A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter

Grade: A

Singer Sabrina Carpenter hosts this Netflix Christmas special which consists of musical numbers and comedy sketches.

I’m not saying this is revolutionary in the grand scheme of Christmas variety specials, but this feels like it has a bit more of self-awareness including an entertaining opening number that is a little meta about Christmas specials. The sketches as a whole ain’t too shabby, including one funny musical numbers. Carpenter seems to be genuinely enjoying herself hamming it up in the funny bits.

The singer was quite the get for Netflix. Besides her popularity in the music world (you can hear three different songs by her on the radio right now), she is also charismatic (she started off as an actress, and played the best friend on Girl Meets World, so she knows how to perform non-musically).

The more traditional musical numbers are enjoyable as well. The costume department really put an effort into the outfits.

The surprise guests are satisfactory (and there are several). The ones that are the most fun are the ones that aren’t necessarily the most famous people they could get,  but the ones you can’t predict.

Recommended. If you don’t like non-scripted variety specials, this isn’t going to change your mind. For everyone else, this was a fun, silly time.

Family Guy: Gift of the White Guy

Grade: B-

In this Christmas Family Guy special on Hulu, Peter Griffin (voiced by show creator Seth McFarlane) has to find a gift for his company’s white elephant gift exchange, and Stewie (also McFarlane) tries to turn over a new leaf, so he can stay off the naughty list.

Just like the Halloween special, this appears to be a regular episode that was arbitrarily called a special and put on streaming. 

This is a somewhat stronger entry than the last one.The Brian (again McFarlane)/Stewie b-plot was stronger and more unexpected than they usually are. There are a couple truly funny moments. Also, Peter’s logical-minded boss Preston Lloyd (The Orville’s Peter Macon) is in this, and he is always fun. (It has occurred to me that he is Peter’s fifth boss, man, Peter has gone through a lot of them).

However, this does have another worn out Peter/Lois (MadTV/The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Alex Borstein) storyline where it does not really focus on their relationship, but it still feels toxic and worn out. 

Also, this wholesale recycles a subject for a joke from an earlier Christmas episode and not as well.

Recommended if you are a fan of the show that still watches, but not a standout or entry point.

Sing: Thriller

5.5/10

In this new short on Netflix, from the Sing franchise and featuring the popular Michael Jackson song Thriller, Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) and company head to a party, only for the guests of said party to be infected by a strange goo and transformed into zombies. 

This has a pretty good opening, but the rest is unimpressive. Stuff happens, but plot is minimal, and the short doesn't feel fun or visually interesting enough to keep one's attention.

This does manage to maintain several of the big name stars (and their impressive singing voices) from the original films, but no Reese Witherspoon, sadly.

Not recommended. I mean if your kids liked the movies, there's a good chance they'll like this. However, this won't have much of an affect on adults.

One Piece Fan Letter

10/10

One Piece Fan Letter is a special created in honor of the 25th anniversary of One Piece, one of the longest running anime of all time and, is lossely based on the novel Osaki Tomohito (Straw Hat Stories). It takes place at the Seabody Archipelago a while back in the storyline where the characters begin the second half of their journey. Rather than focus on the leads, Fan Letter follows average Joes and their reactions and feelings about the Straw Hat Pirates, including a girl who idolizes Nami, the crew's navigator, and wants to give her a letter, a group of Navy officers, and the owner of a bookstore.

What has contributed to the success of One Piece is its sheer world building with a healthy emphasis on characterization and a message of seeking hope in a hard world. It is how detailed the island-based of One Piece has gotten that a special focused on the little people of this world who aren't part of the main action feels so real and defined. The special does a remarkable job of introducing its moderately sized cast in its twenty-five minute run time. Fan Letter truly embodies the heart of One Piece as we truly get the characters dreams and motivations, and the way the script manages to tie in how the Straw Hat Pirates have influenced them without directly meeting them is so well done. 

Naturally, this appeals more to those who are fans or are at least able to keep up with the basic plot of One Piece. It'll feel natural to them, but this might not be the best fit for newbies. However, one could kinda get the main characters' actions here even if one is unfamiliar with the world.

The animation in here is really fluid. I particularly enjoyed the look of the compact town of Seabody and the general, can-only-happen-in-an-animated-fantasy-world, look of the island.

