Customer Reviews

The Tick - The Entire Series

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This show is great, as others have eloquated well enough already. I'm writing this review to tell people not to listen to an earlier reviewer, Cobalt.

First, when you start an episode with a commentary track (from the menu) a prompt comes up for whether or not you want to listen to the commentary.

Second, the ROM-Link that Cobalt said didn't exist DOES exist. There's a program that opens a browser to a web-site with an interview between Barry Josephson and Patrick Warburton. I wish the interview had been on the DVD -- there was plenty of room. I also wish that every episode had had a commentary track, but about 4 or 5 out of 9 episodes isn't too bad.

I don't know where Cobalt got his pirate DVDs, but when you BUY the product, you get what's advertised. More bonus materials would have been great, but that's almost always the case.

Buy this DVD. Barry Josephson and Barry Sonnenfeld have both stated that if sales are sufficient they'll try to get a Tick movie made, and with the success of the MIB films and several other projects, Barry Sonnenfeld is enough of a Hollywood power-house to keep his word.

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 arcs (a 500 minute story will beat a 100 minute story if you have a good script writer involved), and anything else you care to produce. But unfortunately TV as we have known it is largely a dismal affair: television executives. Show me a new show with creative brilliance, great writing, wonderful characters, and intelligence, and I will show you a series that is probably not going to be long in this world. TV execs want series that you can grasp and completely understand while eating a sandwich and drinking a beer, chatting the whole time with friends on the phone.

THE TICK is one of these unfortunate shows that made the mistake of trying to do something original and different, and to do this with tremendous wit and intelligence. I have to be honest: THE TICK never became a great show, but it is obvious that it had the potential for greatness. Shows always take some time to find their feet. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER didn't become truly great until the second season, and most series follow this pattern. They get better as they go along, and unfortunately THE TICK didn't get to fulfill its potential.

The genius behind THE TICK is Ben Edlund, who followed the cancellation of THE TICK with some utterly brilliant scripts for FIREFLY and ANGEL. Edlund breaks many standard conventions with THE TICK. For one thing, we never really learn all that much about The Tick. Most super hero shows deal at length with back story, but despite having appeared in comics, in an animated series, and a live action series, we know little more about The Tick at end than we did at the beginning. We know that he is a bit of a well meaning dimwit, given to extravagantly complex and high flown sentences, good hearted, virtually indestructible, and apparently about as strong as Superman. He might, in fact, be less vulnerable than Superman, since he apparently doesn't have his own version of Kryptonite. Apart from vulnerability and super strength, however, it isn't clear that he has any other powers. He lives in a city filled with super heroes, but amazingly few if any of them possess their own super abilities. Most achieve their trademarks stunts through gimmicks, like The Tick's sidekick Arthur, who can only fly when opening his moth wings out of a backpack. But The Tick truly is blessed with almost godlike abilities.

Although we only had the show for nine episodes, it was clear that it was going to be a superbly written, well-conceived series. The four performers making up the heart of the show were all great, especially Patrick Warburton in the title role. David Burke was great as Arthur, a nebbish accountant who had Walter Mitty fantasies of becoming a crime fighting super hero, which he largely fulfills by becoming The Tick's sidekick. Liz Vassey plays Janet aka Captain Liberty, who although a very effective hero (in fact, after The Tick, she seems to be the only one of the four who actually does any crime fighting), is beset by a host of personal problems, mostly having to do with men and her willingness to giver herself to them. Nestor Carbonell often steals the show as the would be Romeo and super hero chick magnet Batmanuel. Although apparently bereft of any crime fighting abilities, Batmanuel seems to have become a superhero for the same reason that some guys join bands: the chicks. The quality of the guest stars was consistently superb, with name performers like Ron Perlman (almost unrecognizable under the worst hair do one could ever hope to see on a super hero), Christopher Lloyd as Arthur's boss in the pilot, and Armin Shimerman (who is best known in make up as Quark from DEEP SPACE NINE and out of make up as Principal Snyder from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), who is truly unrecognizable as the elderly super villain Destroyo.

The DVD set isn't great, I'll admit, but I think many reviewers exaggerate how bad they are. As far as special features go, I find that I rarely access them. I'll listen to a commentary once, but the actual film or series several times. I do wish they had included more information, and I also agree with some reviewers who wish they would bring out the cartoon series. Nonetheless, I'm grateful that we have the nine existing episodes of what might have become a classic television show.

