Of all of the leisure franchises that bookend America’s twin pre-Trump eras, “Sausage Celebration” stands out as the strangest. When the unique movie was launched in the summertime of 2016, the tradition was nonetheless throwing money on the alternately surprising and candy shenanigans of Seth Rogen‘s budding bro-euvre. Sandwiched neatly between “Neighbors” (a very good film) and “Neighbors 2” (a nice movie), the R-rated animated comedy about anthropomorphized edibles combating to flee their deep-fried fates felt like an harmless indulgence; a bawdy comedy of the “I can’t consider this actually exists” selection that was made all of the extra endearing by its crude jokes and cruder animation. Plus, seeded among the many mountain of puns and literal food-fucking was a non secular allegory that gave the big-screen journey sufficient of an existential piquancy to maintain it from tasting like whole junk meals. (IndieWire’s David Ehrlich described it as “a feature-length Sunday college lesson for budding atheists.”)
To argue a film that hinges on a sizzling canine puppeteering a human being by tugging on the within of his asshole might inform us something of consequence about that fall’s catastrophic election can be… insane. “Sausage Celebration” was successful to an extent that appears unimaginable in the present day — the highest-grossing R-rated animated film ever made, cooking up $141 million on the worldwide field workplace — however its success didn’t signify way more than a wholesome theatrical setting nonetheless able to supporting frivolous comedies.
Now, after one world-altering pandemic, eight extra years of streaming, and an untold variety of franchise extensions, “Sausage Celebration 2” — aka “Sausage Celebration: Foodtopia” — arrives as an eight-part sequence through Amazon Prime Video. Rogen and lots of of his friends are again. Their respective meals are simply as sexy (and violent) as ever, and there’s one other topical ethical to steadiness out the gleefully obscene narrative. And but, sufficient has modified to spoil the expertise. It’s not new (clearly). It’s not intelligent (or not less than not intelligent sufficient). However worst of all, it’s not enjoyable. A part of that may be chalked as much as how the tradition has shifted over two presidential phrases, however as a lot as I’d wish to blame Trump for ruining yet one more one in all life’s presumptive joys, he’s solely tangentially accountable right here.
“Sausage Celebration: Foodtopia” fails by itself deserves. Its creators care an excessive amount of about infusing an absurd intercourse comedy with real-world parallels, as a substitute of specializing in making the rowdiest, dumbest, greatest time attainable, and so they don’t care sufficient to make sure even these low-brow facets are pleasing on their very own. The top end result proves simply as forgettable as the unique characteristic, however with none of the flavour that makes consolation meals so comforting.
The primary season (and sure, that is made to be one in all not less than two seasons) picks up shortly after the movie’s finale. The meals has escaped. They’ve conquered their human “oppressors,” and so they’re basking of their success. “We birthed this,” Frank (the new canine voiced by Rogen) says. “I do know!” replies Brenda (the bun performed by Kristen Wiig), gazing out on the pleased candies, cookies, and condiments. “It’s like they’re our youngsters, and now all our youngsters are fucking one another!” Given how shortly their victory celebration turns sexual, it’s value remembering: Previous to the revolution, meals didn’t fornicate. They had been frightened about sullying themselves earlier than their deities (aka people) selected them (aka bought them) and carried them away to a greater place (aka their stomachs).
“Foodtopia” doesn’t pressure itself attempting to clarify guidelines like these which make up its world. It simply delights in a grocery aisle orgy… till the rain comes and sends our perishables right into a panic. Donuts disintegrate with each drop. Breads break aside. A wall of water threatens to comb your entire grocery store inventory right into a sewer. Those who survive the chaos are divided by it. Some wish to return to their cabinets, regardless that they’re slowly collapsing. Others flip to people for solutions, regardless of the approaching menace of their insatiable appetites. Leaders are appointed. Activity forces are shaped. Judges maintain court docket to settle disputes, and out of the blue, “Foodtopia” seems to be loads like western civilization …full with all the issues we’ve solely begun to wrestle with: rigged elections, judicial bribery, and wealth’s corrupting attain, which touches every part from the police to the media.
“Foodtopia” doesn’t merely introduce a brand new downside per episode for Frank and Brenda to unravel, however it does trot out every “surprising” challenge with a weary inevitability. Even earlier than a human captive (voiced by Will Forte) factors out that this new society seems to be loads like their outdated one, the comparisons are apparent, and aside from a hefty serving to of puns, there’s little completed to make historical past repeating itself any extra thrilling than it sounds.
When “Sausage Celebration” does go for it, the outcomes are as lackluster as honeydew melon. A number of episodes cease every part to parade out food-related wordplay, and at the same time as a helpless pun fanatic, I struggled to understand half-baked efforts like “A-dill” (as a substitute of Adele) and “Megan thee Scallion.” Among the voice work nonetheless sings (Edward Norton’s Jewish bagel, Sammy Bagel Jr., is virtually melodic, whereas Michael Cera and Sam Richardson give their darkish but foolish turns an amusing edge), however new additions like Wiener Hotsdog (woof) don’t advantage their screentime. “Foodtopia” quickly curdles from perishable to perished when Forte’s human and Frank the new canine take part in “a scene so graphic that Amazon requested that we challenge a warning” forward of the episode. A warning, actually, was not sufficient. That scene, like so many others, ought to’ve been scrapped.
Past the hallmarks of societal collapse, “Sausage Celebration: Foodtopia” carries extra unmissable indicators of the occasions. Don’t count on to listen to James Franco’s voice among the many movie star forged this outing. Ditto for Nick Kroll (too busy) and Jonah Hill (too critical). The animation, which was already ugly sufficient to upend the movie’s short-lived Oscar marketing campaign, has taken a noticeable step down for the small display, veering into “Cocomelon” territory, and the unrelenting intercourse jokes really feel much less like filthy enjoyable and extra like vapid desperation, left in primarily to prop up every 20-something-minute episode. Is “Foodtopia” one other feature-length thought stretched right into a streaming sequence? Most likely, however it’s additionally too conscious of the period to which it belongs. The aforementioned timeliness is tied to a plot about rebooting a crumbling capitalistic society being dismantled by a power-hungry actual property titan turned politician… embodied by a literal orange.
Escapism isn’t an possibility in “Foodtopia,” and given the surface-level nature of its satire, that doesn’t depart quite a lot of enjoyable available. As an alternative of claiming “I can’t consider this exists,” you’ll probably be questioning, “Why am I watching this?”
Grade: D+
“Sausage Celebration: Foodtopia” premieres Thursday, July 11 on Prime Video. All eight episodes will probably be launched directly.