I remember when I first heard of MST3K (the official Abbreviation of Mystery Science Theater 3000). It was by accident from some friends in High School but I didn't start watching some episodes until last year. Overall, it was a very simple, low budget, show that weirdly seemed to work.
The basic plot was that one guy got captured by some evil scientists and they have been looking for the cheesiest movie to torture the world with. First it was series creator Joel Hodgson and then it was Mike Nelson. Now the future of MST3K is back and a new generation of comedians have taken over the cheesy movie anarchy that is Mystery Science Theater 3000.
In the new return of the series, comedian Jonah Ray (called Jonah Heston) is playing our victim with Felicia Day (known for being part of the Geek and Sundry YouTube Channel [and a personal new favorite channel of mine]) plays Kinga Forrester, daughter of the original torturing professor Dr. Clayton Forrester (played by Trace Beaulieu) and granddaughter to the second tortured for most of Mike Nelson's episodes, Pearl Forrester (with Mary Jo Perl returning to play her for a couple of episodes). Trying to reclaim her family legacy she finally gets Jonah as a willing victim to her evil and gets her assistant Max (a.k.a. TV's Son of TV's Frank played by Patton Oswalt) to help assist her and they even have a Show Jazz Band lead by Har Mar Superstar, a ska bandleader. But do not worry about all the evil people as Jonah has some sanity kept with 4 robot friends. Cambot, (the silent one), Gypsy (the only female robot now voiced by a female; comedienne Rebecca Hanson) Tom Servo (the cool guy robot voiced currently by Baron Vaughn) and Crow T. Robot (the different robot voiced by Hampton Yount).
Overall, All actors deliver some great lines with sarcasm and wit with talking back or with one another as well as noting and commenting on every part of the terrible movies our victims on The Satellite of Love must watch. As well as acting in these episodes, the actors playing the main victims have also written the episodes and greatly follows the insane, goofball, and absurd comedy of the original series. This is also in part to both the fan raised Kickstarter for the revival (which had the highest successful campaign for TV and Movies. $5,764,229 dollars to be exact.) and the fact that Joel is executive producer for the series as well. Guest writers have also contributed like Justin Roiland from Rick and Morty, Dana Gould from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Dan Harmond who hosts HarmondQuest and written for NBC's Arrested Development Community. All of the writing has been supplied by many modern comedy writers and comedians who have lent their talents for this series and have supplied quite a fun run for this series.
As for the settings, each of the sets gives the nostalgic feel of the original series with the low budget look but it still looks pretty stylized and different from the overall series taken in part to the Kickstarter and the Netflix backup. The sci-fi surroundings compliment the overall series aspect of the cheesy movies they all riff on as well. Makes perfect sense. And the introduction song still rings as iconic with just a few lyric changes to Jonah's arrival as our test subject friend. A new song as well as more will arrive with my personal preview of "Every Country has a Monster," a funny mythological rap on all the mysterious creatures that all countries must face off against written by famous Songwriter and Composer Robert Lopez (Of Avenue Q, Book of Mormon, and Frozen fame).
Definately check out MST3K on Netflix. An absurdly funny, clean, and yet silly show and makes a good point of reviving shows done right.
4.5/5
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