Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie

'CHEECH & CHONG'S ANIMATED MOVIE': Four Stars (Out of Five)

Just in time for 4/20 the popular stoner comedy duo Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong are back with their first movie together in 29 years (since 1984's 'THE CORSICAN BROTHERS') and their first animated flick ever. It's really just a bunch of their old comedy skits (from their comedy albums) done to animation. For fans of the duo it's nothing new really but I'm not that familiar with their work. It's embarrassing to admit, being a film nut, but I've never seen one of their film's all the way through (I've been meaning to go back and watch them for years now) and have only seen pieces of them years ago. I've also never heard one of their albums so for me the material was all fresh and funny. People that know the classic stoner duo's material well might be disappointed that it's all old stuff but I liked it and liked the film as well.

Cheech and Chong do all of the voices in the movie playing out bits from their grammy winning comedy albums like "Dave's not here, man", "Let's Make a Dope Deal" and "Sister Mary Elephant". It's all written by the duo and directed by Branden Chamers and Eric D. Chambers. The skits are portrayed in a really 'old school' cartoon fashion (which is pretty cool in my opinion). The soundtrack also features nine new songs by Cheech & Chong.

The duo is legendary, so to some, this film lacking anything new (other than the music) might disappoint but it seems like it could still be good nostalgic fun. I loved the classic old fashioned animation and the comedy was refreshingly different than other stoner flicks out there right now. The comedy team is most famous for spoofing the stoner stereotype perfectly and has been criticized by some for perpetuating it. Anyone nowadays should be educated enough to know that marijuana users don't generally act like this in reality. It's an exaggerated joke, which happens to be really funny. I really enjoyed this movie even if it has nothing new to offer; it was new to me.

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlL2HwB_YmA

Now this is funny, man. It's great to finally watch a comedy that actually made me laugh and smile to the credits. Why the insanely low score? There must be a lot of narcs without a sense of humor, man.

I'm a big Cheech and Chong fan. No, I wasn't high when I watched this. In fact, I was totally sober. The super raunchy humor was enough to get me slant eyed. Even my wife, who had never seen a C&C flick, cracked up. But, really, this one is mainly for the hardcore fans.

The only thing that bummed out this movie was the stiff animation. It made everyone seem like robot stoners. The colors were bright and pleasing to the (bloodshot) eyes. They really should have opted for an animation team that could have matched the physical comedy to the voices. Regardless, I had a blast watching this. Grab your best buds and have a groovy time, man.

The idea is interesting, but there are drawbacks! The beginning of paintings are very fun and interesting, but towards the middle the film starts to bore you. Interesting course of the plot Chapter by Chapter, but very much interferes with the music! It's thundering!

I've always been a Cheech and Chong fan, so I was looking forward to Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie, but basically it's an animated "Greatest Hits" collection of some of their audio skits from their albums. The animation is pretty decent, looks bright and vibrant in High-Def. The animation is better than a Flash animated movie per-say, but it does have that type of feel to it. The movie segways between set pieces, and really all I can say is if your a fan of the duo you'll still enjoy it even though it's not new material. It reminds me of the Looney Tune movies that used old animation mixed in with new in a way.

It could have been worse though, it is fun for what it is, as long as you don't go into it with huge expectations.

And in their newest artistic veneering of their oldest and most popular material, "Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie" paints a new face on their old faves Containing classic cartoon infused bits such as "Let's Make a Dope Deal," "Drive In," and the iconic "Dave's Not Here," the film is definitely a niche release, leaving little orientation to the uninitiated. For those familiar with the dynamic doobie duo however, the film is a laced love letter to the heyday of Cheech and Chong, who received much of their turn-and-burn earnings from the 1978 stash-starter "Up In Smoke." And while Animated Movie wreaks less of the early films, and more like Comedy Central's short-lived series "Shorties Watchin' Shorties" – an on-par animated vehicle in which stand-up acts are morphed into cartoonish mini movies – the groundwork laid by the early days of Cheech and Chong comes alive in this priming for a whole new generation of eager beavers. Never ones to stay stoned and silent, three commentary tracks top the extras menu, with a good burn given by directors Eric and Branden Chambers and Lou Adler on all things production. Tommy Chong and son Paris provide a great track that explores some known and not-so-known insights. And with the third pass, Cheech and Chong together gaze through the glaze and haze of their off-and-on careers taking viewers on a bong-filled ride fueled by cannabis and comedy. A Cheech and Chong stills gallery, an appropriate "Low Maintenance Listening Mode," and footage from Blind Mellon's "Medical Marijuana" recording session also pad the stash. So with two likable guys with half-opened eyes that have grown extra large in comedy size, "Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie" still may insist that "Dave's not here man," but the sultans of smoky jokes are most definitely still in the building.