I trust in the people at Adventure Time to tell a good story. Without fail, every episode entertains me on multiple levels. The new DVD, “Finn the Human” contains some of my very favorite episodes that run the gamut of silly to bed-wettingly terrifying.
And, hey, you get your very own Finn backpack!
Backpack!!
Gotta admit, I think I was trying too hard to find a through line for the episodes contained on the DVD. We’ve got stuff from almost every season. With the exception of a few episodes, this compilation is pure Finn and Jake. Best buds taking on all types of weirdness, fighting bad guys and sometimes each other. If not for the first few episodes, I would recommend this DVD as a perfect introduction to the world’s greatest best friends.
About those first couple of episodes, they are the most frightening and ambitious of the entire series. Beginning in “The New Frontier,” Jake is visited by the Cosmic Owl in a dream where he meets his death. After battling fate we move right into “The Lich,” “Finn the Human,” and “Jake the Dog.” Those three episodes form the most reality shattering and serious turn of events Adventure Time has attempted. Seriously, The Lich is just frightening. Where most everything in the Land of Ooo has a funny side, The Lich is only meant to terrify. And terrify he does by hiding in Billy’s skin to manipulate Finn and Jake into becoming accomplices in the destruction of life. The only thing that would have made this DVD better would have been the inclusion of “Wake Up” and “The Citadel,” which brought The Lich’s story to a head. Maybe next time.
The rest of the disc is lighter fare but no less entertaining. “Blade of Grass” gives Finn a magical and cursed new sword which figures highly in this current season. “Who Would Win” features a showdown between Finn and Jake worthy of Piper and Keith in They Live. “Little Dude” featuring Jake’s hat come to life not only has Dana Snyder as the voice of Ancient Sleeping Magi of Life Giving but also feature’s the greatest device in fiction: The Sassage Flare. If you got the hankering for some sausage, bring out the old Sassage Flare and get BMO to fry up some delicious meat.
Speaking of meat, “Furniture and Meat” is collected on this DVD. This was a spectacular episode that took Jake to some very dark places when he becomes overcome with the power of money. This episode is super-quotable and one of the most entertaining on the disc.
Finishing out the selected episodes, “Sad Face” follows the adventures of Jake’s tail as it becomes a circus clown while Jake is sleeping. Yeah, I’m not making that up. I love that episode for its randomness. As an experiment in unusual protagonists, it’s brilliant, but it’s also just plain fun. The perfect balance to the darkness of the first few episodes on the disk.
“Finn the Human” is an absolutely perfect gift if you know someone who’s into Adventure Time. Even if you just have a friend who’s quirky and smart but may not have watched the show, this DVD is a fantastic introduction to the greatest post-apocalyptic fiction ever created.
Plus, there’s a backpack! Did I mention the backpack?
Backpack!!