Meatwad: I thought we was gonna be together! Aqua Teen Forever.
Master Shake: Nothing lasts forever.
The sequel film to Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters, Aqua Teen Forever: Phantasm is a feature-length movie based on the [adult swim] animated comedy Aqua Teen Hunger Force, released on digital formats on November 8, 2022, and later to streaming services on March 7th 2023.
The film sees the Aqua Teens, having since split up after Frylock moved out due to Master Shake's incompetence and insufferable stupidity, reuniting to stop the megacorporation Amazin from infesting the entire world with a race of genetically altered, living plant monsters.
The film itself was announced in 2021, and a first look was released later that same year. The movie was also announced and released during a time when Aqua Teen fans were being fed a steady stream of new content, and in January of 2023, it was announced that the show on which the film was based would be renewed for a 12th season consisting of 5 episodes.
Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm provides examples of:
- Animation Bump: One of the most notable changes made from the show to the film; the characters now move way less stilted and way more fluently than they ever have in any piece of Aqua Teen media.
- Artistic License – Biology: Frylock says Meatwad's temperature is 43 degrees and says that's "normal" for him. When it's in Celsius, that is certainly fatal.
- Also, this would mean Meatwad is normally in the temperature "danger zone" for food, which is anything above 40F and below 140F. Bacteria grow quickly at these temperatures, which could explain why Meatwad is often described with words like "festering".
- Neil incorrectly says that white tigers with blue eyes are albino. Albinism is an absence of pigmentation, including in the eyes, resulting in pink eyes. But the pigmentation is only partially absent, also known as leucism, which does not affect pigmentation in the eyes. So, he should have referred to the tigers as leucistic.
- Art Shift: The opening intro for the film, being a parody of Space Jam, is animated in a more cartoony style than the rest of the film.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Elmer's true form is a giant tree monster.
- Bait-and-Switch: At the end of the movie, Frylock asks if he can rejoin the Aqua Teens after all the trouble he helped cause. Shake, not wanting him back, says the existing Aqua Teens would have to vote for it as Carl and Meatwad don't look particularly moved or interested in his return, only for Carl and Meatwad to raise their hands before Shake could finish. Shake gives excuses as to why their votes don't count.
- Big Bad: Elmer, who is revealed to be the true villain after transforming.
- Big Damn Movie: The movie is 76 minutes in length, compared to the 14 minutes each episode usually has.
- The Cameo: Several previous Aqua Teen villains can be seen at certain parts of the film; the most notable example being during one of Frylock's flashbacks where Shake dons the head of a lion costume, and the body segments are worn by numerous old characters from the show.
- Later in the film, Boxy Brown makes a sudden cameo, before being destroyed by the Llama Dolly.
- Demoted to Extra: Several staple Aqua Teen villains either only make small cameos or simply just do not appear at all in the film; the most notable characters absent include the Plutonians (Oglethorpe and Emory), The Cybernetic Ghost Of Christmas Past From The Future, and Dr. Weird and Steve, all being characters who had major roles in the first film. Sadly, with Dr. Weird and Steve, it makes sense since C. Martin Croker (the voice of both) passed away in 2016 due to sepsis leading to cardiac arrest.
- Destination Defenestration: Once he's created, the Big Neil clone grabs Shawn Kemp and the giraffe used to splice his height and throws them out the window.
- The Dog Bites Back: The Jupungaloids and the Fraptaculans, after having their entire races enslaved and forced to work for Amazin despite hating eachother, show up to help the Aqua Teens defeat Elmer while Frylock and Neil are fighting the Mooninites.
- Downer Ending: Even after the Aqua Teens save the day, the sun is still blocked by the moon, so the world is now much colder. Carl, Markula, and all of the aliens Neil enslaved decide to eat the Aqua Teens to avoid starving, though The Stinger has Markula accidentally resurrect Shake as a vampire.
- Didn't Think This Through: When the Mooninites tell you to text the number "ERRULZ," Ignignokt points out that the number is missing one extra R. Err is frustrated once he realizes this mistake, blaming the fact that he was drunk as hell when he was making the name.
- Fakeout Opening: The film opens with the Aqua Teens escaping a giant space station while being chased by mutant forms of Carl, ending with the station blowing up with all the Aqua Teens still inside; it's then revealed that the story was completely made up by Shake at a homeless shelter.
- Foreshadowing: A few examples:
- Elmer shows Neil the vines he is growing, which will go on to grow into a massive plant army.
- Shake and Meatwad are attacked by mutant plants while they camp out in Carl's backyard. While confused at first by the ordeal, they quickly forget about it.
- Meatwad has pieces of him eaten off by the dogs he brings to the shelter. Elmer tastes Frylock's fries, commenting on how delicious they are before a reasonably uncomfortable Frylock pushes him away. At the end of the movie, the Aqua Teens get eaten.
- I Warned You: Shake and Meatwad both try to warn Frylock that Amazin is nothing but pure evil, but Frylock ignores them. When he realizes they are right all along, Shake starts gloating about it.
- Modified Clone: Neil has Frylock make a clone of him spliced with the genes of Shawn Kemp and a giraffe to make an 11'3" giant. Unfortunately, before he can figure out how to put his mind into it, the fully cognizant clone usurps his company.
- The Napoleon: Neil is a Bezos level billionaire CEO that's also a diminutive 4'2" and quite bitter about it. Frylock's coworkers try to warn him about this, but they exaggerate and say he's four inches tall.
- Out of Character: Carl. It's shown that since the Aqua Teens moved out, he has gained a more positive outlook on life, and even assists the Aqua Teens in defeating Elmer.
- The Reveal: When Neil realizes that Elmer's living plants are destroying the company and the world, Elmer reveals his true form.
- Roger Rabbit Effect: In both the opening Space Jam parody and the film itself, former NBA player Shawn Kemp appears as a live-action character via deliberately poor Chroma Key.
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Role Reprise: The principal cast of the series (Dana Snyder, Carey Means, Dave Willis) returned as the Aqua Teens. - Self-Deprecation: Upon being told just how much it costs to buy the movie, Ignignokt is incredulous. He dismisses the whole thing as "a pathetic cash grab" not remotely worth that price.Ignignokt: Theaters rejected it!
- Sequel Hook: Played for Laughs. During The Stinger, Shake suddenly comes back to life as a vampire bad and flies towards the camera saying "I smell a sequel!"
- Shout-Out: The animated theme song is an homage to Space Jam.
- Spoiler: During their first interruption, the Mooninites tell you to text "ERRIZDAMAN" to the phone number "ERRULZ." If you text this number, the Mooninites will spoil the end of the film without warning.
- Surreal Humor: As is with any other piece of Aqua Teen media.
- The Other Darrin: For the character, Boxy Brown, series co-creator Dave Willis is replaced by rapper Killer Mike from Run the Jewels.
