Let’s get things straight right off the bat. The credits and copyright year are fakes (especially since characters in this animated feature reference O-Town). Once you realize that, it quickly becomes apparent that Nathan Smithe (apparently also known as Rusty Shackleford) doesn’t take himself too seriously, which is a good thing in this case. “The Meaty McMeat Show” is nothing but irreverent and ridiculous.
There is a plot here, but it doesn’t matter much. The movie really just features strange characters in crazy situations on a “show” hosted by Meaty McMeat (Mallard Philmore). These characters do drugs, get attacked by zombies, trick Meaty into vomiting for a few minutes to see if he really swallowed a person, and so on. And it’s all done in collage animation style with a musical score that is subtle, yet really hilarious.
This film, while very funny in places, can be annoying when watched straight through. The voices are irritating, and the absurd nature of the film, where plot and dialogue seem almost secondary, makes it hard to actually pay attention since there will be no real payoff (a fact realized early on in the film). That said, the jokes that do work, work exceptionally well. There is a good mixture of toilet and surreal humor (such as the show being filmed in Ancient Sumeria), but there just isn’t enough of either to offset the transient nature of the animated feature. Ninety-nine minutes could have easily been forty-five in this case, and it would’ve better suited the film.
