Customer Reviews

American Dad Season 2

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Seasons One and two of AMERICAN DAD are full of wild and witty spoofs on America.Like FAMILY GUY,Seth MacFarlane's and Dan Vebber's "all-American" Smith family has had to find it's own voice with each season having it's characters fleshed -out and situations developed.This happens with all shows (FRIENDS was NOT a huge hit, nor terribly funny in Season One!).AMERICAN DAD has had to be original while not copying the earlier and still running FAMILY GUY.Don't compare these two shows because as Season Two concludes and now Season Three is available,AMERICAN DAD had developed it's own outlandish and totally absurd identity that has me laughing (and feeling guilty about it sometimes) at the spoofing of "American Values" through the eyes of CIA operative Stan Smith and his family.Roger The Alien has slowly emerged as the funniest character (modeled after comedian Paul Lynde) and the situations and the pacing start hitting on all cylinders in Season Two.Season Three is solid in all of it's episodes.I am crazy about FAMILY GUY, but AMERICAN DAD has crept into my spoof-loving heart and is neck and neck in the running.

I didn't think it could get any better than last season but season two is so freaking funny. There's not a bum episode in the bunch. This show is consistantly smart and hilarious; it never disappoints. Stand-out epidodes this season are the Christmas Special, where Stan goes back in time and Roger invents disco, Camp Refoogee, where Stan, Steve and Hayley end up at a Refugee Camp, and an episode where Stan gets so obsessed with his appearance, he ends up anorexic. Hooray! How do they come up with this stuff? I don't know but I hope it keeps coming...I need my American Dad fix!

I like this show, have for a while, and was excited to get the DVD's in Volume 2- as it contains some of their best episodes yet. I have to say though, beyond just enjoying the shows, the extras were really cool too. it was intresting to see how Dungeons & Wagons was put together- and take a tour of the studio. The commentary is entertaining and interesting. i have a few more left to view, but it keeps me giggling.
The humor is not for the faint of heart, or easily offended, but that is what I love about it. i say, get it, watch it, love American Dad.

From protecting the country from terrorists to keeping his dysfunctional family happy, there is no crisis too big or too small for overprotective CIA agent Stan Smith in the hilarious animated series "American Dad!". In these side-splitting episodes, Stan joins the local chapter of Gay Republicans to speak at the National Republican Convention. His wife Francine seeks revenge on film star George Clooney for ruining her dreams of becoming an actress. His son Steve gets a lot more attention after some bizarre steroid side effects. His daughter Hayley feels guilty for shooting and paralyzing his father. Roger the alien becomes Stan's new best friend after a wild romp in Atlantic City. Klaus the goldfish tries to win over Francine with his new human body. "American Dad!" is the latest animated FOX sitcom from the twisted minds of the creators of "Family Guy". Like "Family Guy", the hit animated series delivers some cutting-edge humor and amusing characters. The 3-disc set includes such standout episodes like "Lincoln Lover", "Iced, Iced Babies" and "Best Christmas Story Never" and guest voice stars like Lisa Kudrow, Jason Lee, Sandra Oh, John Stewart, Jon Cryer and Elijah Wood.

If you enjoyed the first DVD release of "American Dad!", then you don't want to miss out on "American Dad!: Volume Two". All 19 episodes of the first and second seasons of the hilarious animated series are presented in standard full screen format. The 3-disc DVD set contains a sharp and colorful video transfer and a clear 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Its special features include the 11-minute "An American Dad like No Other" featurette, audio commentaries by the voice cast and production crew on all 19 episodes, multi-angle scenes on three episodes and over 40 minutes of deleted scenes. With its over-the-top humor and great extras, "American Dad!: Volume Two" gets a "B+".

This show is hysterical! If you buy these DVDs for anything, buy them for the Christmas episode, which has Stan going back to the 70's with the Ghost of Christmas Past. In a bathroom at Elaine's (in NYC), Stan convinces Martin Scorcese to get off drugs which causes Scorcese to never make Taxi Driver. When Stan comes back to the present, the Commies have taken over the U.S.! In order to fix this, Stan has to go back to the 70's a second time and make Taxi Driver himself, thus restoring history and saving America. It's a wildly inventive show!

