Review: Corner Gas Animated “Dream Waiver”

Corner Gas is back!

Overview:

Brent hasn’t been sleeping well thanks to some bad dreams where legendary Canadian actor, Michael J. Fox continuously attempts to kill him.  With Wanda getting ready to leave on vacation she tries to help Brent sort his issue out before she goes.  Through dream analysis, they are able to get to the subconscious problem that is causing Brent to lose sleep.

Meanwhile, Lacey has forgotten to reinstate the insurance at The Ruby Café.  With Oscar injuring himself on her patio, a lawsuit seems inevitable.  Thankfully, Lacey manages to catch the couple admitting to fraud before anything can get out of hand.

Our Take:

Corner Gas Animated is back in full effect!  Arguably the biggest franchise sitcom to ever come out of Canada was successful in its transition to adult animation with last year’s critically acclaimed first season.  With the trials of putting a series like this on the air out of the way, the second season promises to be smoother, more well-rounded, and all-around improvement on something that was already highly successful.  Second seasons of animated shows tend to be an improvement with the creative team having their legs under them.  And, in a recent interview show creator Brent Butt had on Bubbleblabber a few weeks ago, it is clear that he was excited for fans to return to Dog River once more.

This animated version of a live-action sitcom that ran for six seasons has a seamless way of transitioning us into this 2D world.  The characters and town itself are illustrated in a way that makes this show feel like home, even if you’re not from rural Saskatchewan.  And, the animation does feel tighter with this new season.  Not that it was an issue last year, but Dog River looks better than ever.

One of the things that had us excited for season two was the announcement of many big-name Canadian celebrities promised to make guest appearances.  And, arguably there is none more prominent than Marty McFly himself, Michael J. Fox, who was confirmed to make his appearance on this season premiere.  Besides being acknowledged by name, Fox is unmistakable.  The animation of the legendary actor is on point, but his voice is so easily recognizable that it is exciting to hear him take part in the Canadian franchise, finally.  His role as a nightmare murderer in Brent’s subconscious was unpredictable, but an intriguing way to bring this star into this world, without him actually going to Dog River.  And, there is no doubt that the episode could have done with more Michael J. Fox, but the star could have easily done the entire episode himself and fans would be happy.

While looking over reviews from last year, one of the biggest complaints was that the show was not utilizing its new animated platform.  The original Corner Gas series worked in live-action because everything took place in one small town.  With animation, there is an opportunity to bring characters anywhere, which should be capitalized on when it comes to shows such as these.  Well, almost immediately, season two rectifies the limited amount of times they have expanded the setting.  This episode included a multitude of wandering cutscenes that included genre-bending scenery.  It is safe to say that we will be travelling out of Dog River a lot this season.

The series premiere, last year, managed to break records for the Comedy Network and become one of the most-watched premieres of the country.  Launching season two on Canada Day this year may keep the numbers down, as many of us were out to celebrate the country’s birthday.  But, anyone who did miss it should be clamouring to find a rerun, because this is the best we have seen out of Corner Gas Animated yet.  It seems that we are in for a memorable season that will keep making this franchise even more lovable.

Score

8/10

Bubbleblabber's Review System