Highly recommended. This is brimming with sentiment and love for the show and has a tight script. Really, just an enjoyable, pure time.

Family Guy: Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Cheater

6.5/10

In this Hulu exclusive special, Peter Griffin (voiced by show creator Seth McFarlane) and friends try to help Joe Swanson (Seinfeld's Patrick Warburton) win a in a pumpkin competition against his rival Patrick McCloskey (Glenn Powell). Meanwhile, Stewie Griffin (also Seth McFarlane) decides to bring his teddy bear Rupert to life with unforeseen consequences.

Yeah, this was clearly a regular Halloween episode that the executives decided to dub a special. There is nothing notable about it, and there was no attempt to give it anything of a kick to it involving the holiday (unlike that hour-long Christmas special they did a while back that intentionally had that extra oomph.) 

The stories themselves are just kinda there. However, this is fairly funny with decent jokes in it. 

Yeah, anyone could've voiced Powell's character, but he is good at doing a cocky guy. Also, I liked McCloskey's over-the-top douchey pumpkin-themed attire. Some people may be annoyed that Rupert isn't voiced by the usual guy who occasionally does Rupert in Stewie's imagination. I won't spoil who does it, but it made me think "Huh? That was a surprise choice."

Kinda recommended. It's nothing outstanding, but it has its moments and makes for an alright episode of Family Guy.

Simpsons: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

5/10

In this Simpsons Disney+ short, Sideshow Bob (voiced by Frasier's Kelsey Grammer), sings along with the Disney villains in a Halloween parody of the Christmas song The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

This is a bit of a nothing burger. Running at two or three minutes, MWTotY is over before it has begun. This also feels like a paler imitation of the last Simpsons/Disney villains special. There are a couple decent jokes, and Grammer and Bart Simpson voice Nancy Cartwright are definitely game with their delivery, but most of the material is just there, not particularly good or bad. Also, if you were looking forward to Bob singing again, I'm afraid that 69-year-old Grammer's voice just isn't as strong as it used to be.

Not particularly recommended or not. Given its short length it is no biggie if you watch it, even if you don't end up liking it.

Velma: This Halloween Needs to be More Special!

7.5/10

(NOTE: No spoilers for the special itself, but this will give away part of the ending of the last season if you haven't seen it yet.)

In this special and what appears to be end of the Velma show (one of the background artists stated online that it is ending, but no official announcement has been given yet), Velma (voiced by Mindy Kaling) is now a ghost, and her friends try to cast a spell that will bring her back to life.

Yeah, the show still tries a little too hard with the topical and social humor, but I found this to be fairly funny. I laughed out loud twice. The writers stick to what has been working: wacky characters and just going nuts. There's a lot of stuff going on, and the special doesn't get boring.

Cast remains strong. Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton still excels as man-child Fred where he always adds that extra bit of exaggeration to the character. Prolific voice actor and original voice of Fred Frank Welker has also really found his place as Fred's father. When the show first started, the character wasn't working for me, but once you got to see his sillier, more human guy, there's just something about Welker that works as the eccentric straight man.

If the show is leaving, it's going out with a bang. The fluidity of animation remains strong, and I'm impressed with the amount of action the animators are able to squeeze into this.

Recommended. I know a lot of people hate this with the passion of a thousand suns. but I'll miss this show. It was so creatively bizarre. This special was a nice ending point that entertains and does encapsulate the good points of Velma.

South Park: The End of Obesity

7/10

In the most recent South Park special, Cartman (voiced by show co-creator Trey Parker) wants to lose weight with Ozempic, but has to struggle with the American healthcare system when his insurance won't cover it.

The highlight of this are the really pointed jabs at the health insurance industry. The creators savagely rip apart how broken it is. (There is one bit addressing how healthcare works that is the highlight of EoO).

When it comes to the other topics: Ozempic, and the show's satire of how rich people are using it to lose weight while it's originally intended for diabetes, the sugar industry, and the topic of body image, the messaging is a little more mixed. This is one of those South Park entries where Parker and other showrunner Matt Stone try to address concept issues by being a little complex, and it's harder to understand their exact meaning. Not to say that this subject matter doesn't mine some decent jokes.

Lightly recommended. Can't say this is South Park's best, but it's a fine time. Plus, it's worth it for that one bit I mentioned.