I regard American Dad as an animated show that is a notch below South Park, Family Guy, and Seasons 2-8 of The Simpsons. The main reason is re-watchability. There are episodes of those other shows that I crave like chocolate sometimes and look up the Season, track down the DVD box in my cabinet, hook up the DVD player if it is unhooked, and pop in the disc just to watch them (certain South Park episodes, especially). This Volume of AD has some of those re-watchable episodes. My two all-time favorite American Dad episodes "Roger N Me" and "Lincoln Lover" are both in Volume 2. There are other highlights here as well, like "Star Trek," "Rough Trade," and "Of Ice and Men." This Volume is not perfect. There are a few episodes that are too absurd for my tastes. I can't give it 5-stars because I reserve such ratings for the best of SP, FG and The Simpsons, but there are 5-star episodes on here.

Disc 1:
"Stannie Get Your Gun"--To improve their relationship, Stan takes his liberal daughter to an amusement park for gun enthusiasts. Meanwhile, Roger makes Steve believe he is adopted (I've always suspected that since he doesn't look like Stan or Francine). This is not one of the better episodes.
"Star Trek"--Steve writes a book about Roger and co-opts Roger's dream of being rich and famous. Funny--Steve tells his dad that his teacher is a fan and wants his autograph. So Stan writes, "Keep on rockin', Yours in Christ..." Then Hayley breaks the news, "Dad that's Steve's report card." The 'Child of the Month' scene is a highlight, too.
"Not Particularly Desperate Housewives"--To break her life of routine, Francine inadvertently joins a social group for adulteresses. Meanwhile, Stan falls in love with a little dog.
"Rough Trade"--Stan bludgeons Senator Diane Feinstein while demonstrating a new weapon. Later, Stan & Roger decide to change places and Stan ends up arrested for domestic abuse, animal cruelty, child pornography, and attempted murder. Hilarious!
"Finances With Wolves"--Francine starts a muffin-selling business at the mall and Stan puts Klaus's brain in a human body so he can have someone to cook his meals. "Klaus" turns on Stan so he can get freaky with Francine. Meanwhile, Steve thinks he's a werewolf. The parking lot scene is hilarious, especially with the musical accompaniment. The environmentalist who was born a tree but trapped in a man's body is also clever.
"It's Good To Be The Queen"--Stan freaks out when he finds out Francine didn't really win Homecoming Queen. Meanwhile, Steve goes on a zen journey with a pizza delivery guy.
"Roger N Me"--I think this is my favorite AD ep (well, maybe second to "Lincoln Lover"). After being thrown out of an old friend's bachelor party, Stan and Roger get loaded and participate in an alien buddies ritual involving probing. Meanwhile, Hayley and Steve join forces to break up a young couple (using a common storyline and taking it to a whole new morbid level).
"Helping Handis"--To help Steve be a popular jock, Stan gives him steroids which has a titillating side effect (get it!?). Meanwhile, Hayley has little respect for her mom, the housewife. That doctor degree thing was too far-fetched, even for this show. One of my least favorite ADs.

