I really wanted to like Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire. There hasn't been a good geek comedy that can create a whole satirical universe in the span of a few minutes since Futurama went off "Into the Wild Green Yonder," both on Fox and on DVD.
Krod Mandoon didn't have the potential to be the next Futurama, but it certainly had the makings of something that was willing to try. The title alone made me laugh the first time I heard it.
But after watching the first few episodes, it turns out the title has won the biggest laugh thus far.
The entire series has become a running gag of infantile sex jokes woven into the weak storyline of a medieval fantasy epic about a sword-wielding do-gooder and his merry band of misfits. I'm all for dirty humor about the human body's naughty bits, but even easily amused simpletons like myself have our limits after two hours or so. They really lose their edge quick when you can see a set up for a penis joke coming (ahem) from a mile away.
The characters are interesting even though they aren't entirely original, with the exception of warrior babe Aneka, played by the exotic India de Beaufort, who turns sex into a weapon against her enemies. It runs out of steam after the first battle and needs a long nap.
The rest of the main characters make it hard to know what they are spoofing between the epic, grand performances of royal evilness and the "awww shucks" attitude of Krod, played by Sean Maguire and his non-magical magician Zezelryck, played by comedian Kevin Hart. They both feel completely out of place in this far away land and don't even try to sound like they are from a different time. It becomes almost jarring. A guy named Krod should either sound like a Scottish meathead or a Northern California tattoo artist.
Chancellor Dongalor, played by Little Britain and Shooting Stars' Matt Lucas, adds a nice touch of fun to the cast, but his crutch falls short when the script gives him nothing more to work with than jerk-off jokes and asides that a fetus can see coming (ahem).
The humor doesn't even try to have fun with the genre it's spoofing. Occasionally, a clever gag or two will creep into the narrative, such as the aptly named horse raper Horse Draper, but they quickly drift into the stratosphere as they are milked harder and more often than a cow that produces beer.
This is one sword that's very hard to swallow.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-22-2009 @ 1:20PM
Pasha said...
This article about how this show isn't funny is funnier than anything in Krod Mandoon.
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4-22-2009 @ 2:05PM
Deezul said...
I'd watch this over Sit Down, shut up, that's for sure. I couldn't even get through the first episode of that garbage. I have at least stuck with Krod Mandoon.
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4-22-2009 @ 2:12PM
puffin said...
Seriously.. you fault it for having having infantile sex jokes and humor you can see coming from a mile away, yet for some reason South Park can do the exact same thing and be called biting social commentary, earning special preview links on the TVsquad blog.
I'm not saying it's a great show, but it's no different then the rest of the shows comedy central has in it's stable.
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4-22-2009 @ 2:15PM
Wii60 said...
South Park is very clever though. You could make an argument that their commentary on the last election was better than anyone's. They are trying for social commentary and succeed. It also does this while being funny. That's the most important distinction between South Park and Krog.
4-22-2009 @ 2:42PM
puffin said...
@Wii60
Yes, Im sure the South Park's Fish Stick episode was found to be clever by many 13 year olds. Or perhaps it was the social commentary of the Queef episode that helped our nation come to terms with gender inequality. Please, neither episode was funny or clever and only served to highlight how bad the writing of the show has become.
4-22-2009 @ 2:55PM
Blair Mitchelmore said...
South Park's commentary on the election was that Barack Obama is Danny Ocean. If you're going to pick something they made a real point about, why not pick something they made a real point about?
4-22-2009 @ 2:24PM
Marius said...
I too like the show. It's different from what was done recently. And it draws laughs, a thing I can't say about most of the other new series.
Maybe we've become too pretentious and even Monty Python would not please us if it was launched these days.
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4-22-2009 @ 2:38PM
bkdealer said...
I wish it were less obvious sometimes, but it's funny.
And, I think it's Horst Draper.
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4-22-2009 @ 8:37PM
Manuel Reis said...
I saw the pilot. It sucked. And I really like the cast. This is a "don't make this s***" kind of show.
But I'd like to be Aneka's vicim. ^^
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4-22-2009 @ 8:37PM
Manuel Reis said...
Yep, it's vicTim.
I'd like to be Aneka's victim. Sorry 'bout that.
4-24-2009 @ 3:25PM
Eludium-Q36 said...
Yeh, it's called slapstick comedy in the vein of the old "Airplane" movies or the more recent ones like "Epic Movie". I think it's great, provides chuckles if not outright laughter in almost every scene. And the diversity of characters is riotous on its own. No, this is an awesome show and if you don't get it, see your humor doctor asap.
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6-03-2009 @ 12:05AM
Dartht33bagger said...
This is the most amazing show ever. My friends and I love this show to death.
They better make more of it, because I've only seen the first 3 episodes and it was the most epic hour and a half of my life.
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6-10-2009 @ 6:11PM
KartofflMuter said...
I,for one,love it. Sean and his dialogue reminds me a lot of the old Buffy/Angel quick wit. Another 100 episodes wouldn't bother me. I'm already planning to give the first DVD to my son for Christmas,(or Beaver Day,I forget.)
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6-17-2009 @ 3:17PM
Rod said...
I also loved this show! Each episode makes me laugh. Maybe I'm "slow" compared to the reviewer, or maybe I'm not trying to figure out what they are trying to do. I get in the water and just enjoy the ride when watching this show. I really hope they continue it next season.
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6-18-2009 @ 8:58AM
Rand said...
I think the show is a hoot. This article sounds rather pretentious and I hope I am never to old to enjoy some infantile sex jokes.
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6-26-2009 @ 10:28PM
Matt90977 said...
I am 33, have seen a lot of comedy and don't find much lol funny any more. I never liked slapstick kind of comedy. I Have never liked any of the actors in this show in anything else. I love this show. It cracks me up. I have every reason not to like it, yet I love it. They must be doing something right. The guy doing this review just doesn't get it I guess. Sorry for him.
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7-06-2009 @ 9:45AM
David Hall said...
I guess I am in the majority here as I love the show too - even though I have to watch it in the kitchen whilst the rest of the family watch the Mentalist - which I stuck with for the first few episodes and then got bored with his "pluck a solution out of no-where" approach. I am 60 and still amused by infantile jokes - it is a gentle, fun and silly programme that is totally different to most of the rubbish "so called "sit coms"" of the last few years where comedians have been dragged in to act - rather than using actors that can do comedy. Big difference. Long may Krod rule our airwaves!
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