May the 12th be with you

5/10

This is yet another Simpsons Disney-synergy special. In it, Marge Simpson (voiced by Julie Kravner) takes several Disney characters to the world of Star Wars in order to celebrate Mother's Day.

Yeah, this might be the weakest Simpsons Disney special yet. It's just a bunch of forced-in Disney cameos without much plot and only three jokes that work. To the show's credit, this does conclude better than some of the specials.

Not recommended. You'r not missing anything.

Tiny Toons Looniversity: Spring Break

6.5/10

In this spring break special for the Tiny Toons reboot on Cartoon Network/Max (coincidentally or not the original also had a spring break special), the Tiny Toons crew go to visit their families for spring break. 

This is alright. Everything comes together in the end for a satisfying, heartfelt finale and there's some decent humor, but this is a weaker entry when compared to several episodes of the show. For a longer special, it doesn't go big enough. Though Looniversity has some good storylines, the show has become more reliant upon teaching lessons and, due to the university setting, a more grounded use of characters, resulting in more relationship/character oriented stories. One can miss the more free-form stories and comedy of the original.

Kinda recommended. Kids will probably be fine with it. If you like the show, you'd probably be satisfied. 

Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas

7.5/10 

Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham hosts this Apple+ musical Christmas special in front of an audience.

Wouldn't have thought of Waddingham hosting one of these but in retrospect she's a perfect choice. She seems genuinely happy to be there, has her trademark presence and liveliness, and it turns out has a wonderful singing voice.

Accompanying her a are a bunch of talented singers and dancers that make this a solid special, albeit one that doesn't do anything to break the mold. Several TL cast members are in this (surprised they're not calling this the Ted Lasso Christmas Special). It's nice to see them, but the one weak point to this is the obviously pre-filmed sections they feel they have to do with some of the cast. They're not that entertaining and feel like they're just there to fill up time.

Recommended. Nothing complex, but makes for a fun quick viewing that works for when the family is deciding what to watch or to have something in the background.

Once Upon a Studio

8.5/10

In this short Disney special, the characters lining the animation cells on the walls of the Disney Studio come to life and come together for a photo.  

Now this is how you do an anniversary special! OUaS really covers all of Disney history. Not just the popular characters but the ones from EVERY single Disney movie. 'Course some get more spotlight than others but directors/writers Dan Abraham and Tent Correy make the effort to give the less famous guys lines and have them mingle with others.

The nice thing about animation projects with short run times is that more effort can go into the animation as the budget isn't spread around as much. It also all looks standard big budget Disney. What is so impressive is that all the characters feel like they were scooped out of their respective time periods as their animation and design are all tailored to their original periods.

Recommended. I mean it's light entertainment that's basically "remember this," and I guess it's not required viewing. However, it is an enjoyable 9 minutes and a big treat for animation fans.

Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie

6.5

In this special on Apple+, Marcie (voiced by Arianna McDonald) deals with her introvertedness getting in the way of her goals and responsibilities.

This special does a really heartfelt job of showing children it's okay to be introverted and how to deal with it. Charlie Brown's not in this much, but there is one scene where the special does a great job of reminding us that he's probably one of the most likable fictitious characters out there.

However, this didn't need to be 39 minutes long. There are too many scenes of Marcie having difficulty. Admittedly, this does nail her struggles but also beats the issue to death. Also, kids have short attention spans.

Like the previous Apple+ specials, this still feels like Peanuts diluted. The characters feel more two-dimensional. Peppermint Patty and Marcie have really been Flanderized, reduced to just "the sports one" and "the brainy one." Part of the original strip's success is that through Charlie Brown's insecurities it related with a lot of people. However, the rougher aspects of the original are gone.

Also like the previous specials, this looks great. The scribbly line look of the Peanuts kids feel really strip accurate. The bright colors are not faithful to the classic specials, but they are so colorful, I forgive them. The 2d-animation has never looked better for Peanuts like it's on a film budget.

Kinda recommended. Does deliver a great message for kids and does it well, but it's slow and a poor imitation of classic Peanuts.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always

7/10

In this Power Rangers 30th anniversary special on Netflix, members of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, recovering from a tragic event, try to stop the evil plans of Robo Rita (voiced by original voice actress Barbara Goodson), the evil energy of original PR Rita Repulsa reconstituted within a robot body (makes more sense when you see the special, still goofy but it makes more sense). 

