It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas DVD Review
Posted by Trevor Snyder on 12.06.2009
Because nothing says "holiday spirit" like Danny DeVito's bare ass.
IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA: A VERY SUNNY CHRISTMAS – DVD Review
Directed by: Fred Savage
Starring: Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, & Danny DeVito
Running Time: 43 min.
Unrated.
THE MOVIE
Last week, the 411 Top 5 took a look at our favorite Christmas television specials of all time. If A Very Sunny Christmas, this special holiday episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadephia, had actually been on TV, there’s a good chance it would have made my list (an Honorable Mention, at least).
But, alas, that was not meant to be, as A Very Sunny Christmas was instead produced specifically for DVD release. Given its running time (43 minutes), it seems likely that it will be shown on FX at some point…but definitely not exactly as it is here. You see, this is a very special episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, not just because it is Christmas-themed, but also because the exclusive unrated DVD release allows the show’s creators to push boundaries even further than they have before.
Now, if you’re already a fan of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (and I really hope you are), than the thought of the show going even further should have you salivating. After all, this is a show that is already often described as “Seinfeld on crack.” And that’s not just a clever comparison…a couple of the show’s characters actually did spend an episode getting hooked on crack! So how could a show already known for reveling in bad taste and “I can’t believe they went there” topics possibly go any further? Well, as it turns out, the answer is really nothing more than foul language and some nudity (calm down, guys…I’m not talking about Sweet Dee), but thankfully the Always Sunny crew know how to use those elements to their funniest potential.
The special itself follows the typical Always Sunny formula of two parallel storylines that eventually converge together in the end. In this case, the first story follows Charlie and Mac (Charlie Day and Rob McElhenney), both of whom are on a quest to rediscover their Christmas spirit after realizing their childhood holiday memories aren’t actually as sweet as they thought – it turns out Mac’s collection of awesome presents were actually stolen from other neighborhood kids, while Charlie comes to realizes that the parade of men dressed as Santa who would come to “visit” his Mom every Christmas might not have been as innocent as he imagined.
Meanwhile, story #2 concerns siblings Dennis and Dee Reynolds (Glenn Howerton and Kaitlin Olson), who have never enjoyed Christmas thanks to the cruel trickery of their dad, Frank (Danny DeVito). It seems Frank would always (and still does) present them with empty boxes, and instead buy whatever presents they wanted for himself. Dennis and Dee have finally had enough of Frank’s wicked ways, and so they enlist the help of Eugene, the former business partner that Frank once screwed over to make his millions. Together, the three conspire to present Frank his own version of “A Christmas Carol,” although while the now religious Eugene is hoping to share his love of the Lord with Frank, Dennis and Dee are simply hoping to show him what an asshole he has been.
Of course, this being It’s Always Sunny, nothing goes exactly as planned on either front, and as things spin wildly out-of-control we are treated to fun flashbacks to the gang’s childhood, naked elves and naked Frank (yes, the rumors you heard about DeVito nudity are true), a brutal and bloody encounter with a mall Santa (perhaps the episode’s best moment), and even a Rankin and Bass-ish claymation musical number…well, it’s actually a lot bloodier than anything Rankin and Bass ever did, but still, the thought is there. Overall, it’s a delightfully twisted Christmas special; almost exactly the sort of holiday episode you would expect from this show, except perhaps not actually as cynical as one might think. Yes, in many ways the gang is just as selfish and mean-spirited as ever, but the story actually does involve them trying to find the Christmas spirit in their own way, and the whole thing ends on a surprisingly sweet-natured note. That makes this work as both a good Always Sunny episode and an effective Christmas special.
Having said all that, however, I’d be lying if I said this ranks up there with some of the show’s better episodes. This special is a nice treat for fans, but apart from the extra raunchiness present on this DVD version (which will almost certainly be edited out of the inevitable TV showing), there isn’t much here that separates A Very Sunny Christmas from what we already see week after week. And although it’s very funny, it’s not as instantly memorable as some of the show’s crazier episodes, like “Who Pooped the Bed?” or “The Nightman Cometh.”
All in all, though, Always Sunny fans will doubt appreciate this extra episode, and its clever use of the Christmas theme is enough for me to add it into my yearly holiday viewing schedule. Still, it’s too bad about the DVD…
THE VIDEO
The Always Sunny crew apparently had a bigger budget than usual to play around with for this special, but it certainly didn’t go to upgrading the filming equipment. That’s not to say the image is horrible, but it’s not exactly what I would call “good,” either. Since this special was filmed in standard-def video, I guess it’s not all that surprising. The 1.78:1 widescreen image is, quite frankly, a little rough at times; it looks grainy and suffers from occasional blurring. I doubt most Sunny fans will be coming into this expecting or hoping for amazing picture quality, and it’s certainly not unwatchable, so it might be a moot point. But I’m just warning you – the episodes shown on TV and the previous season DVD releases all look a lot better than this special.
THE AUDIO
The standard DVD version offers only a 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo track, which will probably disappoint surround sound fans. But I suppose it’s perfectly adequate for this presentation, as there aren’t really that many moments that would show off a killer sound system anyway. The mix is clear, with the dialogue, music, and other effects are sounding just fine. The disc also includes English, Spanish and French subtitles.
THE EXTRAS
There are only three Special Features present on this release. The first is a collection of three deleted scenes featuring the young Charlie & Mac. They’re pretty funny, and the young actors portraying Charlie & Mac are great, but the special certainly isn’t worse off for having dropped these.
Next up is a seven and half minute “Behind-the-Scenes Making Of” featurette, mostly consisting of on-set hijinks and a look at the recording session for the Claymation sequence. There’s some good stuff here, particularly when Kaitlin Olson chastises her off-camera interviewer after he mocks a story she tells regarding a Cabbage Patch Doll she once got for Christmas as a little girl. Plus, it’s always amusing being reminded that Fred Savage (yes, that Fred Savage) is one of the show’s main directors, and we get to see him in action here, as he helmed this special. Still, this is awfully short, and doesn’t amount to much.
Next up is the incredibly odd “Sunny Sing-A-Long,” which at heart is little more than a parody of Christmas caroling, but is filmed and edited like a bad acid trip. Did Tim & Eric direct this?
Much like the sub-standard visual presentation, this Extras selection suggests a rushed release…although it’s even more frustrating than the disappointing picture quality. I know Sunny fans have been dying to get their hands on this special, but it’s a bitter pill to swallow when you have to pay full price for what basically amounts to a double-length episode with barely a handful of Special Features. A more in-depth “Making Of” or especially an audio-commentary would have been very welcome.
Movie: 9.0
Video: 5.0
Audio: 8.0
Extras: 5.0
The 411: A Very Sunny Christmas is exactly the kind of twisted and hilarious holiday special that fans of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia will be hoping for. But while it will be tough for said fans to resist an Unrated version of this special, the DVD's disappointing picture quality and slim selection of extras makes it tough to justify shelling out full price for what is essentially nothing more than a double-episode. It's certainly worth seeing for fans of the series, but I'd recommend a rental or waiting till you can find a decent sale price around $10.
