Venture Bros., The: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Jan 15, 2025
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
-
Director
Jackson PublickRelease Date(s)
2023 (July 25, 2023)Studio(s)
Astro Base GO!/Adult Swim/Williams Street/Titmouse (Warner Home Video)- Film/Program Grade: A
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: A-
Review
The Venture Bros. has always been one of TV’s more unique entities, in so much as it’s primarily a pair of people (Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick) responsible for its creation with hardly any outside influence, while guiding its journey at every step of the way. So what we as viewers get out of it is what comes out of the minds of the collaboration between these two people, both of whom have a penchant for the hilarious, the sentimental, and the unorthodox, but presenting it in a highly entertaining and well-written package. For seven seasons, The Venture Bros. reined as one of Adult Swim’s crown jewels, never overstaying its welcome or bled dry by its corporate overlords. However, like all things, it eventually came to an end. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the show was abruptly canceled during the writing of what would have been its eighth season, leaving the show’s story and characters left hanging without a proper conclusion.
Almost three years later, Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart debuted on Blu-ray and later on streaming, garnering high critical and audience praise, while being one of the best episodes of the show in years. That last point is obviously a personal one on my part, but I’m very confident in that assessment. Despite the quality of the show, there was something of a sameyness that pervaded its last couple of seasons, at least past the point when Rusty Venture became wealthy and gained direct control over Venture Industries after Jonas Jr. died while piloting Gargantua-2 and saving everyone in the process. It was still highly enjoyable, but Radiant jump starts the world of the show in a way that feels refreshing than just a mere sendoff.
At the conclusion of season seven, questions are left unanswered. Hank, in a previous of state of comatose, has disappeared, revealed to be looking for his and Dean’s birth mother, whose name was revealed to him while he was unconscious. Dean is distraught and turns to Dr. Orpheus and the Order of the Triad for help, while Dr. Venture is distracted by the launch of the HelperPod virtual assistant, a new piece of technology overseen by Pete White and Billy Quizboy. The Monarch continues to be unsatisfied with having to wait for approval from the Guild of Calamitous Intent to continue arching Dr. Venture, with 21 aka Gary still loyally by his side. Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, formerly Dr. Girlfriend, is meanwhile framed and blacklisted by the Guild for heading up the criminal organization ARCH—actually led by former Monarch flame Mantilla—for a series of explosive incidents involving low level villains, with Red Death aiding in her escape. As Brock Samson and the O.S.I. investigate ARCH as VenTech Tower comes under threat, questions of who Hank’s and Dean’s mother is and the resolution of Dr. Venture’s and Monarch’s possible kinship hang in the balance.
In all honesty, it’s hard to believe that Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart will indeed be the last time we visit the world of The Venture Bros. But if indeed it is the last, it’s quite the send-off. So many revelations have come to pass over the course of the series and so much world-building has been achieved that one can imagine Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick still keeping a few things close to chest for the future, if they’re allowed to continue. As they admit in the extras, they have no ownership over The Venture Bros., meaning that they can’t do anything with it until those who own it give them the green light to do so. As of this writing, that hasn’t happened, yet.
That said, Radiant still feels like a fitting conclusion to the story, meaning that we find out many things about our main characters, but they’re still basically back at square one. Much has changed, but much stays the same, which makes sense for the show, but it also feels realistic. None of these hyper-charged characters are by any means real (except to their creators), but the quality of the writing and the voice acting gives them a reality that even Rick and Morty, a show that I’m also fond of, doesn’t quite achieve. The Venture Bros. has always been quality television, and even in an 83-minute movie environment, it still works as well as it always has.
The Venture Bros: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart was likely rendered and finished as a 2K Digital Intermediate, with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Warner’s dual-layered BD-50 Blu-ray release of the film isn’t a visual powerhouse in the way that a UHD with High Dynamic Range might be, but the results are highly satisfactory, nonetheless. It houses about two and a half hours of video-based material, with two audio commentaries in tow, and never does the picture suffer for it, even with a modest bitrate that fluctuates between 15 and 25Mbps. There are no signs of pixelization or macroblocking to be found, meaning that you’re getting the most out of the image with sufficient disc space to handle it. The color palette is varied, and the digitally-animated segments, of which there are few, blend well with the rest of the animation. Blacks are deep and contrast is perfect, while the image is stable without any issues to speak of.
Audio is included in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master with optional subtitles in English, French, and Spanish (the audio commentaries also come with a subtitle option, but in Spanish only). Likewise, it’s a very satisfying experience that offers good movement and great support for the various elements. Dialogue is the driving force, but any Venture Bros. episode worth its weight in salt is going to offer excellent staging for sound effects and score, with plenty of activity in the soundstage during action sequences, or showcasing the more quiet ambient moments when called for.
The 1080p Blu-ray release of The Venture Bros: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart sits in a blue Amaray case with an insert and slipcover featuring the same artwork. Also included is a fold-out poster featuring the same artwork, as well as a “Movies Anywhere” Digital Code on a paper insert within the package. The following extras are included:
- Audio Commentary #1 with Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick
- Audio Commentary #2 with Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick
- Hodgman and Friends (HD – 50:26)
As per usual with releases of The Venture Bros. on home video, some excellent bonus materials have been included. There’s nothing in the way of deleted scenes, animatics, or marketing materials, nor are there any interviews with the main cast, but what has been included is well worth your time. First are two separate commentaries by creators Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick. Anyone familiar with their past commentaries will know that their chats are very active, lively, and highly-informative, and that’s also the case here. The first track is dedicated to talking about the film itself, discussing many of their favorite ideas that made it in, as well as other things that didn’t; the cancellation of the proposed eighth season and how some of that material was re-incorporated into the film; and their reflections on the history of the show. The second track is dedicated to the fans who submitted thousands of questions, with Publick reading from cue cards and the pair answering them one at a time. Hodgman and Friends is mock style TV show in which author and actor John Hodgman hosts before a “live studio audience,” discussing the film and asking more questions submitted by fans. By no means is any of this material a chore to sit through; it’s very funny and illuminating.
More than anything, this release makes me pine for an uncensored complete series Blu-ray release of the show, which obviously means that the first couple of seasons have to be upscaled in order to do so. Many of the seasons that were released on Blu-ray are now mostly out of print and/or expensive to acquire. A Complete Series DVD boxed set is available for those who are so inclined, but this show deserves a superior Blu-ray release with all of the previous extras carried over and higher bitrates to improve the quality of the video.
Above all else, Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart is an excellent and entertaining “closer” to one of my favorite TV series of all time. Fans are always hungry for more, and hopefully the show’s creators can continue when the time is right and still be given the creative freedom they’ve had since the beginning, which makes the show what it was and continues to be.
- Tim Salmons
(You can follow Tim on social media at these links: Twitter, Facebook, BlueSky, and Letterboxd. And be sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel here.)