Star Wars Parody: Family Guy: "Blue Harvest"

KATE SAYS this is a hilarious 1-hour parody of what I continue to think of as Star Wars I, even though it is IV (A New Hope).

It's hilarious for so many reasons--the tiny Vadar; the good-natured nitpicks (in response to Luke's query, "You don't believe in the force, do you?" Han responds, "Oh, you mean that thing you just learned about three hours ago, and are now judging me for not believing in?")--but especially because it is also a tribute. The strength of the original story is not lost and there are multiple--almost eerie--reproductions of the most famous special effects and shots, like the shot of the Millennium Falcon entering the Death Star.

At the end, I wanted to go back and rewatch the original (the true original without all the bells and whistles added in). A parody that can make you love the original more is worth watching!

The only part I found disturbing/pointless was Obi Wan Kenobi as a pedophile. I have a feeling that Family Guy fans may have found this hilarious since they not only know Star Wars but know the Family Guy characters. This was my first time seeing anything Family Guy-ish, and I just thought the use of the John Herbert character was odd, especially since--according to Wikipedia--there were plenty of other Family Guy characters to choose from (why not Patrick Warburton's character? I don't know anything about the character, but Patrick Warburton is hilarious--and great at dead-pan).

The choice is doubly odd since, as noted above, this parody is also a tribute. I especially liked the John Williams tribute, even after the orchestra was burnt to a crisp. So how is it that Alec Guiness didn't merit an equal degree of affection/respect?

Consequently, I'll doubt I'll be able to put "Blue Harvest" at the top of my parody list. However, I do put this exchange at the top of my Funniest Dialog Ever list (I was literally ROFL-LOL; I still snicker--even when I'm out in public--when I remember it):

Princess Leia (Lois): [recording her message on R2-D2] Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. you're my only hope. All right, now what do I click?
R2-D2 (Cleveland): Click "Preferences".
Princess Leia (Lois): Okay, I clicked "Preferences".
R2-D2 (Cleveland): Now go to "Default Media Browser".
Princess Leia (Lois): Okay. There's a little hourglass and it's-it's not letting me do anything. It-it says "Buffering": what is that?
R2-D2 (Cleveland): Just give it a minute.
Princess Leia (Lois): All I'm trying to do is make an MPEG.
R2-D2 (Cleveland): All I'm trying to do is tell you to wait a minute.
Princess Leia (Lois): Okay, relax.
R2-D2 (Cleveland): Now click, "Import Video File".
Princess Leia (Lois): All right. It's telling me I have to download RealPlayer 7.
R2-D2 (Cleveland): You know what? I'll just bring it to him myself.

MIKE SAYS Family Guy and Star Wars have something in common in my house:  Whenever either of them are on, I can't help but stop and watch . . . though admittedly for different reasons.  While love and nostalgia still fuel my Star Wars viewing, Family Guy is something more of a "That is wrong on so many levels that I can't look away . . ."

Their take on Star Wars is hilarious and very complete . . . even though it's much shorter ( I honestly don't know how: less establishing shots, maybe?).  While Family Guy primarily survives on sheer shock value, I do find it honestly funny from time to time.  And while the Star Wars special isn't devoid of the shocking, suggestive, and downright disturbing humor of the series,  it's much cleaner than I had originally expected.

The great thing about the special is the depth of the jokes themselves.  While some are for the casual viewer (this may be where the Obi-Wan parody came in), the majority are not just for fans of Star Wars, but rather for the people who know it inside and out.  Comments on everything from the soundtrack ("Ladies and gentlemen, John Williams!") to Han's lack of actual piloting skills ("You call that a maneuver?!?"), "Blue Harvest"'s jests are for the folks who have seen the movie thousands of times . . . especially since it was written by those very same people!

My favorite bit of the episode has little to do with Star Wars itself, but rather the creator, Seth McFarlane, who is also the voice of several characters, including Peter/Han.  The actor who plays his son, Chris, is the one and only Seth Green, former Werewolf and creator of another eccentric animated series, Robot Chicken.* Their discussion about the two shows, their success, and their choice to honor Star Wars is hilarious on so many levels that's I'm often left laughing for several minutes into the credits.  The following specials are also quite humorous, but "Blue Harvest" is something special, as like the original film itself, it's something new and different and hard to match.

* See our review in 2 weeks! Coming up: Spaceballs!