MVD Rewind Collection: Spaceballs The Totally Warped Animated Adventures (2008) - Reviewed

Images courtesy of MVD Rewind Collection

MVD Entertainment and particularly their Rewind Collection sublabel have shown some interesting acquisitions lately, from their Laservision double features of Knock Off and Double Impact to their recent martial arts ensemble Force: Five.  Releasing on Blu-ray and sometimes 4K disc usually featuring a collectible mini poster, the Rewind Collection is a bit like Tubi or Vinegar Syndrome, scouring film vaults and culling together disparate cult favorites and publishing them in lovingly restored editions.  But sometimes even the folks at MVD Visual as well as their ongoing Rewind Collection are stuck with putting things out which, let’s face it, nobody wants.  Such is the case for their two-DVD set for 2008’s Spaceballs: The Animated Series, a misbegotten poorly animated spring boarding from the hit 1987 Mel Brooks comedy that was created, produced by and starring Brooks himself that was widely panned upon its original airing before being cancelled altogether.

 
In a curious if not deceptive move on MVD Visual’s part, all thirteen episodes of the series have been spread across two DVD discs housed in a Blu-ray case with a slipcover.  Now anyone looking at this will assume they’re buying a Blu-ray given the case size and the collectible slipcover, but alas when we look a bit closer you’ll see you’re getting a DVD instead.  Not that DVD is an unwatchable format, as some of my favorite titles in recent years have come out on DVD only.  But when you put it in a Blu-ray case, it creates confusion that boggles the mind if not frustrating the consumer.  In any event, the sleeve has interior printing on a clear case with a complete episode guide for anyone keen on attempting all 329 minutes of this frankly bad omen about Spaceballs 2.  I was and still am leery about Mel Brooks doing another one of these and if it is anything remotely like Spaceballs: The Animated Series, count me out.

 
In fairness the disc comes with an exclusive Spaceballs 2 trailer and Mel Brooks die-hards will get suckered into picking this up in preparation for the 2027 film and all MVD Visual did was license it out.  But from the poorly retimed jokes, more than overt sexist leanings including reciting dirty jokes from before than land cringe inducingly now, an aggravating theme song again rendered by none other than Brooks himself, Spaceballs: The Animated Series will make a good couple of coasters for those who can’t afford the official version of Spaceballs: The Coaster.  All in all, a very hard pass even for the staunchest of MVD Rewind Collection buyers who need to get all the spine numbers aligned Criterion style.  Spaceballs while perhaps the most juvenile of Mel Brooks’ offerings when compared to what he did with The Producers or Blazing Saddles is still an enjoyable entertaining sci-fi epic parody, good for laughs and washing the bad taste garbage like Spaceballs: The Animated Series will leave in your mouth.

--Andrew Kotwicki