Robot Chicken: Season Five [Blu-Ray]

"You know the drill, fast and hard, people!" Those self-aware opening words shouted by the stop-motion toy version of co-creator and franchise face (by default of public awareness) Seth Green might as well be Robot Chicken's motto. Still balls deep in irreverent juvenile nostalgia after five years, the scattershot filth-fest has eased off ever so slightly on the sex and masturbation jokes, making more room for deeply depraved ultra-violence, meta-mockery and stabs at satire that are nearly subconscious enough to leave a mark, even if that mark is likely to be a penis tattoo to the forehead. Between the death count of popular characters in the season opener and finale, and increased confidence in expanding the abstract fanboy constraints (a lot of jokes rely on specific winking reference rather than genuine wit, or even simple, relatable shock value) of the show's humour, season five feels like a culmination of a phase in its potential evolution. Or they could just hit the reset button for more coldly juxtaposed farce with Bitch Puddin', the Humping Robot, Composite Santa and all the other affectionate, absurd inventions of immature madness that have fed stoners and insomniacs 15-minute servings of not-so-innocent diversion with such zany enthusiasm for the past half-decade. But I hope not. As is their wont, the Robot Chicken team dish large and deep with a special feature spread that is as hit and miss as the clips the show's comprised of. That includes a cubic butt-load of unique promos, alternate audio and deleted scenes and animatics, most of which include candid explanations from the writers responsible and at least one co-worker who shot the idea down. This leads to some chuckle-worthy reprisals of geek catfights. Goofy behind-the-scenes shenanigans continue with mid-episode cut-away commentaries dubbed "Chicken Nuggets" and eating contest "Taco Libre," the loser of which must spend a week at work in fetish wear. The breadth of celebrities who show up with self-parody on the menu likely has something to do with Robot Chicken being an obvious nonsensical lark with no insight, unlike the always-poignant South Park. Even so, the guests range from Jeri Ryan faking an orgasm to Diablo Cody (who reportedly punched-up her self-deprecating dialogue), Megan Fox (who is surprisingly affective as an emasculating Lois Lane) and Brian Austin Green (who was in no way surprising) lampooning themselves, to Katee Sackoff and Michelle Tracheonberg having a filth-off, and Nathan Fillion jesting about blackmail, all the way to a bizarre bit of happenstance involving Jon Hamm's mother. There are two additional "Behind the Scenes" features: R&B vocalist Patrick Stump professing his excitement over being tapped for the voice of Avatar sex-funk jam "Blue Rabbits Fucking," which also comes in a karaoke version, and a look at the meticulous single-shot massacre that is "Episode 100."