And in their newest artistic veneering of their oldest and most popular material, "Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie" paints a new face on their old faves Containing classic cartoon infused bits such as "Let's Make a Dope Deal," "Drive In," and the iconic "Dave's Not Here," the film is definitely a niche release, leaving little orientation to the uninitiated. For those familiar with the dynamic doobie duo however, the film is a laced love letter to the heyday of Cheech and Chong, who received much of their turn-and-burn earnings from the 1978 stash-starter "Up In Smoke." And while Animated Movie wreaks less of the early films, and more like Comedy Central's short-lived series "Shorties Watchin' Shorties" – an on-par animated vehicle in which stand-up acts are morphed into cartoonish mini movies – the groundwork laid by the early days of Cheech and Chong comes alive in this priming for a whole new generation of eager beavers. Never ones to stay stoned and silent, three commentary tracks top the extras menu, with a good burn given by directors Eric and Branden Chambers and Lou Adler on all things production. Tommy Chong and son Paris provide a great track that explores some known and not-so-known insights. And with the third pass, Cheech and Chong together gaze through the glaze and haze of their off-and-on careers taking viewers on a bong-filled ride fueled by cannabis and comedy. A Cheech and Chong stills gallery, an appropriate "Low Maintenance Listening Mode," and footage from Blind Mellon's "Medical Marijuana" recording session also pad the stash. So with two likable guys with half-opened eyes that have grown extra large in comedy size, "Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie" still may insist that "Dave's not here man," but the sultans of smoky jokes are most definitely still in the building.