Man, this was surprisingly dark for the original franchise. I mean it's still Power Rangers, it doesn't veer too far off-course from the campy nature of the show, but it's the first entry in a while to show a human die, and I don't think it, though the series has dabbled with more serious plot points from time to time, especially during the ABC Family years, has had the characters handled as maturely as this. (Also, the continuity is unexpectedly on-point for a show that's been going almost non-stop since the 90's.) The whole thing is a lot more compelling than it has any right to be, even serving as a tribute to late Yellow Ranger actress Thuy Trang who perished in a car accident. 

Unfortunately, the special wasn't able to include the entire original cast due to them either declining to appear or being on probation or deceased. (To make it clear, original Green Ranger Jason David Frank, who sadly committed suicide, was still alive at the time this was made. He just declined because he was working on something else.) But, the special manages to snag actors who played replacement Rangers in later episodes in order to fill any absentees' boots.

If your memories to the very original MMPR are shady or nonexistent, most of the cast are not great actors. David Yost as original Blue Ranger Billy is definitely the weakest and has trouble seeming natural. Original Black Ranger Walter Jones does the best with the material and comes the closest to believably selling their character. Charlie Kersh, who plays the daughter of original Yellow Ranger Trini, is also one of the better elements in this.

Nice to see they got Goodson back instead of a replacement actor, which they've done before. She hasn't done the voice for decades, but she's still got it and brings Rita's trademark cackley voice. The Rita here is so much more evil and convincing as an evil threat.

It's PR, so naturally the budget isn't much, but I give the creators kudos for effort. Unlike most PR shows, which are built off of the Japanese Super Sentai shows, this has completely original footage and costumes. I'm rather impressed by the design of Robo Rita, which is a smidge off-putting. (Also, kudos to the designer's hutzpah for retaining Rita's infamous cone brassiere.) The costumes for the Putty Patrollers, Rita's foot soldiers from the original show (which are still comical but can come off as a bit menacing this time around), are accurate-looking but the fabric in the head areas noticeably bunch up some times.  

Kinda recommended. I mean it's Power Rangers, this probably appeals more to younger kids or nostalgic adults (i.e., me). By the show's standards, though, it's as high quality as it can get.

Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special

7.5

In this Harley Quinn special, we follow Harley (voiced by the Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco), Poison Ivy (Childrens Hospital's Lake Bell), Clayface (Alan Tudyk), and Bane (James Adomian) on Valentine's Day.

This is a generally entertaining special. Wouldn't say it's one of the top entries from the show, but you get some pretty fun lines and DC references throughout. There's a good amount of creativity in this and the various plots, except maybe Clayface's, keep your interest.

This does have two weak points. The whole schtick of Harley being too enthusiastic, making bad decisions and not listening to Ivy has gotten a bit tired. Also, Clayface does better as part of an ensemble than as the lead of his own subplot. Tudyk's hack actor dialogue is amusing in small doses but becomes tiresome when unrestrained.

Overall, recommended. More off-kilter shenanigans. If you like the Harley Quinn show, then you'll probably like this.

Werewolf by Night

9.5/10

In this Marvel Halloween special on Disney+ based on the comic of the same name, a group of monster hunters are summoned for a competition to secede their late leader as the possessor of the powerful Bloodstone. However, there are a couple hunters whose priorities are a little different...

Wow! Marvel's first special knocks it out of the park. It's especially impressive that besides a couple shorts, this is the first directing job from popular film composer Michael Giacchino (that theme from the beginning of Up, that's him.) The action is pretty good. I know a dozen people have already mentioned it, but this is the most violent Marvel offering (not counting Marvel TV) to date being helped by the black-and-white color scheme of the movie.

Humor's pretty good too. A nice touch to this is that the monster hunting society is populated by a bunch of eccentrics, the higher ups being particularly weird, providing some unexpected, fun bits. I think the character of Elsa Bloodstone (played by The Nevers' Laura Donnelly), the daughter of the former leader, is probably my favorite in this as she's the straight man and gives some decent reactions and pushbacks to the insanity around her.

