Summary
Family Guyrecently parodiedTop GunandTop Gun: Maverickin the season 23 premiere, but the episode proves that one of their strongest gimmicks is beginning to falter. The episode, called “Fat Gun,” sees the animated series leaning into another movie spoof, which is something they have become known for, with their takes onStar Warsbeing some of their most well-known and highest-rated. However, “Fat Gun” currently finds itself as one of their lowest-rated parodies, despiteTop Gunbeing perfect fodder forFamily Guy.
“Fat Gun” seesFamily Guycast their characters in the roles throughout theTop Gunfilms, as they do with many of their spoofs. Peter takes the lead as Maverick, Lois as Charlie, Stewie as Iceman, and Chris as Rooster in the sequel, among many other characters that appear. It starts withTop Gun, glancing over much of the film’s plot, picking and choosing moments for jokes, like taking its time with an elongated volleyball scene that sees them requiring jets to retrieve a ball. After Goose’s death, the episode transitions toTop Gun: Maverick, showing Peter traveling throughother Tom Cruise moviesuntil he arrives at the sequel.Family Guychooses to skip over much of the sequel altogether, finding themselves parodying the third act ofTop Gun: Maverickfor most of its duration.
Family GuyHas A Long And Storied History Of Beloved Movie Parodies
Family Guyhas been delivering movie parodies for years, cementing them as one of their best go-to gimmicks. They have two types of parodies. The first is a complete parody that sees the cast ofFamily Guyplaying roles other than themselves, like theirTop Gunspoof and theirStar Warsparodies, “Blue Harvest,” “Something, Something, Something, Dark Side,” and “It’s A Trap.” The second type of spoof is an episode that is a parody of a film, but the characters are still playing themselves within the context of the series, like “PeTerminator,” “North by North Quahog,” and “The Woof of Wall Street.”
The series has become known for finding unique ways to lampoon movies, withFamily Guycharacters taking on humorous roles, like Stewie as Hannibal Lecter in “Oscars Guy,” the season 21 premiere that saw the show poke fun atSilence of the Lambs,American Beauty, andForrest Gump. It was sometimes even a simple joke, likeMeg appearing as Jabba the Huttin “It’s A Trap.” However, these were astute ways of incorporating humor, which they have excelled at. The episodes would also attempt commentary via jokes, taking shots at movie plot holes and often performances, finding a knack for picking the right moments to parody.Family Guy’sspoofs became popular, being included in several seasons and episodes.
How DoFamily Guy’s Movie Spoofs Measure Up On IMDb?
Family Guy’sspoofs have been met with varying degrees of success, though most rate relatively high among fans. Their highest-rated movie parody is “And Then There Were Fewer,” the season 9 premiere, which is a play on Agatha Christie’sAnd Then There Were Noneand the board game-inspired movieClue, which IMDb has at a respectable 8.7/10. Their first foray intoStar Wars, “Blue Harvest,” also sits high with an 8.2/10. “Three Kings” featuresthree Stephen King storieswithStand by Me,Misery, andThe Shawshank Redemption, holds an 8.1/10 and is a common favorite episode among long-time viewers. Two other highly-rated parody episodes, both of which hold a 7.8/10, include “Three Directors,” which tells the story of Peter’s firing in the style of Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, and Michael Bay, and “PeTerminator,” an episode that sees Peter as a Terminator on the hunt for Stewie and Brian.
Family Guy’slowest-rated spoof is actually a TV parody episode called “HBO-No,” where they lampoonGame of Thrones,Succession, andBig Little Lies, which IMDB has sitting at 6.3/10. However, when it comes to movie parody episodes, “Fat Gun” finds itself low on the list, holding a 6.6/10. It’s not their lowest score, as season 19, episode 2, “The Talented Mr. Stewie,” which is a take onThe Talented Mr. Ripley, has a mere 6.4/10. WhileFamily Guytends to have more hitsthan misses when it comes to spoofing movies, they can miss the mark with some of the bigger targets.
Why “Fat Gun” Seemingly Didn’t Land With Fans The Way The Show’s Other Spoofs Have
“Fat Gun” relies on much of the same humor asFamily Guy’sprior parodies, playing up simple things and injecting them with their own brand of jokes. While there were laughs to be had, many of the jokes felt obvious, like meathead characters, jabs at Tom Cruise, and glaring elements like the absence of Rooster’s mother from the second film. Furthermore, the originalTop Gunhas been spoofed plenty of times before, like inHot Shots, so it’s well-worn territory. Ahigh-profileTop Gun: Maverickparody has not truly been done, which means the episode could have benefited from focusing solely on the sequel rather than skipping over much of it.
Given that “Fat Gun” is taking on two films in a 22-minute time span, it may have been an opportunity for a longer spoof episode, like theirStar Warsparodies, which would have given eachTop Gunfilm more time, as there are elements rife for jokes that the show never touched.Family Guyis known for their clever movie parodies, with many being fan-favorite episodes, but “Fat Gun” feels forgettable among their higher-rated spoofs. With the series being renewed for four more seasons,Family Guyis bound to parody more movies, but “Fat Gun” may have missed the mark with audiences.
