Modern Warfare

This is the first episode of Community that will later define and characterize typical Community-episodes.

The first few minutes start as usual. But then after Jeff wakes up, he wakes up in a post-war scenery....

This episode is depicted as a kind of parody, but also kind of an homage to action movies. It is not that much exaggerated as parodies are most times. Parody episodes are just about making fun of the clichés....but in this episode of Community it fits all in. The whole story of the Season arc is developing, you get the know the cast better, more important: you get to know the atmosphere and state- of-mind at the Community college better, and all these nice developing scenes are surrounded with brilliant action scenes. The plot is very well and it looks like they made right choices everywhere (Chang as the psycho Headhunter, the slow-mo scenes).

And then sometimes, you briefly leave the action scenery for a quick moment of reality "in a TV series" and find yourself sucked in from the happenings only to realize "oh it's only blood..no paint!" :D

One of the best early episodes, outstanding from the other episodes so far...in a different way. Community has more of these nice half-parody, half-homage episodes and all of them are good.

10/10

When I first started watching Community, I wasn't sure wheter or not I wanted to continue. I liked the humor, the characters and settings were interesting and I could see that it wasn't your typical sit com but I still thought that the show hadn't found its voice yet. I know that this is the case for lot of brilliant series, especially comedies where you have to get used to the humor (it was the same with the first season of The Office and I ended up loving it), so I kept watching. The second half of the season started to get better until this episode. THIS is where Community becomes Community (and by it I mean amazing) and finds its true identity, this is the game changer. If you are not 100% sure on wheter or not to keep watching then this episode will make up your mind.

Modern Warfare contains the classical meta-humor and it's a wonderfully realized parody of post apocalyctic and action movies. It starts with a normal cold open where it's announced that Greendale will have a paintball fight with some huge prize that is still unknow. As Jeff wakes up from a nap, he founds the school empty and wrecked a la 28 Days Later and then there are some interesting (and fun) twists and turns. I'm not giving this episode a 10 just because I know there will be some more good stuff coming up.

Modern Warfare is the start of what might be Community's finest tradition - the paintball parody. Taking elements from The Walking Dead, Battle Royale (the movie), The Matrix and every 80s action movie ever Justin Lin gives us a hilarious, creative and ridiculously over-the-top episode that also manages to work in some character growth. Absolutely love it.

The "paintball" episode is hilarious! After the usual pre-titles opening scene, the entire episode is shot to look like an action movie. That's what's great about "Community": the sense of heightened reality. It allows for some wonderfully absurd satire.

In this episode ("Modern Warfare"), the entire student body at Greendale is engaged in a last-one-standing paintball war. Everyone wants to win The Prize. (The prize itself is a great satire on the college experience.) Armed with paintball guns, our heroes make their way through a war-torn campus, ever wary of the glee club who might snipe them from the trees.

The episode is filled with classic action movie moments: slow-motion moves, jumping off walls, sliding on floors, tragic "deaths", suspicions of betrayal, hails of gunfire, and Mexican stand-offs galore.

Joel McHale runs around in a sweaty wife-beater while his buddies wear battle gear. People are dodging paint pellets, ducking for cover, ambushing their enemies, and avenging their fallen friends. Not your typical day at school.

The hilarity is topped off by Senor Chang's (Ken Jeong) appearance toward the end as a bada** mercenary for the dean. (The music alone makes his entrance priceless.)

"Community" has proved over its first season that it's a fresh new sitcom that knows comedy. Each character brings something different to the table and the show is witty and absurd and full of satire. I like some episodes better than others, but I absolutely LOVED this wonderful homage to action flicks. This is "Community" at its most inspired. Brilliant.

#2/10

Really great episode with tons of pop-culture references that for me prove why Community is such a great show, it can handle all of these cliche tropes and ideas and turn them into something brilliant.