Arsch ohne Ohren: Assy McGee

Eine Serie ist in den USA gestartet, in der ein Arsch auf Beinen die Hauptfiguer darstellt. Whaaat a pieeece o' bullshit! [...]
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Assy McGee: ''Murder by the Docks'' Advance Review
So is the show about a crime-fighting ass worth your time?
by Dan Iverson
November 21, 2006 - When you think of hard-nosed cops on television today you automatically think of characters like Vic Mackey or Jack Bauer… but now there is another hardboiled cop to be considered: Assy McGee. If you are asking yourself right now if Adult Swim has really made a show about a homicidal walking ass who happens to be a police officer, yes, yes they did. This insane concept automatically grabbed our attention here at the IGN office, and as such we have been eager to see exactly what Assy McGee is since we first heard about it.

Assy McGee is a ten-minute cop show that features renegade police officer Assy McGee as he solves crimes and keeps the city safe - his way. The first episode follows Assy as he tries to solve the case of a dead hooker. All the evidence leads McGee to suspect that it was the second president of the United States, John Adams, who was the killer. So with the help of his partner Don Sanchez, Assy works day and night to take down Adams. Before, during and after the investigation, Assy fires his weapon indiscriminately at pretty much anything that moves. His resolution to the case consists of him shooting a random civilian who just so happens to be a wanted man. Despite his completely insane behavior, he's never really called out for his recklessness (aside form a minor suspension) but Assy's disregard for human life and normal police procedure are part of what makes him so ridiculously appealing.

Assy McGee's unique brand of justice normally involves his trusty firearm, which is always ready to put down anybody that may stand in his way. As previously mentioned, Assy is completely indiscriminate in who he takes down in "Murder by the Docks" -- including cops, night security guards, ninjas, and actors. This total and utter disregard for human life, mixed with his depressed/careless attitude makes him similar to 'bad cops' from films, such as Martin Riggs from Lethal Weapon or Harry Callahan from Dirty Harry... but even more unstable. Combine his itchy trigger finger with the fact that he is a giant ass with legs, and Assy seems to have set himself far enough apart from others of his ilk. So far we really enjoy the character -- the more seriously they treat the character, the more ridiculous it gets. Perhaps in future episodes they'll delve a little bit into his past and give us a reason as to why he is so closed off from the world. Aside from being a walking ass, that is.

One of the keys to Assy McGee's humor is that everyone else on the show is totally normal around McGee. The animation style of the show portrays the other characters and the settings to be life-like and realistic, creating a large difference between Assy and all other characters that he interacts with. All the normal human-looking characters interact with Assy but never make mention of him being an ass, making him bizarrely fit into the world. One does wonder whether everybody knows that he is an ass, or whether none of the characters can see the difference between McGee and themselves. Whatever the case may be, the fact that there is an ass on the police force is funny - no matter the set-up.

We did, however, have a couple problems with the show. The first problem being that the show is too short. By only allowing Assy McGee a fifteen-minute time slot you are severely cutting off the story possibility of the show. Unlike shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force where it seems like they have trouble filling the allotted time, Assy felt rushed, as it wanted to tell more of a story (as stupid as it may be) than they could. But, since we have only seen one episode, we are left wondering whether or not the stories are going to be worth paying attention to, or whether they are just going to be reason for a giant ass to shoot a gun.

Something that may prove to be problematic for the show is also what we enjoyed best about it: the sheer immature nature of the program. Sure, we laughed (and laughed hard) over the butt with a gun, but how long will those laughs last? Much like Metalocalypse, which didn't become watchable until the characters were dumbed down and turned into caricatures of metal rockers, we think Assy's joke is going to wear thin quick if they don't make McGee more of a parody of the distraught bad cop, and less a one-dimensional character. As mentioned above, some history and back story to the character could go a long way in increasing the longevity of the entertainment of a policeman that happens to be a giant ass.

With a few tweaks and more airtime, Assy could become a great Adult Swim program. Just because of the premise and layout, it may never become as respected as other shows that have appeared in the Adult Swim block like Home Movies or The Venture Bros. But there is definitely a place for this type of show, and if it is going to be as a short hit-or-miss cartoon, then so be it. However the show may turn out, expect that we will be watching, enjoying as Assy defends his city with extreme prejudice.
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