He has melted viewers' hearts, and from this day forth, he will spread his buttery justice over their DVD players' every nook and cranny. He is the Tick, the mysterious and insane crime fighter who will teach the forces of evil the Lesson... of Metcalfe. (Don't ask, it's a series in-joke)

Mild-mannered accountant Arthur (David Burke) quits his job in order to don a spandex moth suit and fight crime. When he's attacked by inept Communist agents, he's suddenly rescued by... the Tick (Patrick Warburton), a dimwitted innocent who lives in a world of his own. Reluctantly recruited by the Tick as a sidekick, Arthur accompanies his bizarre, superhuman friend through a strange array of crime-fighting scenarios

With the wannabe Latin lover Batmanuel (Nestor Carbonell) and patriotic amazon Captain Liberty (Liz Vassey), the Tick attacks the eccentric evil of the world: fire-spewing Apocalypse Cow, 112-year-old supervillain The Terror, formerly pudgy ballerina Destroyo, Arthur's relatives, and robots who are trying to kill Jimmy Carter. In the meantime, Our Heroes have to deal with dogs, mixed dating (superhero/ordinary person), porn shoots, Captain Liberty accidently killing the poorly-named celebrity-superhero Immortal (in the sack, no less!), the snobby League of Heroes, and the Tick's search for his true identity.

It doesn't get much goofier than "Tick," which spoofs the sort of comic book heroes like Superman and Batman. The villains are over-the-top (check out Destroyo's tanklike exoskeleton), the heroes are more often insane than not, and sidekicks form little clubs to complain about how their heroes treat them. The writing is full of tortured metaphors and strange scenarios (the scene where Captain Liberty and Batmanuel try to explain the Facts of Life to the Tick is priceless -- "blah blah blah").

He's the tiny diamond in a sea of rhinestones, a peach in a barrel of bad apples; Patrick Warburton is outrageously funny as he rolls off the corniest and dumbest dialogue imaginable ("A secret message... from my teeth!") without cracking the tiniest smile. Burke serves as the hapless brain Arthur; Carbonell is quite entertaining as the womanizing Batmanuel, who only fights crime once in the whole series. And Vassey is fantastic as a frustrated 21st-century Wonder Woman who sometimes seems to be the only really sane one there.

All too short and all too sweet, "The Tick" wasn't given the long life on television that it deserved. However, fans can now enjoy the nine hysterical episodes of madness, mayhem, Metcalfe, and steaming hot cups of justice. Long live the Big Blue Lug.

I've read the reviews from the cartoon fans, but I don't think very many of them have read the comic book on which the shows were based. I absolutely loved the cartoon--there has never been anything so unbelievably hysterical on Saturday mornings (tho "Freakazoid" was a close second). However, I appreciated the live action show for it's more adult-oriented humor and dead-on casting.

Although the budget was too low to do great superhero action sequences, the writing was sharp and the actors seemed to enjoy playing these exaggerated dumb (Tick), meek (Arthur), bitter (Captain Liberty) and vain/cowardly (Batmanuel) characters. We all knew the show would be short-lived since it was filmed years before it actually aired in 2001 against "Friends" (guaranteed death slot). It's a shame, but at least it's now on DVD so the laughter can continue at home. Plus, there's the added bonus of getting to see the final un-aired episode with Armin Shimerman as The Terror.

Enjoy this DVD, read the comic books and then find a petition to get the animated series on DVD as well. IMO, you can never have too much Tick!

Oh, and Read a book!

With wit as dry as the desert, The Tick premiered in 2001 to an audience of millions and became a huge hit. No, not really. That's the sad part of this story. It's almost as if Fox, uncertain of what it had, aired the series as an after thought. This short lived (9 episodes only 8 of which were every aired)series managed to spoof comics, superheroes and just about everything else inbetween during its brief lifespan. AND YOU LUCKY VIEWER MAY SEE THE LUMINOUS POWER, THE HEROISM AND GREAT DEEDS OF THE TICK.

On these two all too brief DVDs we get the entire run of the series (it was greenlit for only 8 additional episodes beyond the pilot. That demonstrates uncertainty)plus witty commentary by producer/director Barry Sonnenfeld. The extras are pretty meager but I'm actually happy to have the series available on DVD at all. Now if only Fox would get around to putting the witty cartoon series on DVD as well, I'd be a happy fan.

For what it's worth the picture quality is pristine, the sound exceptional and the performances a combination of witty, clueless and over-the-top. Those are all good things. Patrick Warburton is the embodiment of The Tick; he reels off the corny, warmed over dialogue as if it was second nature to him. The suit and his hyperactive antennae help bring his performance to life but it's all in the performance. Warburton is perfection. The rest of the cast is magnificient as well. All perfectly capture Ben Edlund's creation. The primary color, surreal and minimalist sets all add to the comic book illusion.

