Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe. 2022
Written and Directed by Mike Judge
Featuring the voice talents of Mike Judge, Gary Cole, Chris Diamantopoulos, Nat Faxon, Brian Huskey, Chi McBride, Tig Notaro, Stephen Root, Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, and Jimmy O. Yang
SYNOPSIS:
After a “creative” judge sentences them to space camp, a black hole sends our adolescent heroes 24 years into the modern future where the duo misuse Iphones, embark on a quest to score, and become targets of the Deep State.
Sitting on their familiar ripped and dirty pink couch where the iconic 1990s duo of outrageously dumb and horny teenagers Beavis and Butt-Hhead would usually stare off into the TV (making fun of each other and whatever music video might be playing on MTV), this time they are breaking the fourth wall talking up the greatness of the story across time and space and efforts to “score” that we are about to witness. For series creator, writer, and director Mike Judge (also returning to voice Beavis and Butt-Head), space exploration and wormholes in Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe is a plot device to get the lovable idiots from 1998 to 2022, which is the fundamental tantalizing aspect here.
That’s not to say that watching Beavis and Butt-Head perceiving docking a ship as penetration isn’t funny (it is). There’s also a hilarious science fair sequence centered on an experiment of Butt-Head kicking Beavis in the nads that goes south, earning them a court date. But society has changed so much that, similar to the short-lived but sharply hysterical TV series reboot a while back, the selling point is Beavis and Butt-Head fumbling and offending their way through a modern world.
So it’s no surprise that the most prominent belly laughs come from bits such as unintentionally walking in on a gender studies class (their interpretation of white privilege is among the funniest things here) and their discovery of cell phones, depleting the bank account on a stolen device. Interspersed throughout these clever scenarios are the usual trademark miscommunication humor, immature laughter at words that carry a sexual double-meaning, and some play-the-classics fan service (I guess it wouldn’t be a Beavis and Butt-Head movie without an appearance from The Great Cornholio).
The middle section that strongly emphasizes supreme stupidity colliding with advanced technology and evolving viewpoints is the most involving and funniest stretch of Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe by a considerable amount. It’s also appreciated that Mike Judge doesn’t spend too much time on the setup, writing the dimwits into a space camp scenario that suddenly turns into bringing Beavis and Butt-Head along for a mission quickly becomes a disaster.
Leading the space crew is Serena (voiced by Andrea Savage), appreciative of Beavis and Butt-Head’s enthusiasm for practicing and mastering the docking controls, oblivious that they are only interested in creating sexually suggestive imagery from the parts. Beavis and Butt-Head also construe her compliments as wanting to have sex in space (because they are morons). Nothing goes as planned, leaving Beavis and Butt-Head entering a wormhole into Galveston, Texas, in 2022, with giant billboards featuring Serena running for governor reelection. Naturally, the quest is to find her and find a way to score.
Once this is brought to Serena’s attention, it becomes a threat to her career for various reasons I won’t spoil, triggering the Deep State tracking and chasing after Beavis and Butt-Head reminiscent of Beavis and Butt-Head Do America. It’s one of the lesser exciting aspects of this movie, primarily due to the familiarity, but the plot remains playfully entertaining. There are other elements, such as alternate universe intelligent variations of Beavis and Butt-Head (they have never scored, either), urging arguably the dumbest version of themselves to travel to a portal that will take them back to 1998 and save the universe from destruction. Also amusing is Beavis’ discovery of Siri, which he believes to be a real woman communicating with him. He develops genuine and wholesome feelings, opening up new layers and possibilities to who these characters are and what they can become.
Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe is also more proof that it’s a shame the characters seem to fade away just as fast as they are brought back into the cultural zeitgeist. These are unbelievably dumb characters that will always appear to be valuable tools for social commentary and irony just as much as they are hilarious at face value. It doesn’t quite reach the instant classic heights of Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, but it’s still a swift, laugh-out-loud-every-30-seconds ride that consistently makes good on its concept. Mike Judge has scored again.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published June 22, 2022. Updated June 23, 2022.
