Rate and Review: "Treehouse of Horror XXI"

[The Governor]

Treehouse of Horror XXI:

"War and Pieces" - when Marge suggests playing board games instead of violent video games, Bart and Milhouse have to escape a lifesize board game

"Tweenlight" - Lisa falls for a new student (voiced by Daniel Radcliffe) who happens to be a vampire

"Master and Cadaver" - in a Dead Calm spoof, Homer and Marge rescue a man at sea (voiced by Hugh Laurie) while on their second honeymoon, but they become convinced that, rather than surviving an attempted poisoning, he's the killer, and Homer and Marge are next on his list

[McClure]

The opening was okay. The Office parody would have been a lot more memorable if it had used regular characters rather than random monsters. As is, its just another random parody.

The opening segment was awful. It was pretty much a bunch of random board game jokes. There wasn't much of a plot. The structure was basically: Introduction, a dozen or so one-off gags, ending. It was just like watching Family Guy. It wouldn't have been bad if the jokes were funny, but they really weren't. I know some people prefer that style, and call me old fashioned, but I prefer the old style of segments where there was an actual plot, as opposed to a segment just being a bunch of random jokes that fit in as many characters as possible. 1/5.

Second segment wasn't great either. They had the possiblity of making it scary and suspenseful (if they had followed the film closer) but instead went the silly route and Homer randomly killing people isn't all that funny. The ending with Maggie impersonating Alex from Clockwork Orange was the only saving grace. 2/5.

Third segment was okay. The highlights were Yogi Bear walking by with a rangers head in his picnic basket and Ned Flanders on the table with an apple in his mouth was an awesome sight gag, but it would have been funnier if they had ended there. 2.5/5.

Overall, not great. The first two segments were bad and the third was just okay. After last year's excellent THOH episode, this was a disappointment. 2/5.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the first time they've used the Wilhelm Scream.

[Muskrat]

Not bad. All three segments came and went with a few good laughs each. Tweenlight was a lot better than I expected it to be.

[The Governor]

Well, it wasn't shit terrible, but it wasn't the best either....like nearly every THoH these days. Unfortunetly, they ran a lot of gags into the ground, like the Edmund saving Lisa from the vehicles over and over and over and....However, it had 2 of the funniest sight gags in a while: Clockwork Maggie and Milhouse the WerePoodle.

3/5

BTW, I hate to sound like an egomaniac, but my Twilight parody was better.

[Jesse Pinkman]

i hated it. the opening was the only thing even somewhat funny. "War and Pieces", like was already said, was nothing more than lame board game jokes. Master and Cadaver was really dumb i thought, the only thing that was even somewhat good was the end with maggie. i was really bored throughout the first two and when "Tweenlight" started I could barely watch anymore. overall i was really bored and can't remember laughing once. one of my least favorite THOHs ever. 1/5

[jayleno]

Just absolutely awful. I can't stress this enough—they need new writers and staff ASAP. Give the show a decent final few years, please.

[HRH Sir Prince Charles]

nobody makes fun of dead calm enough... I'd say an overall 2.5/5

War and Pieces - 2/5

Master and Cadaver - 2/5

Tweenlight - 3/5

[Nauru-1]

It was okay. I have a feeling it really won't stand up to much in terms of replay value, as the stories are interesting enough the first time around but just don't have the laughs. I did like how they weren't afraid to go gruesome when it called for it.

Office Parody opening - Very brief, which means we essentially get some nice relief from the four act structure. A couple of sight gags worth noticing, but nothing memorable here.

First segment was almost dependent on the pretty colours. Also, I was expecting more of a Jumanji parody. While it's fine that they took it a different direction, it almost made the game they came up with unnecessary as they roll once and then it's all about dealing with the other board games. Hardly any story to speak of from there on in as it's pretty much the writers just putting characters in various board game situation. Also unfortunately another list gag with lame puns. Meh.

