Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story

I am a fan of the series, although I would not consider myself a huge fan. I was lucky enough to see this movie before it came out and was not disappointed. Yes, there is fouler language than usual, but it made the movie that much funnier. The use of the F word was sprinkled throughout but it was always used in the right places and only for comedic value, not just to have it in there. There are some classic quotes that will enter the English language regularly I'm sure. They referenced some movies such as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc. I have to admit my favorite was the scene from Ferris Bueller's day off. The movie continued to include most of the characters from the series, even the minute ones that only show themselves here and there. The story was complete, and interesting and honestly kept you laughing the whole time. There was enough story to keep you interested and it was not choppy. It really ran smoothly and didn't make you wonder why something was happening. It truly ran like a longer episode. This is a must not miss for anyone who watches the series and thinks that it is amusing!

It was weird watching this movie because I've seen nearly every episode of "Family Guy" and it was easy to recognize this movie as being adapted into three episodes of the TV show. Now there was enough material here for four episodes, but they trimmed it down to three in the actual show. I admit that I'm not a fan of "Family Guy", but this was still enjoyable. Besides, it wasn't really until later that "Family Guy" became particularly hated. I counted 45 cutaway gags in this movie! What's interesting here is that there are a lot of things that really do build up.

The thing was, I didn't get a feeling that this was epic enough for a movie. It still didn't seem large scale. Of course, it probably was better than most episodes of the actual show. There are lots of funny little lines here and there. I especially love the opening sequence where they talk about how they're rolling out the red carpet for a direct to video movie. With all the awful direct to video movies I've seen this month, this was quite refreshing. It has some good satire in it and it doesn't really seem like "Family Guy" will ever get a theatrically released movie, unlike "My Little Pony", hee hee. ***

Originally released on dvd as a standalone film, Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story was later added to the official episode canon of Family Guy. The story is interesting enough, it's essentially an 80 minute "Road to" episode. When run in syndication, it's split up into three episodes, which makes sense.

It definitely wasnt just a cash grab, as these episodes are only available on this dvd. Therefore, if you're a dvd collector of the series, you'll be happy. All of the same sort of cutaways and gags are used here, as in the TV show, so the continuity is there. As well as the cast and crew. It makes sense though since it's actually part of the shows canon.

Having seen hell, Stewie decides to be nice but it is not long before the façade crumbles and instead he decides to spend his days drunk. Brian attempts to teach him a lesson but only succeeds in losing Peter his "normal guy complaining about trivial issues" job on the local cable station. Meanwhile Lois bemoans her lack of privacy and tries to get their kids into the opposite sex to get them out of the house more often. Distracted, they don't spot that Stewie and Brian have joined Quagmire's Cross "Cuntry" trip in a quest to find Stewie's real father.

As a fan of the series I tuned in to the film hoping for it to be the quality of the series. After a slow start I twigged that this was really three episodes woven together with some supporting material which, as someone who enjoys the series shouldn't have been a problem. All the best bits of the series are there in the target-audience film and cultural reference (the two Star Wars ones were my favourite) as well as imaginative crudity. I laughed out loud several times even though the actual plot was consistently pretty weak across the whole film. This is a valid criticism because of the length of the film.

With the episodes the asides ("like the time I") come thick and fast and easily cover the plot to the point where nobody watches for the stories, just the laughs. However with the film the hits are spread a bit thinner and as a result it does occasionally feel a bit baggy (giggly) and I remember sometimes waiting for the next laugh. So I agree with those fans that thought this was not as good as the series, not because I'm a precious fanboy with unrealistic expectations and a rose-tinted memory but because it didn't entertain me as much as I would have liked.

That said I'm glad I watched it and it did enough for me as I imagine it will do for those who enjoy the series. Viewers will rightly feel that it could have been funnier or more consistent but with a handful of great moments and a scattering of good ones it is still worth a look.

I recently saw this and I must confess it was awesome. There is heavy Stewie content, and Lois is funnier than I have ever seen; the intro. alone had me on the floor. The funniest episodes ever of family guy have been based on interactions between Brian and Stewie, which MacFarlane delivers. The movie is comparable to a few episodes of the show strung together, but will be enjoyed whether you're a fan or not. To top it off, the "cameos" of well known characters adds an ambiance that Family Guy aficionados will love (much like the first episode of the 2005 season). Although I'm a long time fan of the show, I am usually very pessimistic. However, the only criticism I can conjure up is that I wanted more when the movie ended.