Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law, Volume 1

-Warner Home Video (2000)

Summary

Harvey Birdman stands up for what's right or big paychecks; mostly big paychecks.

My Thoughts

Years ago I never thought I'd be watching a show about a cartoon lawyer, much less a cartoon lawyer that slept with Boo Boo Bear. Thanks to the magic of Cartoon Network, and more specifically the programming spot Adult Swim, such a lawyer exists and his name is Harvey Birdman. In the tradition that started with Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Harvey Birdman pillages the archives of classic Hanna Barbara toons and abuses them with hilarious results. Like SeaLab 2021, I wasn't too familiar with the source material so I wasn't sure what to expect when I first caught the show. It didn't take long to catch on. Harvey was a super hero from his own series that apparently became a lawyer along the way. Birdman takes on famous Hanna Barbara characters as his clients. Much of the classic Hanna Barbara cartoons used in the series are from before my time, but I've seen enough Scooby Doo, The Flintstones, and Yogi Bear to appreciate the lampooning.

In the first episode Birdman is hired by Dr. Benton C. Quest (the infamous Johnny Quest’s father) who is on the defense from his assistant Race Banner. Race wants custody of Johnny and Hadji because he believes that he’s more like a father to the boys than Dr. Quest. Successive episodes feature Scooby Doo and Shaggy who are suspected of using a little more than Scooby Snacks to get happy, a Unabomber-like Boo Boo, and a Fred Flintstone that more than a little resembles Tony Soprano. Harvey himself is portrayed as goofy and a little out of it, but lovable. The attorneys he finds himself against are all enemies from his crime fighting days, including Reducto, who threatens everyone with his shrink gun. There's more than enough sexual overtones and jokes to keep the kids happy and moments where a live action Birdman runs down the beach with a walking can of Tab can not, and should not, be missed.

The skewering of Hanna Barbara cartoons is so fun that Harvey Birdman is one of my favorite Adult Swim cartoons. It features less bizarre humor than both SeaLab and Aqua Teen Hunger Force, therefore making it more accessible to a wider audience. Perhaps not coincidently, the episodes on this disc that aren't as great are the ones with the wackiest humor. The more involved Birdman's boss Phil Ken Sebben and Harvey’s assistant Peanut are involved in the plot the more the show gets away from its original intention, though there are some great situations that do eventually come about with the introduction of these characters. My only real problem with this series is Steven Colbert. I think the guy is funny, but he's in everything now. I'm sick of hearing is voice in Mountain Dew to Midas commercials to other cartoon network series like The Venture Brothers. Come on already, find another voice! Otherwise it’s great to hear some of the original voice talent reprising their roles throughout the series.

This edition is strikingly similar to other Adult Swim releases like Sea Lab 2021 in its presentation of crisp clear colors. The sound mix is serviceable, although it only comes in a 2.0 variety. All and all the edition combines a great cartoon in an affordable and attractive little package.

Extras

The packaging for this release is fairly simple, yet sort of resembles a neat-o law book. The menus are equally simple, but stylish looking like case files complete with some “handwritten” notes. Wesley Willis fans will be pleased to hear him singing "Birdman Kicked My Ass" on the main menu screen. Ahh that lovable deceased psychopath.

The extras on this disc are sparse, but are a great quality. The episodes "Very Personal Injury,” "The Daba Don" and a couple of others feature commentary tracks by the series creators.  I found them to be what commentaries should be all about, informative, funny, and engaging. There was a commentary track on The Devlin Made Me Do It featuring an attorney and a standards and practices person that’s sparse with comment, yet still entertaining. Trio’s Company has some deleted scenes that play more like moving sketches with recorded dialogue. Much of it is like what appears on the show with altered visual gags that are a little too racy, even for Adult Swim standards.

You’d think that this amount of extras would be enough, but there’s more! This edition has an extras section that features a live action open to the show and an even more awesome live action Harvey Birdman trailer. There’s also a crew pictures section that actually addresses the fact that only crew would be interested in seeing their own pictures… crew and people that review DVDs. It’s actually worth a look.

As for the rest of the extras there’s a Harvey Birdman that’s voiced by Stephen Colbert and another scene with Todd Barry as the costumed lawyer. “Pencil Test and Final Animation” is a pencil drawing test scene compared with the final version that’s a pretty worthless extra. A funny live action Tab Can on the beach scene is given alternative Ukrainian lyrics to round out the extras.

Score:

Episode Average: 8.5

Extras: 8.0

Edition: 8.5

-Paul