Second segment also had some problems with focus, and that's started to stand out as something that really doesn't sit well with me regarding the show currently. Some okay ideas but ultimately too many twists to handle in one segment. I must mention the ending with Maggie though which the best thing I've seen on the show in a while.

Third segment I didn't like on principle, and while it wasn't horrible, it suffers from the same problems as earlier in that I struggle to grasp exactly what they're going for. I don't know it was something with the station, but the ending appeared very anti-climactic, especially for a final story. The second story would have been a much more satisfactory close.

I'll give it a generous C- (3/5).

[zartok-35]

I thought 'Master and Cadaver' was probably the best of the three. But, like so many other Al Jean THOH shows, it just reduces itself to mindless killing jokes. The animation of the killing jokes was kinda nice, though. Otto stole the show in 'Tweenlight'. "Why is there a steering wheel in my bedroom?" was particularly funny.
All in all, not so great, but I'll give it a generous un-biased 3/5.

[D'ohmer]

Intro: I thought it was a funny way to start out the show. The Homer/Bart fight was funny and I liked the Frink and office gags. 4/5

1st Segment: This is one of my favorite THOH segments. I love how they incorporated many of the board games and I thought their use of them was creative beyond belief. The gags involving all of them were great. There was a plot as well. Bart and Milhouse had to complete the game that they started in order to return everything back to normal. I thought that the plot was a good way to tie together the gags. If there was anything I didn't like, it was the "Lisa to the rescue" climax as we've had many of those before, but that problem is so insignificant that I won't even deduct for it. The ending with hangman was funny also. 5/5

2nd Segment: Another great segment! I usually love Homer/Marge plots and not only was the story interesting, but the humor was great as well. I didn't predict the twist and the shark not dieing was not taking the easy way out. Homer's cell phone and the ending with Maggie were some of the funniest gags of the night. I am still waiting for someone to use that last shot as their avatar. 5/5

3rd Segment: Yeah, I didn't like it. I hate Twilight (thought I never read/saw it, I know based on what I heard about it) and this contained everything bad about what I heard from the actual series. Not only that, but the writing was pretty crappy, even for a THOH episode. The plot was all over the place and it seemed to move too fast. I am also glad that it didn't focus on Lisa too much as from what we saw of her, she was pretty annoying. The only things that made me SMILE (key word) were Milhouse turning into a Poodle, the Flanders meal, and Homer turning into a bat at the end and trying to fly. And yes, Jake's version was better. 2/5

Overall, the first two segments and opening were enough to save the episode. 3.5/5 (rounded to a 4/5)

[biffwestwood]

I have decided to get in the habit to review each new episode immeadiately after it airs since this should be my duty as a member.

The opening introduction was the best part of the episode. The Office parody especially with the opening credits was perfect. But the reference to Glee and So You Think You Can Dance being fast forwarded was unnecessary advertising.

War and Pieces was quite good. It was a big gag fest that you could really laugh out loud at. There is so much going on that you can't catch your breath. I sepecially thought it was funny that they parody the names of the games which boosts the interest.

Master and Cadaver was quite dull. I only got laughs at the times where it was suggesting a nudity joke but it was instead a cell phone or a radio. No Bart and Lisa in this one sinks this. The twist at the end and the reference to A Clockwork Orange was the best part. {Speaking of that, they should do a spoof of that in a future Treehouse of Horror episode.}

Tweenlight was only average. It seemed to have a routine plot. Daniel Radcliffe was not the best for the role in my opinion. The scene with many vampires was to me the best part of this story. It seemed just plain weird for Lisa to want to be bitten and Milhouse turning into a poodle went nowhere.

Overall, this gets 3/5

[The Governor]

OT: In twighlight, was Edmund's (or his real character) father dracula?

[KaylaK]

This is my first post on here, so I'm a bit nervous...but here goes.

I honestly liked this years THOH.

