Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters is a 2007 American adult animated surreal black comedy film based on the Adult Swim animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The film was produced, written and directed by series creators Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis, and features the voices of Dana Snyder, Carey Means, Willis, Maiellaro, Mike Schatz, Andy Merrill, and C. Martin Croker, with Neil Peart of the Canadian rock band Rush, Bruce Campbell, Tina Fey, Fred Armisen, and Chris Kattan in cameo appearances.
The film centers around Master Shake, Frylock and Meatwad, better known as the Aqua Teens, as they join forces with the Plutonians and the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future to prevent a piece of exercise equipment from creating destruction, all while the Aqua Teens must puzzle together their existence and search for their creator.
During an interview at the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con, Maiellaro and Snyder stated that rumors of a feature-length film based on Aqua Teen Hunger Force would be made. Maiellaro would also describe the film as "an action piece that leads into the origin story that unfolds in a very 'Aqua Teen' way." As production went on, several cameos, including Peart, Armisen and Campbell, were confirmed. Adult Swim promoted the film using an extensive guerrilla marketing campaign, which included publishing alternate endings to the film onto the internet, airing a picture-in-picture version of the movie on television as part of the network’s April Fools’ Day traditions and installing handmade electronic signs in certain cities; a stunt that caused a bomb scare in the city of Boston.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters premiered in New York City on April 10, 2007, and was released theatrically on April 13, 2007, by First Look Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $5.5 million on a $750,000 budget. It marks the first and only time an Adult Swim series was adapted into a feature film theatrically, and is the second Cartoon Network-owned property to receive a theatrical feature film adaptation after The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002), with the difference being due to that film's box office failure, Warner Bros. decided not to distribute this film's theatrical run. Warner Home Video released the film on a two-disc DVD on August 14, 2007.
A sequel titled Death Fighter was announced, but was ultimately scrapped in 2015. However, a second Aqua Teen Hunger Force film was officially confirmed by Adult Swim on May 12, 2021. The second film, titled Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm, was released direct-to-video on November 8, 2022, and on HBO Max starting February 8, 2023.
Plot Before the main feature, a faux theatre concession stand advertisement plays. A group of anthropomorphic theater snacks sing a spoof of Let's All Go to the Lobby until they are interrupted by another snack band (performed by Mastodon). The new band proceed to loudly sing some of their own bizarre theater rules as a death metal song.
In Egypt, Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad break free from within the Sphinx and are attacked by an oversized poodle, who kills Frylock before Shake defeats it. Shake and Meatwad flee with Frylock's corpse and meet Time Lincoln, who revives Frylock. When the Central Intelligence Agency break into his house, Time Lincoln helps the Aqua Teens escape in a wooden rocket ship. Time Lincoln is shot and the CIA agents become slaves to an African American Kentucky Colonel as punishment for changing history. All this, however, is just an elaborate story concocted by Shake to explain their origin to Meatwad. Meanwhile, a slice of watermelon named Walter Melon, along with his accomplice; Rush drummer Neil Peart, observes events of the Aqua Teens from his watermelon spaceship, including a backyard concert performed by Meatwad and his dolls.
When Shake decides to use his new exercise machine; the Insanoflex, Frylock notices that it is not assembled properly, and the instructions cannot be found. After searching for them online, he finds a message warning not to assemble the machine. Frylock calls the website's listed phone number, which is revealed to be that of Emory and Oglethorpe, the Plutonians. Before they can answer the phone, they discover the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future on board with them. The Ghost explains to the two aliens the story of the Insanoflex: the machine, when assembled, will exercise a man into a super-being, who will attract all the women on Earth, leading to a massive inbreeding and the eventual extinction of mankind. To prevent this, the Ghost traveled to the past and steals a screw that holds the machine together. The Plutonians, now determined to get the machine, point out to him that the screw could easily be replaced: someone can buy another screw or shove a pencil into the screw hole.
Back on Earth, Frylock finishes re-building the Insanoflex, with a pencil in the screw hole, but he discovers the circuit board is missing. The trio visit their neighbor Carl, from whom Shake had stolen the machine, to see if he has the missing piece. After Carl refuses to tell them, Meatwad finds the address in the Insanoflex's box. Dr. Weird, whose abandoned asylum has been purchased and turned into a condominium, is visited by Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad. Frylock retrieves the missing circuit board and installs it into the machine. Carl insists that as the rightful owner he should be the first to test the machine. The Insanoflex straps him in and transforms itself into a giant one-eyed robot. The robot plays techno music and heads for downtown Philadelphia, all while Carl's strapped-in form is forced to exercise. Eventually, the robot begins laying metallic eggs, which hatch into smaller versions of the machine. Emory, Oglethorpe and the Ghost, whom they unsuccessfully tried to steal the machine for themselves, offers to help them.
The Aqua Teens, the Plutonians and the Ghost, aided by an instructional workout video, find that the Insanoflex can be destroyed using music. After a failed encounter with MC Pee Pants, reincarnated as a fly, The team have no choice but to have Shake play his music. Shake poorly plays his original song "Nude Love" on acoustic guitar, forcing the Insanoflex to commit suicide. Carl, now extremely muscular, leaves with his newly found date, a bodybuilder named Linda, while the group tries to prevent the newly-hatched robots from destroying the city.
