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He's the Wild Blue Yonder, and The Tick is back to show why this outlandishly funny TV series should never have been canceled! After proving his mettle in comic books and animated TV, creator Ben Edlund's blue-insect superhero made his auspicious debut on Fox (in November 2001), portrayed in live action (in a buff-muscled rubber suit) by Patrick Warburton, the popular Seinfeld guest star (as "Puddy"), who instantly perfected the role he was born to play. In his appreciative commentary track, co-executive producer (and Men in Black director) Barry Sonnenfeld calls the pilot episode "the best thing I've ever directed," and it's easy to agree: wide-angle lenses, stylized sets, hilarious dialogue and a comedically gifted cast make the episode (and the entire series) a perfect summation of Sonnenfeld's wacky style. Edlund concurs, observing that The Tick is "something you get or you don't," and the impatient Fox executives obviously didn't get the show's expert blend of absurdity, stupidity, and good-natured irreverence. They axed the series after eight of these nine episodes aired, only proving that The Tick was too hip for their bean-counting mentalities.
In the title role, Warburton (with highly expressive antennae) hits all the right notes of dimwitted innocence and brute-force gallantry, aided immeasurably by his moth-costumed sidekick Arthur (David Burke), wannabe lothario Batmanuel (Nestor Carbonell), and buxom beauty Captain Liberty (Liz Vassey). Attentive to the more mundane aspects of superheroism, The Tick offers outrageous villains (like the nefarious "Destroyo") and eccentric allies (like Ron Perlman's hilarious "Fiery Blaze") while showing that even crimefighters have everyday problems and desires. Brilliantly conceived and executed, The Tick can now be enjoyed by an audience it never had a proper chance to cultivate. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By S. Fehr
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you love super heroes, cheesy one liners, and confusing conflicts then you need to watch this mini series. My only regret is that it is too short, so much potential here. And it is not all silly gags and well placed puns but real world issues are masked beneath the goofy facade making you think while your sides hurt from laughing too much. I never watched The Tick animated cartoon but if its anything like this then I am going to love it. Seriously this is such a fun ride, and don't be too put off by the cheese factor it means well.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The Tick was a live action television series that aired during the fall of 2001 on FOX. The show was based on writer Brian Edlund's irreverent and often brightly brilliant 1990s comic book and cartoon series of the same name. The premise of the franchise is simple: it serves as an exploration into the daily lives of superheroes. Like Seinfeld before it, the strength of The Tick stood in its ability to inject the surreal into the lives of its characters by ensuring that they are all well-grounded in a realistic, believable setting. The cartoon itself spanned thirty-six half hour episodes and ran for three seasons from 1994-97 (and is sadly not yet available on DVD). The live action series wasn't as long lived, seeing the production of only nine half hour episodes, of which only seven were ever aired by FOX.
Like so many shows before it (Twin Peaks, Nowhere Man, Firefly and Maximum Bob), The Tick suffered the fate of cancellation simply because it was too good for tv. The uniqueness of shows like The Tick lay in their ability to consistently deliver a compellingly original storytelling experience for its viewers. But it was this very uniqueness that made these shows the ugly ducklings of their day - scary on the outside for the networks who had to market them, but hiding a hidden treasure trove of situational goodness on the inside for the viewers fortunate enough to find them.
Overall, the different incarnations of The Tick are appealing because of their keen, shoot from the hip, suave mentality. It takes the idea of the traditional superhero mythos and literally turns it on its head with hilarious results. This 2-disc DVD brings this live action series back to life, with a myriad of fascinating extras, from behind the scenes interviews to episode commentaries by the writers and producers of the show, making it a must have for any DVD collection.
By A Customer
Format:DVD
... I did watch it religiously when it was on TV. Apologies for not having read the comic (I've just recently given up my anti-comic-book mentality and am working my way through The Maxx and Sandman), but I have to say that after having watched the cartoon, what happened to the characters' names in the live action show? What happened to Die Fladermaus (sp?) and American Maid? Such clever names that never made it... Again, forgive me if the characters' names were originally Batmanuel and Captain Liberty, but I just don't think they're as good. Aside from that, and the fact that the show was cancelled, I highly recommend picking this up; I know I will!
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4.3 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
the TICK, with peoples!
Our family loves the animated series, so I thought why not buy the 'human version', just for kicks. Well, I'd save your money if you are tossing the idea around. Read more
Published on July 14 2009 by A. Mansfield
5.0 out of 5 stars
ticktactular
i always loved the cartoon seris and sice i live in ireland i had to stay up until six o'clock to watch the live action version but it was worth it. Read more
Published on Aug 2 2004
5.0 out of 5 stars
an amazing comic made into an amazing show
I was a fan of The Tick comic books ( all, what, 13 of them?) and they are amongst my most prized posessions. Read more
Published on Jun 22 2004 by Quickbeam
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific Tick
I never watched the series when it was on the air, or watched the cartoon, comic book...but I was always told they were funny and be something that I would enjoy. Read more
Published on May 6 2004 by RK O
5.0 out of 5 stars
"A secret message from my teeth!"
Ben Edlund's oft-licensed, off-beat creation was never in finer form than Patrick Warburton's jut-jawed portrayal of The Wild Blue Yonder himself. Read more
Published on May 4 2004 by Sam Thursday
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm TICKED OFF that they canceled this show
Probably the most hysterically funny TV show ever! Beats Seinfeld! (by a narrow margin). Would've loved to see their take on the comic "Night of a million zillion... Read more
Published on April 24 2004 by Douglas Henry
2.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely NOT the cartoon version...
I don't know why, but the cartoon version was just about the funniest show I had ever seen, but for some reason it didn't transfer well into live-action. Read more
Published on Mar 3 2004
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty cool
I've been a fan of The Tick since the original comic book series in the late 80's. Writer Ben Edlund was genius on this series, but alas the comic only lasted 13 issues with him as... Read more
Published on Mar 1 2004 by -|-
4.0 out of 5 stars
I want to sick The Tick on all those evil doing TV execs
I have argued to friends that TV is a medium with vaster potential than cinema. TV has an extraordinary advantage: more time, time to develop characters, story lines, long story... Read more
Published on Feb 28 2004 by Robert Moore
1.0 out of 5 stars
Oops - it's not the cartoon
I bought this from a GoldBox offer and then realized it was not the cartoon! I haven't received it yet, and already I hate it! Please put out the cartoon series on DVD!!!
Published on Feb 13 2004
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