The introduction was nice with Frink, a good change of pace to use him. The TiVO/DVR joke was good, I thought it was funny. Although I agree with what was previously stated about the Glee and SYTYCD being useless advertising, and that The Office parody would have been more memorable if it had actual characters and not monsters.

War and Pieces was good for name gags, like with all the board games. And I loved the chutes & ladders thing with Homer, and how badly mouse trap sucks! I've never completed that game. (: All of the boardgame gags were cute, but I felt it could have been more of a Jumanji parody.

Master and Cadaver I really liked! The cellphone gags got me everytime, haha. This one had a good plot and story going on, I thought, and the twist at the end with Maggie was one of the best parts of the episode!

Tweenlight was about what I expected, except for Lisa wanted to be bitten. The Otto joke(s) and the cars almost hitting Lisa were probably the funniest, and the Yogi Bear sight gag was great as well. It did move pretty fast, and I was hoping for more with Milhouse as a werepoodle!

All in all I think it was a good THOH, but not one of the best 4/5. (:

EDIT: Also, Hank Azaria's Halloween name! (:

[D'ohmer]

No Bart and Lisa in this one sinks this.

I actually like that. They didn't unnecessarily use them (which I don't like) and it was a nice break from them and it gives the feeling of isolation as it's just Homer and Marge, out in the middle of nowhere (not including the ending, of course).

[HRH Sir Prince Charles]

The Clockwork Orange parody was one of those rare moments where you think "holy shit, this is The Simpsons". Too bad they're so rare

[hughes]

It was good, although a bit lacking on laugh-out-loud moments (or maybe I was still sulking too much over the Chiefs loss to be able to truly enjoy it ). The first segment (not counting the opening, which was good) was the weakest of the three, but I actually liked a couple of the puns (Ravenous, Ravenous Rhinos, for example), but the list was unnecessary. Second segment was my favorite, the boner noise actually being Homer's phone and Homer going apeshit and killing everyone both made me laugh, and the ending was fantastic. Third segment...well, I hate Twilight, but I still enjoyed it. The Flanders meal provided the biggest laugh of the night for me. 13/15

[lionelhutz123]

Maybe not the worst THOH, but it's definitely down there. The opening seemed pretty routine. One character introduces the show to the audience. It wasn't particularly funny, but it was by no means terrible. However, it should have ended after Frink died. The Office parody was tacky and pointless. There's obviously no satire or message behind it to drive any humor other than it's something to look at and go "I know that show" and ah I get it, The Simpsons have replaced the characters with monsters.
The first segment was one of those where the plot is kept simple to allow a gagfest. It's basically a showcase for various familiar board games with puns attached. None of the gags were really that funny, and I didn't care for the chutes and ladders thing with Homer. Everything just seemed so lazily written.
The second segment wasn't bad, but it just barely held my interest. I found everything very predictable and some gags went on longer than they should have like Homer's walk around the boat. I didn't really care for the nipple/radio joke. I miss it when Marge had that warm, innocent, motherly type of character, who at the same time shared a sexual relationship with her husband. It was so subtle and believable back then, and I know that this is just a THOH, but these sex gags and romance is handled in such a raunchy, unnecessarily forced manner. Overall though this tale was pretty average, but the ending to it was good.
The twighlight segment was better than expected but still pretty average. I didn't mind the multiple incoming vehicle gag, because I find that concept ridiculous to begin with, and the fact that so many random cars/bikes were being stopped, it kind of mirrored that ridiculousness. While there was nothing to laugh at here, there were still a couple of gags I respected. Other than that, it was just another average spoof.
Overall I'd give this year's THOH a 2/5. Last year's was alot more impressive.

[Jgr9]

It was OK. Generally a few chuckles throughout except for maybe the second one. The twilight one wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't like the Office intro.

The funniest part in the first one was Mouse Trap not working and that was really only mildly funny to me. The Twilight one only made me laugh a little when Milhouse turned into a goofy looking poodle and at the "The Room" reference (though they should have made him say the line to Lisa to make it more accurate).