If you appreciate dry humor with a bit of stupidity and an edge, then you'll definitely enjoy The Tick.

The Tick was one of those TV series, that were "too good" to survive, for very long. It's great that this single season has made it out onto DVD (take note, you corporate suits - dig out all those old, "failled" tv series, and put them on DVD. I want copies!)

However, as fantastic as The Tick is, the DVD package that Sony Pictures have put together is downright abysmal, if not insulting to the customer who buys it. The problem lies two of the four "special features" listed:

1) Commentaries by Barry Sonnenfeld and Bed Edlund: These take some looking for. The commentaries only exist on certain select episodes - and there is no notation *anywhere* to tell you which ones have them. Unlike most DVDs which give you a link for switching them on and off, you have to clumsily poke around at your remote's audio-track button, each time an episode starts, in the hopes of finding one.

2) Rom Link to additional added value, with executive producer Barry Josephson and a special surprise guest: This "feature" Is MISSING. Not there. Neither disc 1, nor Disc 2 have any DVD-Rom materials on them at all. I've been through the entire contents of both discs (both folders, whee) - No HTML pages, no hyperlinks to websites. Nothing. This one's simply not there. It doesn't exist.

Since the other two "features" are just the standard "episode selection" and a bunch of traillers, this DVD set is a dud, as far as bonus materials.

It almost seems like this set was released by mistake, before it was actually finished. I wish there was a way to contact someone at Sony and ask them if they accidentally printed and sold copies of a semi-completed, early demo version of the set. It's bizzarre that they'd go to the trouble to release a 2-disc box, and then blow it by screwing up, and forgetting to supply the listed bonus materials.

Whether by bad planning, bad design, lack of interest leading to an abandoned project, or simply through an honest mistake - it's a real let-down.

So, if you're going to get it, don't get it for the special features. Get it for the episodes of this lost gem of a series. They're quite watchable. I firmly consider this live version of The Tick to be the definitive version (far superior to the old cartoon version) - and well worth taking the time to sit down in front of.

I have watched the first disk of the Tick, and I laughed my ass off!! I am working on getting a copy of it in order to send it to Comedy Central, and requst that they air the first season on their channel. I think that Fox screwed up by cancelling this show, and that Comedy Central should pick it up. It is by far the best show I have seen in awhile, and deserves to be resurrected!! Thank you

I can't think of one good reason why this show was cancelled ... I guess it was just too funny and clever for mainstream viewers or stuffy advertisers. I can't compare this to the Tick cartoon, as I never saw it, but this version with live actors is very smart and very funny. Whoever was in charge of casting did a 100% right-on job with their choices. Patrick Warburton (you may remember him as David Putty on Seinfeld) is PERFECT -- he delivers some of the wackiest, off-the-wall remarks in his deep, dead-pan voice. It's worth the price of the DVD just to see him deliver the eulogy at another super hero's funeral, where he talks about how death happens to everybody, not just dead people; death even happens to horses and potatoes (episode "The Funeral" on disk two). It's so sad that there are only 9 episodes, but I'm thankful they're available on DVD. "The Tick" is one of a handful of smart, funny shows that got axed way too soon (Andy Richter Controls the Universe, and The Job are two other such shows) ... at least The Tick is out on DVD, unlike Andy and The Job. I recommend The Tick to anyone who likes off-the-wall humor. Why crap like Friends and Raymond can be on the air season after season, and true gems like The Tick get cancelled after less than one season, I will never understand!

This is silly, fun stuff but if you want to really laugh you need to see the original Saturday morning cartoon. That means they need to RELEASE the animated series on DVD for you to do that so I'm lobbying now here for the ANIMATED SERIES! It was definately funnier and more twisted. LET'S GET ON IT GUYS! HOW ABOUT THE ANIMATED TICK PLEASE???! Thanx!

The original cartoon Tick series was and still is one of the most original and funny shows ever and the live action incarnation retains all the quirky brilliance of its predecessor despite some changes - (I miss American Maid, but love BatManuel). GREAT writing, GREAT acting - especially Patrick Warbuton, GREAT cameos (David Foley, Chistopher Lloyd, Ron Pearlman) and of course GREAT COSTUMES!!! Leave it to Fox to cancel another great show, but at least now it can have a second life. Now where's that Kids in the Hall DVD set??