Disc 2:
"With Friends Like Steve's"--When Steve loses interest in his father's occupational perks, Stan starts paling around with Steve's fat friend Barry, who wants to takes Steve's place. Meanwhile, Roger joins a fraternity.
"Tears of a Clooney"--Stan helps Francine fulfill her dream of ruining George Clooney after he stole her scene years ago on "The Scarecrow and Mrs. King." While they're away, Roger brings in foster children to use as migrant workers and Hayley survives cancer. Crazy episode. I don't care much for eps of any animated show that include celebrity guest characters.
"Camp Refoogee"--Stan wants Steve to go to summer camp and unintentionally sends him to a refugee camp in Africa (listen for snippets of the Toto song). Meanwhile, Roger and Francine do some role-playing (not what you think, sicko).
"The American Dad After School Special"--Steve starts dating Debbie who Stan does not accept because she is not a beautiful cheerleader. Seeing Steve's fat girlfriend makes him paranoid about his own weight and he becomes anorexic. I like Debbie as a semi-regular for this show. She is not the typical female animated character. She's goth but not to an anti-social point and she is a realistic catch for Steve. She is also not made a loser fat chick like Meg.
"Failure Is Not A Factory-Installed Option"--Stan is one of the CIA's top investigators but meets his match in a car salesman. Steve takes advantage of all the extra cars that serve as a makeshift drive-in to impress girls (was this episode written before the Debbie character was introduced?). The golden turd story continues.
"Lincoln Lover"--My favorite AD episode (maybe tied with "Roger N Me")! To show Steve what it means to be a true, manly Republican, Stan puts on a play about Lincoln. Unbeknown to Stan, his play's theme of Lincoln's close relationship with a bodyguard attracts the one group he wishes to shut out of the party--the Log Cabin Republicans. This episode had me laughing out loud, especially the gay test at the entrance of the Langley Conservative Republicans meeting and Stan's speech at the RNC: "My fellow Republicans...Last night I kissed a man named Terry."
"Dungeons and Wagons"--To bring excitement in his bored wife's life (that seems to be an on-going theme in AD), Stan takes up road racing and re-creating Whitesnake videos. Meanwhile, Hayley breaks up with her obsessive boyfriend and he drowns his sorrows by online gaming with Steve. I like how they incorporated the online game characters in the show. It wasn't as awesome as South Park's "Make Love Not Warcraft," but it was well-done.
"Iced, Iced Babies"--Steve's relationship with Debbie causes Francine to go to extreme lengths to feel like a mother again. Meanwhile, Roger becomes a professor at Hayley's college and inspires Hayley's love interest to murder his father.

Disc 3:
"Of Ice and Men"--Stan and Francine enter an ice skating competition but Stan's competitive streak may put Francine in danger (reminds me of that extreme move in "Blades of Glory"). Meanwhile, Steve and his friends acquire a mail-order Russian bride. The ending with Roger and the news anchor couple is hilarious!
"Irregarding Steve"--After Steve discovers his father is not the genius he thought he was, he and Roger run away to New York where they bet their superior intellects will make them rich. This episode is heavy and macabre, even the squirrel side-story (a take-off of "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?").
"The Best Christmas Story Never"--Stan is angry at the secularization of Christmas (even the "Christmas Rapist" is renamed the "Holiday Rapist"). The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Stan to 1970 where Stan escapes to kill Jane Fonda. An encounter with Martin Scorsese changes the future that destroys America.
Bonus Features--Audio commentary on all the episodes (on the corresponding DVDs), deleted and extended scenes, Multi-Angle Studies of Francine attacking Stan in "Tears of a Clooney" (on disc 2) and "Irregarding Steve" (I don't really see the point of these), and three featurettes: "An American Dad Like No Other," "Drawing Roger," "Favorite Scenes."

Not since the Simpsons has there been such a consistently funny show. The writing is always smart and original and each episode has a totally compelling and often subversive storyline. This show is often edgier than Family Guy (which is probably why Fox airs it after Family Guy). This DVD set comes with 19 episodes, (which is better than vol. one's 13 episodes!). And there are great writer and director commentaries on EVERY episode. I first saw this show in England last year when I was visiting friends where they have American Dad viewing parties every week. It reminded me of watching the Simpsons with my roommates in college! This show is full of great one-liners and Roger the alien is by far the funniest character on the airwaves today.

This show is just great. There is nothing more to say ;-)

I thought this would be the full season 2, but alas, it's just another 'volume' - I really should've known better since Fox is notorious for doing this with the McFarlane franchise. Thanks Fox! Thanks for taking my money again & giving me (& everyone else) less than the full season!

& if anyone from Fox does actually read these reviews, you may want to consider exactly how many reviewers are b#^@*ing specifically about this - if you release a whole season at once (what a novel idea!), you'd be making your key demographic a lot less angry. As it is now, you've established yourself as more shifty than Disney.

You have to have an appreciation for the absurdity of the way things are sometimes run in this country. It is raucous and uncouth, but it is absolutely hilarious--and spot-on, more often than not. Highly recommended!