Yeah, it is about time I get to this one. I've put this blog off for a bit because I haven't actually watched Invader Zim before. After I got some confirmation that I did not need to binge the whole series to watch the movie, I figured it was time to go ahead. So, as a new comer, what were my thoughts?
Of the three TV Movie specials of cartoons that I have seen, the hierarchy goes, Steven Universe: The Movie at the bottom, than Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, and then at the top is Enter the Florpus. So, while I have yet to watch Rainbow Roundup or the other Equestria Girls thing (not that I am really holding my breath for Equestria Girls), I think this has been the best of the TV Movie special thing... Man, 2019 was an interesting year for animation.
Not being a fan of Invader Zim, my expectations were shaky, however, literally from the first scene, I was laughing. Reference, gross-out, screw the audience, subverted expectations whatever the joke, it was usually funny. Seriously, there were times I laughed so loud I had to restrain myself to listen to the audio, I haven't laughed like that since I started watching The Amazing World of Gumball. I think with the Rocko special, a lot of the humour was more satirical, which is fine, but I felt some of it was either too obvious or too subtle to be funny. Like the Joke with Heffer's grandpa being a ghost, yeah, with some thought it is funny, but it is too subtle to be funny at first, at least, that is my opinion. With Invader Zim on the other hand, so much of the humour is from the subversion of expectations, and it is extremely funny.
I guess in some ways, the Rocko movie was like that lousy Homestar Runner sketch from Robot Chicken, whereas the Invader Zim movie, by comparison, is more like a Robot Chicken sketch where they actually know what the joke is. Of course, the Rocko movie is better than Robot Chicken's Homestar Runner sketch but... I think you get the idea.
The movie isn't just a bunch of humour, I surprisingly found myself enjoying a lot of the characters too, and not just Gaz and GIR, though Gaz was definitely my favourite. I liked Dib, and found him relatable in someways. I also liked Professor Membrane, and that Kamehameha he did in the final climax. There was a moment between Dib and his father that I did enjoy, and I won't spoil it.
The other thing I really enjoyed was the animation. I've seen clips of the show and knew that it was a darker show than Nickelodeon was known for. However, the style and lighting of the movie looked incredible, and the alternate artstyles when they went through the florpus hole, not only were they impressive, but I also found myself laughing at how ridiculous they could be. Really, this might be one of the best looking animated movies of the year, which really goes to show how good movies can be outside of the cinema.
Overall, I really enjoyed Enter the Florpus. I found it to be funny, engaging, charming and a visual delight. I don't know if this would rank high on my favourites list of the year, but I know it will rank at least in the top ten, which means this movie gets put in the recommended rank. If you have seen Invader Zim before, you'll probably enjoy it a lot more than me, but if you're new to the series, it is still worth checking out. I actually might start watching the show after this. I have high hopes.
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