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Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story DVD

About.com Rating threehalf out of Five

By Nancy Basile, About.com

Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story

Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story

Fox Home Entertainment

The Bottom Line

Family Guy is one of my favorite shows, even though sometimes it goes where I would dare not. I really looked forward to Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story because I knew creator Seth MacFarlane would use this straight-to-DVD opportunity to be a little racier than usual. That part was true, but he couldn't break out of the twenty-two minute rhythm TV writers are used to in order to sustain momentum for the whole movie.
Pros
  • A new, longer story from Family Guy.
  • A bit bawdier than it can be on primetime.
Cons
  • Can't sustain momentum needed for feature length.

Description

  • DVD release date September 27, 2005.
  • 88 minute run time.
  • Commentary, still galleries, animatics.

Guide Review - Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story DVD

I was really looking forward to Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story. I expected Seth MacFarlane to use this straight-to-DVD opportunity to make Family Guy racier, and tell more complicated stories. He did both, but not successfully.

The funniest part is the beginning. The Griffin family arrives at the red carpet for the premiere of their movie. The whole scene is a great jab at Hollywood. We also see characters behaving, especially Lois, in ways they haven't behaved before. So the opening really set me up for a fun film.

But then it started. I remained optimistic through joke after joke. But I knew the synopsis of the movie and I kept wondering, "What's going on?" It took nearly half an hour to get to the center storyline of the movie. I started to think it was all about Peter and "What Grinds My Gears." (You'll see what I mean.)

Bits and flashbacks that are unbelievably funny in a half-hour episode start to lose their bit when they fill up eighty-eight minutes. I started to feel numb. I knew the jokes were funny, but I was bored and couldn't bring myself to laugh. Maybe I needed to watch the DVD in a couple of sittings.

Don't get me wrong. The central story is clever and funny. But it probably could have been told in a half-hour episode (though we wouldn't have had as much adult humor.)

You should buy the DVD, though. It's funny enough, and you won't see this "episode" anywhere else. Just be ready to o.d. on Family Guy.

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