Werewolf by Night looks great, going with a 30's/40's appearance. Some of the outfits, sets, and props are just really impressive looking. The werewolf outfit in this, however isn't as good as what your imagination can come up in. The torso's too puffy and evokes the impression of the actor wearing a wool coat. (On the plus side there is one really strong monster design in this.) In terms of cinematography, this may be the best I've seen a movie replicate the appearance of a different age. Only downside is that like early movies, the camera focus isn't always 100%, especially with the backgrounds.  The blurriness may get to some people.

If there are any other cons about this, the fact that this is only only fifty-two minutes means limited time to build the lead characters of Elsa and hunter Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal). You do get enough to understand the characters, but there is also some having-to-fill-in-the-blanks that may annoy some people. Some may also wish that the ending be a little less open.

Highly recommended, this is a unique and very fun film that looks superb.

The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse

8/10

This comedy special from Disney+'s show The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse features three Mickey Mouse stories involving winter. 

This special keeps the elements that made the short cartoons from WWoMM and its predecessor Mickey Mouse (show name, not the character) so entertaining, possessing a a 30's/40's throwback feel with clever visual humor and straight-up creativity. The cartoons here effortlessly mesh whimsy, slapstick, weird, smart jokers and the occasional refreshingly dark bits. There's a little something for everyone to like here. Well, maybe not everyone. If you're just not a big fan of old school cartoon physical comedy, you might be bored by this, because that's the most of what the special is. The animation is top-notch in terms of fluidity and physicality of characters. 

Segment breakdowns:

First segment- 7/10: Mickey (voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos) causes chaos when working at a factory in the clouds. Creative slapstick and I liked the whimsical old-fashioned fantasy design of the cloud world, but it quite isn't as substantive or memorable as the other two entries.

Second segment- 8/10: Mickey, Goofy (Bill Farmer), and Donald Duck (Tony Anselmo) stay at a cabin in the mountains and things soon go awry. The best one. It's the old school MG&D-face-trouble routine (such as the classic cartoon shorts where they were firefighters or fought ghosts), but it feels fresh as most of the bits are pretty funny and the situation keeps getting more and more absurd  

Third segment- 8/10: Mickey and Minnie's skating routine keeps getting interrupted by Goofy's ill-fated attempts at ice-fishing. Again, we got a worn out cartoon premise: a character's activities keeps getting interrupted. And again, they manage to keep it fresh. A lot more humor is wrung out of ice skating than you'd expect. Mickey as a character gets his best moments here. I can't deemphasize how good Diamantopoulos is at making Mickey sound funny.

Recommended. You and your kids should probably have a fun time with this.

Snoopy Presents For Auld Lang Syne

7/10

In the first Peanuts special in a decade (found on Apple+), Lucy (voiced by Isabella Leo) becomes depressed after her grandma cancels her Christmas visit and decides to lift her spirits by throwing a New Year's Eve party.  

Peanuts has already tackled, and sometimes retackled, all the major holidays before (there's three other Christmas specials besides the first one), but it makes sense for them to revisit New Year's. The original special was decent, but doesn't leave that much of an impression (how much of it do you remember?), and is up there with the less memorable and less shown holiday specials alongside Arbor Day and Memorial Day. Heck, the Arbor Day one shines more than the New Year's one. (I also feel guilty now that the Memorial Day one has pretty much been forgotten. Was it a bit dry and the humor a little off? Sure. But, the heart was in the right place, gosh darn it!)  

The special is decent. It has one of the most heartfelt endings of all the Peanuts specials. It was also a nice change of pace to make the main focus Lucy. Yes, she's one of the main Peanuts characters, but if you look at ALL the specials, she's rarely ever the lead. She adds to what's going on, but the story is rarely about her. You really do feel her insecurities in this. You also get a subplot about Snoopy's siblings visiting that's a little sweet.

However, not every joke in this lands. The special doesn't quite have that classic Peanuts delivery and pacing. Also, NO RERUN!!! For the unfamiliar, he's Linus and Lucy's younger brother. He hasn't been in that many specials or shows, but during the last five or so years of the strips in the 90's he basically became Schultz's favorite character to write about. (I bothered to keep reading in the 90's for I am a true follow of Peanuts!, unlike you false believers!) He's a fun character, and they totally act like he doesn't exist. You even just see Linus and Lucy's stockings on the mantle. The animation company that created this used  Rerun in those two recent Snoopy shows, they know who he is. (Order of the Knights of Rerun we ride at dawn to smite the infidels in the name of our patron saint!) What really makes this frustration is that this special includes the far more ancillary Tapioca Pudding (Harley Ruznisky) who first and last appeared in 1986 and unlike Rerun has never, ever been in a special before.

