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- Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling is long overdue breath of fresh air with its crude, yet fair, commentary of an out-of-control world. Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Aug 21, 2019
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Pleasantly strange and surprisingly thoughtful, Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling succeeds as both a nostalgic look back and a healthy hop forward. Read Critics Reviews
- Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling Videos
Grady Bolding Cultured Vultures. Rocko's Modern Life: Static...
- Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling Videos
- Overview
- Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling
- 11 Animated Sitcoms That Need a Revival
- Verdict
By Matt Dougherty
Updated: Apr 28, 2020 10:08 pm
Posted: Aug 11, 2019 4:00 pm
This review contains plot details for Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, now streaming on Netflix.
It was hard to know what to expect from a Rocko's Modern Life revival special at Netflix, but it definitely wasn't a sharp commentary on reboot culture and fan entitlement that miraculously captures the core essence of the Nickelodeon cartoon as if two decades haven't passed.
In an era where Buzzfeed quizzes try to determine how much of a '90s kid you are, no matter what year you were born, the return of a beloved property is less a matter of “if,” and more of a “when.” As if summoned from our collective subconscious as pop culture revivals become ever more prevalent (and fans become more demanding), the 45-minute Static Cling devotes itself to the very nature of its return.
It's impossible to imagine a '90s cartoon presenting such a thoughtful depiction of a transgender character, but that's where these revivals have an opportunity to expand upon the ambitions of their predecessors (and Rocko's Modern Life was always subtly subversive for its time, both in its adult humor and tackling stories on social issues like immigration, racism, and sexual orientation when many networks would've shied away from them). Static Cling is written by Rocko creator Joe Murray and several of the original scribes from the show, who effortlessly weave a lesson of acceptance into the canon of their creation. In an interview with EW, Murray admitted that the theme of change – both personal and cultural – is at the heart of the 45-minute special.
“When I started writing [Static Cling], I really started latching onto the idea of change and how society has changed and what’s gone on in the last 20 years and the development of our characters and how they would react to change,” he said. “It felt natural, because it was not only about change, about somebody finding who they are and making that courageous choice to go through that change.”
When Rachel does return home, after Rocko’s earnest convincing, her father doesn't accept her at first. But that only inspires her creative energy, and a new version of The Fatheads is born. Rocko tasks himself with both getting Mr. Bighead to the premiere and getting him to accept his daughter, as well as the swell of positive change she brings. But the most stunning turn in Static Cling occurs when Rocko watches the new Fatheads, and finds that he, the one asking for something new the loudest, is the one who cannot accept its newness, because it changes the formula that he loved.
Static Cling challenges Rocko and Mr. Bighead, who are both struggling to accept change, to embrace the present and find new aspects to appreciate in the things they love, rather than remaining stuck in a repetitive loop, more concerned with recapturing nostalgia than experiencing something fresh.
What Rocko really wants isn’t more of the old Fatheads, it’s to be brought back to a place where he had his footing in the world, with the reassurance of the familiar. Having missed 20 years of life on Earth, he feels out of place, but miraculously, his favorite TV show is offering him an olive branch to join in, and to allow an even wider audience to share in something he loves. He initially rejects it, insisting it’s “too much change.”
While being about as meta as it gets, it’s also a smart critique of the sometimes vitriolic fan reactions to other recent revivals that have attempted to evolve their property’s DNA (we're sure you can think of a few examples), giving Rocko a brief but incisive arc that offers him the chance to jump on board with the changing tides or risk getting left behind.
After more than 20 years, Rocko's Modern Life has returned for a delightful 45 minutes, less to entertain its longtime fans - though it succeeds at that, too - and more to deliver a timely message about what our reverence for nostalgia is doing to art and society. Entertainment naturally reflects the time it was created in, but if we want that art ...
Aug 7, 2019 · The reboot movie, Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling, is now premiering on Netflix a flabbergasting 23 years after the end of the show’s original Nickelodeon run and, even more flabbergasting,...
Aug 11, 2019 · Embracing change is key in this fun, frenetic return. Read Common Sense Media's Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling review, age rating, and parents guide.
- Joe Murray, Cosmo Segurson
- Polly Conway
- Carlos Alazraqui, Tom Kenny, Charlie Adler
Grady Bolding Cultured Vultures. Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling is long overdue breath of fresh air with its crude, yet fair, commentary of an out-of-control world. Full Review | Original Score:...
Aug 10, 2019 · From its fantastic blend of wild humor to the themes and commentaries explored, Static Cling is as fun as it is clever. Read our full review.
The synopsis for Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, the first entry in Nickelodeon's franchise since 1996, reads as follows: "After being stuck in space for 20 years, Rocko and his friends return to a late-2010s era O-Town with modern amenities such as constantly updating touchscreen phones, radioactive energy drinks, food trucks, and coffee ...
