Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return

As much as I want to like MST in all its forms, this attempts to keeping the show alive are pale shades of the even the worst of the original.

The new crew come across as a group of fans who THINK they can riff like the cast of MST. (There are a ton of folks doing the same level of riffs on YouTube.) Jonas and the bots all sound to similar and each provide the same style of "jokes". They lack the personality that Joel/Mike, Trace/Bill and Kevin brought to their characters.

There are many seasons, most of them pretty damn funny, of the original show that can be endlessly watched.

Turn down the lights (where applicable) and keep circulating the tapes.

One of the problems with reviving a cultural monolith like MST3K, is that it needs to be done perfectly or it will be deemed a dismal failure.

This reboot does a pretty decent job in updating many aspects of the show to 2017. The DIY aesthetic is still there and exploited pretty well. The cast is very solid. The change to Gypsy was a long time coming and well-executed.

The films that have been chosen are not particularly stand-out awful, but definitely fodder for riffing.

The main issues I have with the rebooted series can be ascribed to growing-pains as the cast and crew (re)acquaint themselves and fall into a groove. Although fondly remembered, the first two seasons or so of MST3K are far from stellar for similar reasons: the chemistry needs time to brew, everyone needs to get the feel of the format, and they need to find their strengths and exploit them.

The Host Segments are somewhat weak. While they have always been hit or miss, in this series they are rather disposable. This might be remedied once the crew decides on the relationship between Jonah and the Bots. Joel was "the Father" and Mike was the "Brother." Jonah is kind of awkwardly tossed into there and they simply abide.

The Riffing is pretty good but way too fast-paced. While it is naturally scripted (for maximum effect) it is way too jam-packed and the Riffers stumble over themselves trying to get as many in per film. It really weakens the impact of jokes and kills off the all-so-sweet illusion that they're organic. Some of their strongest riffs were the prolonged gags that they gave more than a second's notice to. As a consequence of this rapid-fire pace, they really miss opportunities to focus on exploitable moments or they create awkward transitions that really do not sell what could have been apexes of the episode.

As I said, the quality is there: they just need to see it and grow into it. So time will tell if they do so. Their pacing of riffs is perhaps their key area that needs improvement.

That said, for a reboot: they have updated the series and format well and just need to fine-tune it and surpass the growing pains.

I went into Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return with a positive outlook. I left wanting to hang myself. One of my major problems is the humor. No longer is it clever puns or jokes. Now MST3K:R is just a bunch of pop culture references because that is what sells. If this is your brand of humor, I get it. You'll probably enjoy this show more than I. However, you must admit that repeating the same brand of joke is lazy. My next major problem is the special effects. They all look terrible. I wouldn't have a problem with the effects if this were the old show. In the old show (MST3K) the effect were crappy because they barely had a budget. Now they have a budget and, should give a crap about the effects. Of course, there are some good things. The show is self aware and, knows it ridiculous. That is the one thing I could appreciate about Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return.

I'm a fan of the original release, the cast were quick, witty and hilarious (Space Mutiny being my absolute favourite). The 2017 version has been updated, but the much loved corny effects and movies are still there with more modern references. However, I find that there seems to be *too* much going on during the movie. The cast seem to jump in with a joke just slightly before it happens and they seem to comment on everything and anything. I know that MST3K has always been scripted, but the original felt like it was just some friends watching a movie, the jokes felt (mostly) natural and spontaneous. The new one, not so much. There are whole chunks of jokes and talking at times and it's a little off putting personally. I've also noticed that the little silhouette at the bottom seems to be slightly smaller than in the original series! However, the B movies are just as terrible, the actors and robots are funny, which is all you really need for MST3K, I'm sure it'll please new and old viewers alike.

Mst3k is one of my all time favorite shows. Joel has never been a favorite of mine, but I really do enjoy the episodes when he is a host. When Mike became host, however, I think they polished the show exactly where they wanted it. Almost every joke was on point and hilarious.

Throughout the entire run, there was almost a humble way of presenting it. They didn't need famous people or cameos at all and it seemed to do really well with the limited characters. It didn't need anything else. For a show with such a zany and not-so-serious premise, the story was great that you could follow it. If it had a cast change, they would make a comment or explain why a certain thing was a certain way. They would always acknowledge questions. The show also ended on a great note.

With the new season, it seems like it was painfully rushed and sloppy. The story is lackluster and doesn't answer a lot of questions you may have. For example, they have a lot of callbacks to previous episodes and seasons and seem to go into detail about certain things, but gloss over why the bots are back on the SOL in the first place. I know "it's just a show and I should relax", but with them including details to link the story to past seasons and then gloss over why the bots are back doesn't make too much sense.

I actually don't mind the new cast. Jonah makes a good host that reminds me of Joel and the actor for Crow plays it very well. Tom Servo's voice however is rough. It seems like he is just trying to imitate Kevin Murphy's Servo most of the time. It is obvious because he doesn't seem to have a personality so far. I don't think it was a good casting choice, but it is the very beginning of the new season. Speaking of voices, Gypsy's new voice is terrible. I don't think that because it is a woman's voice, but because it makes the character no longer that interesting. Gypsy, to me, was always great because it was obviously a man imitating a woman. With this new voice it just doesn't add anything new. Also, her dropping in the theater to make a joke is super distracting.

The new mads are decent. I like Oswalt's character, but Kinga is far too overacted. Even for this show she is over the top and doesn't strike me as genuine like the past mads. She is rarely funny and doesn't scream "evil" to me. I may just have to get used to her because I found Pearl Forrester to be perfect in every way. I absolutely loved Mary's character and her timing.

As I said before, the riffs are too quick and the jokes are lackluster at best. They almost talk over one another and don't let the jokes breathe. They cram too much. Also, all these cameos are awful. They don't add anything to the show and it is not needed. I am hoping it gets renewed for another season as I think there is a lot of potential. Hopefully Joel lets Jonah make it his show a little bit rather than a rehash of Joel jokes. Overall it is a decent watch, but I don't think it demands repeated viewings.