Really liked the character animation. I don't think that the squiggly line appearance of the characters from the strip have ever been so accurately replicated. I don't know how I feel about the backgrounds. I like how colorful and striking they are, but the lack of solid lines on a lot of thingsfeels a little off.

Kinda recommended; imperfect but touching. It's not one of the the top Peanuts specials, but it's in the upper third or so. (Glory be to Rerun!) 

Doctor Who- Eve of the Daleks

9/10

In this latest Doctor Who New Years special, the Doctor (played by Jodie Whittaker) and her companions find themselves trapped with the Daleks in a Groundhog's Day situation (yeah, for a show about time travel that's been around since the 60s, I'm surprised that they haven't done this yet) where time resets each time they're killed.

People may be getting tired of current showrunner Chris Chibnall using the Daleks for each New Years special, but they work pretty well as foes for this scenario. If the whole story involves people dying and you need someone for quick kills, the Daleks are the right fit. The show makes good use of their tactical expertise in this more than the average DW episode. 

This is probably one of the most fun and humorous episodes from Chibnall's run. The real strength of this is the two guest characters: grumpy Sarah (Aisling Bea) and awkward, good-natured Nick (Adjani Salmon). They're really the stars of this and not the Doctor & Co. They're both really entertaining and well characterized. The Doctor's newest companion Dan Lewis (John Bishop) is the standout of the regular cast here. He continues to be the most humorous and likable of the gang, and Bishop really sells the character. It's too bad that he'll probably be gone soon due to an upcoming showrunner change (at least it's traditional for companions to change; they might surprise us).

Recommended. This was just an all-around well-done story.

Reno 911!: The Hunt for Qanon

7/10

In this special on Paramount+ (yeah... special is what they're calling it; it's feature film length, but they called the two hour long South Parks "movies"), the deputies of Reno go on a cruise hosting a Qanon convention in order to serve a summons to Q.

It's been a while since I saw the show (and I never saw the Quibi season), but this definitely feels like the weirdest, most out there entry in Reno 911. I was initially into it, because it was different and some of the absurdities are pretty fun. However, the sheer randomness wears thin after a while and it doesn't end when you think it would. The special is only an hour and twenty-five minutes, but it feels a lot longer. (Since Reno 911! relies on improv with basic story setups, several scenes don't feel like they work because the concepts weren't robust enough. The weakest part is definitely the scenes involving the crew of the ship; they feel random and shoved-in and the actors felt the weakest at improv.)

Though uneven, when HfQ is funny, it's really, really funny. The last few seasons of Reno 911!'s original run did feel like they were running out of steam, but this feels like a real return to form. (Again, haven't seen the Quibi episodes. No idea whether they were funny or not.) The first two scenes were HILARIOUS!

The talented main cast all still have that improv magic that made the show. Regular face Patton Oswalt, who was even in the last film (because really, this is a film, not a special Paramount+!), returns as a Q member. He's pretty good in this. He's got a subplot with Wendi McLendon-Covey's Deputy Clementine Johnson and they have excellent chemistry together.

Ian Roberts as Sgt. Jack Declan, who was in season six and the Qibi run, returns. He's got the same issue that he had in his first season: he just isn't given enough time. The guy can be funny (see the mail sketch, one of the highlights of the disappointing season six), but it feels like either the writers who come up with the sketches don't assign enough for him to do, or he just doesn't speak up enough. If you liked Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Joe Lo Truglio as Deputy Frank Salvatore Rizzo, who also appeared in the same seasons as Declan, he isn't returning for this.  

How does this compare to the last film? I like this better. Don't get me wrong, HfQ is uneven, but I felt the jokes were stronger and it definitely leaves an impression. The last film had funny subplot sketches, but the main storyline was pretty lackluster. 

Kinda recommended. If you're a fan of Reno 911!, you'll probably like this, but the lack of direction and sheer over-the-topness may turn some people off, including possibly some fans who feel it doesn't match the feel of the show. Still, I'd say everyone will laugh at least once at this.