The Aqua Teens travel back to Dr. Weird's condo to confront him, where Frylock begins to tell the origin story of the Aqua Teens: they were created by Dr. Weird, along with a chicken nugget named Chicken Bittle. In the flashback, Dr. Weird proclaims that the Aqua Teens were created for one purpose: to crash a jet into a brick wall. Realizing the pointlessness of this mission, Frylock diverted the jet and set a course to Africa, where they would try to solve world hunger. Upon entering Africa, Bittle was killed by a lion and the presence of the Aqua Teens scares a tribe of natives. With no other solutions, they returned to the United States and rented a house in New Jersey, where they would start their new lives as regular civilians.
Meanwhile, Carl and Linda recline in her room, where she reveals "herself" to be Dr. Weird in disguise. He cuts off Carl's muscles and grafts them onto his own body. A fight ensues between Frylock and Dr. Weird, while arguing about who created whom. Dr. Weird claims that it was Frylock who created him, not the other way around. Dr. Weird shows Frylock a teddy bear filled with razor blades. He then reveals that the blue diamond on Frylock's back hides a VCR, in which a videotape with false memories of Dr. Weird creating Frylock had been playing in the latter's head. Frylock reveals himself to be a transgender lesbian trapped in a man's body. Just then, Walter Melon arrives in his ship, and explains that he created the Aqua Teens and all the other characters, including the Insanoflex. His plan was that they would kill each other and Walter would inherit their real estate in order to create the "Insano-Gym". The others inform Walter that they rent and do not own property, proving Walter's plan pointless. An irritated Walter storms off. The Teens see their alleged mother standing before them, revealed to be a nine-layer bean burrito. Shake suddenly jumps out the window upon hearing this, Meatwad hugs her, and Frylock states, "That's neat". The theatre snacks return to sing a song mocking the audience as the film abruptly cuts to the credits.
In a post-credit scene, the Ghost is seen humping the TV in the Aqua Teens' living room. Then Frylock (who went through a sex change) tells him that it's time for bed.
Cast
Dana Snyder as Master Shake, the de facto leader of the ATHF, a talking milkshake Carey Means as Frylock, the smartest of the ATHF, a talking box of fries able to fire beams from his eyes Dave Willis as Meatwad, the most childlike of the ATHF, a talking chunk of hamburger meat with shape-shifting abilities Carl, the ATHF's neighbor Ignignokt, the large green Mooninite Video Game Voice Matt Maiellaro as Err, the small magenta Mooninite Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, a large robotic duck claiming to see thousands of years into the past Satan, the devil Andy Merrill as Oglethorpe, the fat, orange Plutonian with the German accent Mike Schatz as Emory, the skinny, green Plutonian alien with a headband C. Martin Croker as Dr. Weird, a mindless mad scientist who created many creatures, including the ATHF Steve, Dr. Weird's assistant Bruce Campbell as Chicken Bittle, the original leader of the ATHF who is long deceased Neil Peart as himself Chris Kattan as Walter Melon, the scheming melon waiting to take over Dr. Weirds and the ATHF's assets MC Chris as MC Pee Pants, a rapping 8 foot spider in a diaper who constantly winds up in Hell and is sent back to Earth Fred Armisen as Time Lincoln, the 16th US president who helps the ATHF escape the 19th Century George Lowe as Space Ghost Isaac Hayes III as Plantation Owner Tina Fey as Burrito, a large bean burrito claiming to be the mother of the ATHF H. Jon Benjamin as CIA Agent 1 Jon Glaser as CIA Agent 2 Craig Hartin as Rob Goldstein Matt Harrigan as Linda, a muscular woman who Carl is seeing, turned out to be Dr. Weird in disguise Mastodon (uncredited) as Interrupting Snack Band, a gumdrop at the mic, a pretzel on the guitar, a box of candy on the bass, and nachos on the drums
Production Development In an interview at the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con, Dana Snyder and Matt Maiellaro confirmed rumors that there would be a feature-length movie of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. More details were revealed at the 2005 Paley Television Festival, such as a possible cameo appearance by 80s funk group Cameo, and Maiellaro described it as "an action piece that leads into an origin story that unfolds in a very 'Aqua Teen' way."
The creators revealed much more information in an interview with Wizard Entertainment. While they dodged many questions, they confirmed that the film would run 80 minutes, be produced on a meager $750,000 budget, and feature a plot detail about a "lost Aqua Teen", who is a large chicken nugget named "Chicken Bittle" (voiced by Bruce Campbell). They also confirmed more cameos, with Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, voice actor H. Jon Benjamin and his comedy partner Jon Glaser, and Saturday Night Lives Fred Armisen making appearances. Heavy metal band Mastodon stated in a Decibel article that they would be performing during the opening, and that the band would be animated as a bucket of popcorn, a soda, a hot dog, and a candy bar. They were actually animated as a pretzel, a pile of nachos, an "Icecaps" box, and a gumdrop. Radical Axis provided animation services to the film as with the series.
Music