Search - Click and Clack's As the Wrench Turns on DVD

Cartoon Click and Clack

Bennet Pomerantz | Seabrook, Maryland | 09/22/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I love NPR Radio's Car Talk with the Tappet Brothers . Now saying that, I say this cartoon is nothing like the Car Talk show..so those looking for the car talk humor that you hear on NPR, IT aint here!



I saw all these cartoons on my local PBS station. The same stuff as you will get on this 2 disk DVD package



First the bad news...Tom and Ray Magliozzi seem to dumb down their radio personas and tried to milk their Click and Clack characters in this cartoon. The pilots are paper thin. The animation is drawn so badly, you wonder if the animators drew their characters out of the line purposely.



Now the good news...It is cute cartoon for kids. To have good family entertain is a rare thing and should be patted on the head. It has a sugar sweetness that adults can enjoy with the kids. Some of the lines are pure groiner for adults but kids will laugh at the Tappets wholeheartedly.



Will Tom and Ray be the next cartoon superstars? I truly doubt it. But they can try! I will still listen to both of you on Car Talk for my laughs!



it is great to get for family viewing..so buy it for the kids and watch it with them!



Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD



"

It's a Cartoon

PyroAbyss | Indianapolis, IN | 10/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am probably the only person in the United States that found this DVD hilarious. Unfortunately, my girlfriend and three cats didn't last the first disc.



For the Nay-sayers:

1. This is a cartoon. It is meant to be goofy and not taken seriously.

2. When was the last time you turned to PBS to watch cartoons and comedy? British humor (oxymoron) doesn't count.

3. One can compare the artwork of this DVD to "The Lion King: The Musical". As one reviewer wrote about the musical, the story and music are great once you get past the costumes.

4. Get real expectations. When listening to "CarTalk", the fun is trying to guess the caller's auto/relationship problem. The humor is secondary. With cartoons, the intellectually part of your brain is not required. How much intelligence is needed to watch "The Flintstones", "The Little Mermaid", or "The Simpsons"?

5. Story lines are simple. Doh! Cartoons are designed to numb the brain from reality of life.



For others looking for positives:

1. You have to WATCH each episode. There is background humor that takes place in the artwork. For example: one of the books is titled: "Fundraising: From B.C. to Barack". Some of the humor follows the approach used in "Police Squad in Color". Too many people use television as background noise as opposed to actual entertainment.

2. If you love the wise-cracks from "CarTalk", you will love each episode. The humor is steadily paced. These guys grew up in the era of Abbott and Costello. The humor of this time period took a little time to set-up and is not rapid fire. Current humor is designed for the ADHD viewer: How many jokes can one insert into a sentence. Sit back, take your Ritalin or Focusyn tablet, and enjoy the show. If you want rapid-fire comedy, see CarrotTop.

3. I bought a used copy. One cannot say anything negative when paying $1.74 + shipping.



I like the show and am anxiously awaiting the debut of Season Two. It might be a long wait. I will be patient. : )"

As the Wrench Slowly and Painfully Turns

D.B.K. | ST CHARLES, MO USA | 09/24/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"My wife and I watched the first two "As the Wrench Turns" shows on PBS. After the first one, I was so disappointed that I was ready to give up on it. My wife thought we should give it another try. We convinced ourselves that later episodes might be better. So we watched the second one. After that, neither of us cared if we ever saw another one.



The plots were boring; the humor was flat; the characters were annoying; and the animation was amateurish. It appeared that each show might be trying to convey a message, but they were never able to clearly state their point.



A previous reviewer talked about the shows' "complex adult political themes". I sit here with my mouth agape wondering what show he was watching. I guess those themes were sort of there (that "message" I mentioned earlier), but the shows did little to advance those themes. All they really did was tap dance around them. Maybe that's why they're called the Tappet brothers.



The only parts of the experience that I enjoyed were the short one-minute segments with Tom and Ray themselves talking about the hazards of driving while talking on the phone or while eating. There may have been more of these bits on subsequent weeks. I don't know; like I said, I quit watching. And I don't know if these segments are on the DVD.



If you are like me and watch a large variety of funny or entertaining or enlightening shows, "As the Wrench Turns" will seem stale and bland by comparison to just about anything. There are so many better shows available. Why bother with this?



Oh, but don't give up on their radio show; that's still very entertaining!

"

Experimental Television

Alfonso J. Cervantes | 07/31/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"People who complain that television networks aren't about taking risks need to see this show. It doesn't pander nor sugar coat complex adult political themes and never stoops to the level of mere entertainment. It's as close to video meditation as animation has ever come and for that alone, it deserves everyone's time. Do not confuse this with the Car Talk radio show. This is an entirely different animal. If you go in expecting some version of "Family Guy" you'll not be happy. Approach it with an open mind, however, and you will be rewarded with unrelenting bliss."