Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus

I was a huge fan of the original show back when it was on tv so needless to say I was excited when Enter the Florpus was announced, but I'm a bit disappointed. For starters the animation is much different than how the original show was, it's almost more cartoonish which is really unnecessary in my opinion. The second thing is the humor here is a bit different, the original show didn't overly rely on the in your face slapstick humor but this movie does. If you're a fan of the original show then you'll definitely enjoy the movie, but don't expect it to bring back what made the show so great.

Invader Zim has to be one of Nickelodeon's biggest cult phenomenons of their entire existence. What was once a short lived series that barely even lasted two seasons ended up growing a massive cult following, mainly due to its bizarre tone, wacky albeit dark content and gritty visuals. So it's a no brainer that it would receive some kind of followup after its original run, which is where Enter the Florpus comes in. Handled by series creator Jhonen Vasquez and much of the original crew, this movie installment is made purely for the Zim enthusiasts who have waited so long for their favorite creepy alien to return.

The main storyline of the special details Zim realizing he was sent to Earth to be gotten rid of and thus loses confidence in himself. This seems like a big break for his human nemesis, Dib, or is it? Without nailing down the actual story beats, as that would give away a lot of spoilers, the general flow of the story itself is so unpredictable and scattered that you couldn't even list one specific plot twist. Zim has tried his hardest to conquer Earth only to fail miserably, be it at odds with Dib or genuine misfires, yet only now does he get the pure chance of a lifetime to take over the planet, and his plan is so brilliant it's actually unlike him. As for Dib, part of his goal to take down Zim is to prove to his father that he's not making any of it up, which is actually the most heartbreaking and emotional aspect of the movie. You end up rooting for Dib throughout his whole ordeal in addition to wondering what Zim has in store, making for two highly fascinating narratives.

From a technical side, the special's animation is very vibrant, expressive, and displays a great blend of 2D and 3D visuals, which is very tricky to make convincing. There again, the art style is super stylized and cartoony that it fits right in. As for the humor, while it can be pretty juvenile, it does offer some pretty hysterical one liners and slapstick wroth giggling at, especially with Zim and Dib's witty banter and Gir's lovable childish antics. Lastly, major props to the voice actors for their contributions. Richard Steven Horvitz always sounds like he's having the time of his life voicing Zim, Andy Berman practically invents Dib's paranoid demeanor, Rodger Bumpass hams up Professor Membrane to a wonderful degree, Melissa Fahn is delightfully creepy as Gaz, and Rosearik Rikki Simons is always a treat whenever he's doing Gir's exaggerated vocals. Given that the special is so crazy and hyper in terms of its tone and pacing, it only makes sense that the cast kicks the mood up to 11 with their ecstatic deliveries.

I think exaggerated is the best word to describe this special, and for an Invader Zim movie, you couldn't ask for more. Enter the Florpus not only continues the Invader Zim series faithfully with a suspenseful and crazy storyline, but it brings its visuals to whole new places and has the characters grow a bit more than what they used to be like. If you still adore the original show with all your heart, give this one a watch as soon as you can. Even if you've never seen the original, this is still worth a watch, if only for the insane surrealistic tone that you don't find in a lot of animated content nowadays.

After an absence of about 15 years, "Invader Zim" is back as a special on Netflix. Interestingly, this Nickelodeon show returned to Netflix just a few days after another, "Rocko's Modern Life". Of the two, I prefered the Rocko special but they both are well worth seeing...particularly if you are a fan. As for Zim if you are NOT a fan or if you haven't seen it before, then this is something you might want to skip.

In the show, Zim has been missing for many years. During all this time, the obsessive Dib has been spying on Zim's house...waiting and hoping to see him again. Suddenly, Zim appears and Dib is pretty much powerless to do anything, as he's become a disgusting blob who hasn't slept nor showered nor left his computer chair since who knows when. But, after a montage, Dib is back to his old self and just in time to try to twart Zim's latest plan...one that involves fake dad, pudding and Mini-Moose.

I have watched all the "Invader Zim" cartoons, so this one did not make my head explode. However, this is a distinct possibility and the new show is incredibly weird...even compared to the old show. Fans of the series will adore it and shower it with 10s, non-fans will just be confused and I think a reasonable overall score is 7.

There were a lot of great moments in the movie, I love that Vasquez held onto a good amount of his humor as the years have wore on, I'm sure many things have changed for him as has the world & culture around him, so it inspires me to see the unique expression of all the bizarreness & absurdity in a time that has largely departed from this style of humor & show.

I enjoyed the movie & I would recommend it, it really punches you in the nostalgia bags & gives a lot of good laughs.

I only have a few small gripes about the movie, having been a huge fan of the original series.

The movie departs a bit from the vibes of the original series, for whatever reason. For one, the movie exhibited a lighter atmosphere, I understand that perhaps the production assumed that the audience has changed and was afraid to alienate their audience, but Invader Zim was great in large part because its irreverence, many great art pieces are great because they're bold & actually defy people's expectations. There was never a good comedian who only said what was socially acceptable, and that's why it brings me some sense of sorrow to see Zim made less intense, diminishing near the first point of contention, even Dib & his family having obscenely 'normal' moments. Gaz is not someone pretending not to care about her brother, being annoyed with him, & looking for ways to injure him, but in the movie she is, and Dib's dad doesn't really care that much about him, he's actually consumed by his passion for science to a fault, except in the movie.

The power & intensity of the individuals are diminished in the movie, the nature of their reality is toned down perhaps to tailor to more modern audiences, there is less darkness & ugliness, less witty, repulsive, absurd, nihilistic, subtle commentary, & more silly, apprehensive humor that pulls too many punches.

I would gladly watch a remake because I still love the humor when it hits right & the remnants of the original atmosphere they kept, but that doesn't change the fact that the movie could have been better if it was significantly more authentic & daring.

This is a very good movie. Its animation style is colourful, and very pleasing to the eye. All of the original cast are back, and in great form. The story isn't fantastic, but that doesn't really matter, because the script is so funny. The characters are funny, and they have funny lines. The animation is funny. I haven't laughed this much at an animated movie in a long time, because the jokes are far from the recycled, stale clichés that are common in cartoons. The comedic timing is great. I just wish it was longer. Highly recommended, and I will be rewatching it in the future for sure.