Future Man

With all the *bad* "kid ends up in a 'real life' video game"-type movies out there, I was hesitant after watching one of the early trailers. But with Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg attached, I figured I'd at least try one episode.

Needless to say... it's 6 hours later and I'm sad that I only have one episode left to watch. :'-( This might not be for everyone, but it's definitely a fun ride for anyone who loves sci-fi/time-travel movies, 'geek' culture, and/or 80's/90's nostalgia. Ridiculously fun performances by everyone involved and a story that has you eagerly ready to play the next episode before the credits appear. I was originally disappointed that the episodes were only 30min long, but they made the most of every second and it makes for great pacing.

Definitely binge-worthy, but now I'm wishing that I was the one who could time-travel... so I don't have to wait another year for Season 2!!

My score is based on what the show is trying to be, which is loosely a sci-fi with a bunch of ridiculous inept characters. It's main gimmick is time travel utilized to stop a dystopia future from taking place. Two of our main protagonists, Tiger & Wolf, send a game back in time with the idea that the individual who beats it will be their savior. Right, like 'The Last Starfighter', which the main character Hutchinson immediately points out which should cue you in as to what kind of show you're in for.

The rest is bumbling through time making mistake after mistake creating wide ranging ripples changing the lives of those connected to these characters. Over the top violence from Tiger & Wolf, Hutchinson trying his best to keep up and often times even leading. All the while there's subtle hints, jokes, and puns about other types of shows and movies involving time travel. There's even a whole episode about James Cameron poking fun at the Alien and Terminator franchises.

First and foremost this is a comedy so don't expect any hard science fiction. Yes it's crude, absurd, silly, weird, and never for a second takes itself seriously, but that's why I personally liked it and would definitely watch another season.

Future Man was so much better than I expected it to be. It literally had me laughing out loud several times per episode. It's about the love of a boring janitor named Josh Futterman (Joel Hutcherson) whose entire life is playing video games. When he beats an unbeatable game some mysterious visitors from the future show up (Derek Wilson and Eliza Coupe). They say the world is in danger and Josh is the only one who can save it. He travels through time with them as they do everything they can save Earth from aliens trying to take over. I promise that if you give this show a chance you will not be sorry! It's not the best comedy series I've ever seen but it's definitely one of the more underrated comedies I've ever seen.

I stumbled upon this show more or less by accident, and I'm honestly surprised it seems to have flown a bit under the radar, given it was produced by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. But I'm glad I did check it out; this hilarious, over the top romp was a blast from start to finish. Let me warn you, though: it's a bit of an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone. But if you like the sort of raunchy humor the Rogen/Goldberg brand usually stands for, AND you're a fan of the most iconic sci-fi blockbusters that came out over the last 30 years, chances are you're going to love it.

So what exactly is it? Well, the story pretty much recycles nearly every important plot point from nearly every better known sci-fi flick that came out over the past three decades; the show gleefully rampages through everything from 'Back To The Future' to 'Terminator I & II' to 'The Butterfly Effect' and shamelessly plunders and spoofs whatever it likes along the way. And it actually doesn't limit itself to just spoofing sci-fi: from 'Easy Rider' to 'Top Gun' nothing is safe from 'Future Man', and if you started a drinking game and had to take a sip every time you spotted a reference from another movie, you'd be drunk 20 minutes into the first episode.

But it's not all just lose references and jokes, and despite starting a bit uneven pacing wise and initially giving off the impression of an overlong comedy sketch, 'Future Man' actually soon has an engaging story to tell that ends up being quite original in its own right. As the show goes on, the characters become more than just caricatures, and chances are you'll absolutely love them by the end; they even all get satisfying arcs (naturally, of the more hilarious sort).

My verdict: For sci-fi nerds and fans of over the top comedy (who don't mind the occasional bit of gore, semen or other bodily fluids) this is a must. 8 Stars out of 10.

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Favorite films: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Whether it's a line in the dialogue, or the scene itself, nearly everything that happens in Future Man is a spoof of some sort. The references are all across the board, from Easy Rider to Midnight Cowboy to Terminator to Back To The Future to Top Gun and on and on, each scene in this show is either a spoof or homage to famous TV shows and/or Films of yesteryear, especially isolated when the characters time travel to a particular year.

How they go from scene to scene or situation to situation seems a bit forced throughout the series, as the pop culture references seem to be the most important element in the writing of the show, is sometimes forced and ham handed, but make no mistake about it, this show is all about spoofing pop culture first and foremost.

Once you understand this mechanic of the story-telling, the rest just falls into place.

Sometimes the references are laugh out loud funny, other times they simply make your eyes roll.

One thing is for sure about this show, don't take any of it seriously and please ignore the many plot holes in it.