won't go... Dr. Girlfriend is just drawn ridiculously hot and I'm thankful that her voice is so manly so I don't end up harbouring another crush on an animated character (this one just based on looks!)... for more information on keeping your balls in check be sure to refer to the Scrotal Safety Commission website 4 / 5
Episode 11 - Past Tense Airdate: October 16, 2004
Synopsis: When Brock and Dr. Venture are kidnapped from the funeral of a college friend, the boys enlist the aid of the original Team Venture: a group of superscience adventurers who worked for their grandfather in the sixties. Meanwhile, the mysterious kidnapper reveals the secret of his twenty year old grudge through a series of flashbacks to when he, Brock, Doc, Baron Ünderbheit and Pete White were all in college together.
Rating: finally a lot of questions I had about how everyone came together are answered in this thrilling flashback ep... this ep shows how deep the writing and planning for the show is... well, deep that is if you don't count Action Man's repeated flatulence... Dr. Orpheus seems to be completely unfazed by everything that goes on in the Venture Compound, even when he's shot... at this point, this show is so much better than almost every Adult Swim-type show I've seen so far, even though it's in the more serious of veins 4.5 / 5
Episode 12 - The Trial of The Monarch Airdate: October 23, 2004
Synopsis: The Monarch is on trial for the one crime he may not have committed, under mysterious circumstances stemming from his bitter breakup with Dr. Girlfriend. The boys and Dr. Orpheus are forced to testify, but only Brock is aware that something far more sinister is afoot.
Rating: at some points this ep threatens to be bogged down by far too much zanyness, but then the weird lil' old-timey country lawyer guy is removed from the picture and everything gets back to reasonably awesome... the opening scene with the boys recounting an encounter with The Monarch is fantastically beautiful-looking... good ol' Phantom Limb shows up and proves he's not a one-trick pony... fairly decent ep though I wonder now who will take the place of The Monarch as the arch-enemy of Team Venture 3.5 / 5
Episode 13 - Return to Spider-Skull Island Airdate: October 30, 2004
Synopsis: Dr. Venture finally learns the secret of his recurring nightmares when a stomach tumor turns out to be something far more sinister. In a fit of jealousy over their mistaken belief their father is pregnant, the boys run away from home. But their newfound freedom is short lived once the run afoul of the law and land themselves in a "Scared Straight"-style outreach program headed by none other than the recently incarcerated Monarch.
Rating: whoa, did not see that coming... I guess I got the answer to my query at the end of the previous ep, with the introduction of Dr. Venture's twin brother from the womb finally breaking out of Dr. Venture's body... some heart-stoppingly gorgeous animation in this ep that owes a lot to any number of John Woo movies... this ep ties up pretty much all the loose ends from the season, including those bizarre womb dreams Dr. Venture was having... great end to the season and instantly makes you want Season Two to be available 5 / 5
Bonus DVD Features:
Pilot Episode - The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay Airdate: February 16, 2003
Synopsis: The Venture family travels to New York City, where Dr. Venture is presenting his newest invention to the United Nations. Meanwhile, they are pursued by the Monarch and a mysterious ninja named Otaku Senzuri.
Rating: even the pilot ep is fairly great, though the title seems to have nothing to do with the actual episode... you see a lot of the characters that go on to become regulars on the series as rough sketches of what they'd turn out to be... Monarch is pretty much the same, minus a few cosmetic changes... doesn't exactly synch up continuity-wise with the canon of the series, but this ep is just broad strokes, not the fine stuff of the regular season
Bonus Episode - A Very Venture Christmas Airdate: December 19, 2004
Synopsis: Dr. Venture throws a Christmas party for many of his friends, but the party goes awry when Dean and Hank find Dr. Orpheus's spell book. Meanwhile, the Monarch has hatched yet another plan to kill Dr. Venture, this time involving a nativity scene booby-trapped with C4 explosive.
Rating: short little Christmas-themed ep, with everything from the opening titles to the closing credits has a Christmas theme to it... hard to tell when this ep takes place, since events in the season finale render a lot of stuff in here impossible
Deleted Scenes: not really much to see here, just alternate versions and extended takes of episodic content accompanied by rough storyboards
Behind the Scenes of The Venture Bros. live action movie: this is just painful to watch and I hope there never is a Venture Bros. live action movie... really, don't watch it
Animating Hank and Dean: some bullshit about Hank and Dean being animated as a result of motion capture suits ala Andy Serkis' best work... another waste of time
The Breakdown: Simply put, I am simply amazed by how great this series is. I'm also trying to put the Extra DVD Features out of my head since they suck for the most part. I haven't listened to the commentaries yet, but I'll save that for when I actually buy the set instead of just borrowing it. The animation is gorgeous to watch, the score for each ep is excellent, the storylines are both original and pay homages to the genre it's somewhat parodying. I hate to use the word "parodying" because that cheapens how great this series is. From the pop culture references to the dialogue to the well-structured storylines and mysterious hints placed throughout the first season, The Venture Bros. should be enjoyed by everyone.
Overall Rating: Definitely a must-buy if you enjoy animated adventure comedies that are awesome 4.27 / 5