Boondocks Season 1 Episode 11

Now, for a long time american and european cartoons, big budget or South Park, have not posessed the artistic direction normally associated with anime from the east or even traditional comic books. I personally refute this and feel that western cartoons tackle their audience in a different way. Maybe I'll re-edit this post to go deeper into these points, but until then... let me get back to the point.

Now, I'm not a huge movie buff, even in the mainstream sense. I haven't seen Scarface, Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction or any other violent classic you care to name - I'll sidestep other genres as they aren't relevant to today's post. So a lot of things other people would recognise as nods to famous movies I simply take at face value and enjoy them as if they were a completely new effect. This is a crucial point especially with a show that quotes and borrows from a lot of the "must sees" of yester-year.

Boondocks, is in my opinion this seasons Chapelle Show. Not because it is a mix of extremist black views wrapped in a comedy package. The thing that binds the two shows in my opinion is an ability to become more than a sum of it's parts. Now, if you've ever seen an episode of Chapelle Show you will know that it is a great sketch based comedy show. However, if you ever watch Dave Chapelle doing stand-up, you would soon realise that he just isn't suited to that kind of situation. His lack of pacing and the poor layout of his act make it a chore to watch, amusing in places, but still a chore to watch. In the same way, I found Aaron McGruder's comic strips mildly amusing with the occasional thought provoking point, but on the whole it seemed flacid and ill-suited to the medium. So, when I heard he had been commisioned to do a series I hoped and prayed that he was given a good producer and art director to steer the show towards fulfilling it's promise. Overall, the show has shattered all expectations I had for it. The way the story, music, references and cameos have been layered have given me a immensely watchable show that I watch over and over without hesitation.
Episode 11 is a case in point. Oozing style and silky delivery throughout the episode the nods to mainstream cinema as well as Asian anime and manga in it's fighting scenes make this a visual feast which is complemented by well placed adrenaline-fueled hip hop exerpts to keep the pacing.






The episode starts with a Pulp Fiction style conversation on the virtues of 'txting' (I have seen that part of Pulp Fiction, many times...) and it's classification as a 'nigger technology'. These wiggers are voiced by Charlie Murphy and Samuel L. Jackson.



Once they arrive they are met by Riley, one of the main characters. This pic looks like a pastiche of Snatch to me... but if anyone can think of another movie that predates Snatch with this effect, let me know. This initiates a scene where the two white males try to rob a bank.



After a failed attempt at robbing the bank in a reasonable time, the gang arrange to meet the next day. However, Riley doesn't count on his brother (Huey, the embodiment of the author's ideals) stopping him from going. Thus a superbly scripted fight ensues that very few tv shows can ever hope to match. Short, sweet and taking cues from every fight scene in recent memory. It truly is enjoyable at worst, timeless at best.



After making it to their HQ, the gang decide that they'll try and kidnap Opera at a local booksigning. Of course this goes horribly wrong... But I'll leave that much and the rest of the episode for you to enjoy. All I can say is that unless I describe and explain every reference and line of the show, it's brilliance would not be understandable. So, just watch it. There should be a streamable copy on the Comedy Central website or you can obtain it via other means.