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'Mutant Aliens' Blu-Ray Review - A Wonderfully Chaotic Sci-Fi Oddity

Legendary animator Bill Plympton's lovably twisted tribute to alien invasion films ala THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT, 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH and MARS ATTACKS! features an American astronaut named Earl Jensen (voiced by Dan McComas) who's intentionally stranded in space by his evil boss, Dr. Frubar (voiced by George Casden). Twenty years later, his now-grown daughter Josie (voiced by Francine Lobis) is an astronomer with some serious lust for her hunky boyfriend (their hanky panky is both R-rated and hilarious, with his phallus in turns transforming into a charging rhino, steam train and exploding volcano). Their lovemaking and Dr. Frubar's evil plans are both interrupted by the unexpected return of her missing father, astronaut Earl – who reveals he apparently survived in space for the past two decades on a planet peopled (if that's the right word) by aliens who resemble human body parts (tongues, fingers, eyeballs and unidentified pink blobs). As brilliantly weird as ever for Plympton, MUTANT ALIENS is also surprisingly sexy: astronaut Earl's liaison with the fleshy pink alien blob queen shows that even in outer space, love knows no boundaries. Plympton also shares with David Lynch a kind of perverse wholesomeness in his fascination with nostalgic 1950s Americana undercut by a gleefully wicked sense of the bizarre and surreal. For thoughts on Mutant Aliens, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: Video Quality Mutant Aliens debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a 2K restoration of the Original Camera Negatives conducted in 2019 with Bill Plympton's participation and approval. This Blu-Ray is a sterling representation that allows this narrative to exist in its ultimate state. The lovely colors are especially nuanced with these deep hues swirling around one another while maintaining the necessary delineation. Black levels are impressive with no serious issues of banding or compression. Every unique flourish within the animation is left intact with no unnecessary digital manipulation to ruin the natural look. The exaggerated character designs and every purposeful line and mark of the animation are preserved in this newest release. The textures of this warped world on display look naturally filmic and give the wild story the appropriate amount of depth. Deaf Crocodile continues to do amazing work with animation. Audio Quality This Blu-Ray comes with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track in the original English which does a stellar job of bringing the material to life. Dialogue comes through clearly without competing sound effects or the score obscuring important information. Music is not as vital to the narrative as other Plympton outings, but every note that emanates is rendered with exceptional fidelity. The film is filled with creative sound effects that are given the expected prominence within the mix. The track handles the atmospheric effects well on all fronts. The audio does not come up short. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided. Special Features The Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray of Mutant Aliens arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes a 60-page bound book featuring an introduction by Weird Al Yankovic and new essays by film critic and author Walter Chaw and screenwriter, playwright and film journalist Steven Peros. All of this provides great insight into the film, the themes, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows: Audio Commentaries: This disc offers both a new and archival commentary track filled with tons of fun anecdotes and observations from creatives who worked on the film. Audio Commentary #1 (2025): Animation producer and podcaster Adam Rackoff and podcaster and film critic James Hancock are joined by longtime Plympton collaborator John Holderried of Plymptoons Studio Audio Commentary #2 (2003): Director Bill Plympton The Plympton Diaries: A 90-minute documentary from the original DVD release of the film that meticulously details the creation of the feature from the beginning to the end of the creative process. Interview with Bill Plympton: A 32-minute continuation of an interview with director/writer/producer Bill Plympton conducted by Deaf Crocodile's Dennis Bartok that originated on I Married A Strange Person. In this half of the conversation, the artist discusses the process of creating Mutant Aliens , other short films provided on this disc, and much more that is well worth a listen. Bill Plympton Short Films: A pair of animated shorts from Bill Plympton is provided that show some of the immense creativity of Plympton. These are both wonderfully entertaining and hilarious films. Hot Dog (2008) (HD) (5:44) The Cow Who Wanted To Be A Hamburger (2010) (HD) (6:05) Final Thoughts Mutant Aliens is another outrageous outing from the wonderfully warped mind of Bill Plympton that brings the beauty and horror of the galaxy to our front doorstep. The narrative is as chaotic as you would expect from the creative, but there is never a sense that the artist is not achieving exactly what he set out to do. The film is funny and inventive, and very much worth seeking out if you enjoy other work from the animation legend. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray which sports a first-rate A/V presentation and a valuable assortment of special features. Recommended Mutant Aliens is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.