Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) Review

Cornholio needs picatta for his bunghole!

Yo, this be Reuben. I’ve always known about ol’ Beavis and Butt-Head but I’ve never actually watched it. Last night I finally watched some form of it, that being the movie. And boi oh boi I didn’t regret it.

It’s an exceptionally silly film. Written and directed by Mike Judge, creator of the series alongside others such as King of the Hill and Silicon Valley, its backbone is the goofy teenage idiocy of Beavis and Butt-Head and the humour that comes from it. After their TV is stolen from literally in front of them, the two mugs go on a quest to go find it or get a new one somehow, and then somehow instead get involved in a dispute between a criminal couple and a weapon of mass destruction. It’s a plot that is about as stupid as the two characters themselves and stumbles and wonders just like them. But alas, however stupid it is it works perfectly for the movie and as a basis for Beavis and Butt-Head, to be, well, Beavis and Butt-Head, and it’s hilarious. I think if the plot was sensible and had some grand scope it just would not work and could ruin the whole thing.

It’s classy.

Seeing as it’s a comedy, the most important aspect of the movie is its humour. It is indeed complimented by its simple plot, and also with the solidity of the main characters, who are so stupid, and so stereotypically teenage, that for me I just can’t help but laugh at them (and sometimes with them, heh… QUIT JUDGING ME MARK, I CAN’T HELP IT). It’s wonderfully quotable, to boot. It never gets repetitive or grating, because the film has a nice ‘n friendly li’l runtime of 77 minutes, for compact viewing pleasure. And, as with Mike Judge’s other best works, the comedy writing in this thang is often quite subtle and quirky, and on the whole its smart — so it is far from just silly sex jokes. Honestly, it’s some of the most I’ve laughed out loud at a film in a long time.

Another great thing about the film is its animation and general aesthetics. I mean, it’s far from the most masterfully animated thing in the world, but with the unique and recognisable art style at its core and with its juddery bumbling style, it’s got a lot of charm — kinda like King of the Hill in that sense. And in terms of sound, the voice acting is certainly memorable, to say the least, and the score is absolute quality, with the likes of AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie making appearances. Oh, and a little band called Red Hot Chili Peppers…

In conclusion, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America may not be the greatest technical achievement in film-making, it is definitely not for everyone, and sadly they never do score, but it’s a brilliant little package to represent the stupid side of the mid 90s and it’s one of the funniest and most entertaining films I’ve seen in a while. It’s gloriously stupid and yet it’s surprisingly smart.

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86/100

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Bringing redundant opinions for scrollers everywhere,

Reuben.