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It was originally slated to premiere on Nickelodeon in 2018 as a television special, but went unaired; in May 2019, Nickelodeon sold the distribution rights of the special to Netflix, which released the film on August 9, 2019, airing 23 years after the original series finale.
After 20 years in space, Rocko returns to a technologically advanced O-Town and makes it his mission to get his favorite show back on the air. The 90's have ...
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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
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Watch Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling | Netflix Official Site. After 20 years in space, Rocko struggles to adjust to life in 21st century O-Town and makes it his mission to get his favorite show back on the air. Watch trailers & learn more.
- Joe Murray, Cosmo Segurson
- 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 9, 2019 · With a meta plotline about the cancellation and subsequent rebooting of a beloved cartoon, Static Cling isn’t afraid to be self-effacing about the revival process—or poke a little fun at the...
Aug 13, 2019 · Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling is one of the best revivals to come out yet. It simultaneously embraces the past and the present, while turning a critical eye to both.
