The move from TV to film is a dicey proposition, especially for a gleefully absurdist, batshit-crazy stoner cult cartoon that stands as one of the strangest television shows ever produced. Thankfully (and, I’ll admit, somewhat surprisingly) Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters succeeds about as well as one could expect, and survives its transition to the big screen with aesthetics intact…meaning it’s easily one of the strangest movies ever produced.

Review continues after the jump

Grotesque, clever, silly, and surreal, often at the same time, the 12-minute, almost-abstract ATHF episodes thrive off of random unpredictability and a smart low-brow mentality. And although it isn’t as consistent and well-crafted as something like South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut or Beavis and Butthead Do America, ATHF:MFfT is strikingly similar to its origins. It’s very odd, slow in spots, fitfully but satisfyingly funny, and compulsively watchable.

This’ll shock fans of the show: the film has something of a plot. The riotously convoluted “story” features the Aqua Teens along with most of the show’s recurring characters: Carl, the wanted-by-Boston-PD Mooninites, the Plutonians, Dr. Weird and his hapless assistant, and the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past. Some new characters are introduced, too — most notably Time Lincoln, the awesomely named Walter Melon, and, of course, Rush drummer Neil Peart.

Most of the antics concern the Insane-o-flex, an apocalyptic excercise machine, and the various villains attempting to procure it from the Aqua Teens and do…something. There’s also time-traveling, a watermelon spaceship, an absolutely superb first five minutes and credit sequence, and (maybe) clues to the Aqua Teens’s origin.

Despite all of these shenanigans, it’s something of a shame that the filmmakers don’t take the concept further. At the end of the day, the movie is just an extended episode of the show, which is fine, but makes the proceedings somewhat predictable. I completely understand the need to appeal to the people who haven’t seen the show, but it’s too bad the creators didn’t decide to get a bit more ambitious.

Still, it’s a fine, highly amusing effort that bears rewatching. Stoners will be quite pleased.

AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE COLON MOVIE FILM FOR THEATERS opens nationwide tomorrow.

KFR Rating: B

The movie’s official website.

The movie’s other official website.

And I think we may have already posted these, but anyway, here are a couple stills from the flick:

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