Family Guy: It's A Trap! (Blu-ray)

During the scrolling text at the beginning of the third and hopefully final full-on Family Guy Star Wars parody, we are informed that the audience should in fact lower their expectations for this Jedi spoof, due to the fact that the writers were simply running low on ideas. Is this just another classic Family Guy gag and ironic red herring that sets in motion the finest Star Wars parody yet? Sadly not. With It’s A Trap, the Family Guy team really are running on empty and you do get the impression that Seth McFarlane and co, as stated in the opening text, simply churned this out to please Fox execs and make a bit more cash.

The story picks up where Something, Something Dark Side left off, with Leia  (Lois) and Han (Peter) being held captive by Jabba the Hutt (Joe). With a little help from Luke (Chris), Lando (Mort) and Luke’s faithful droids (Quagmire and Cleveland), Leia and Han are saved from Jabba’s evil clutches, but bigger problems are afoot. With a new Death Star in the middle of construction, the Empire re-emerges and is more powerful than ever, and Luke and co must find a way to destroy Darth Stewie and the evil Emperor (Carter) once and for all.

It’s A Trap isn’t without its laughs. There’s a funny ‘nodding’ routine (which admittedly goes on a bit long),  some amusing self-mockery at the film’s end (Seth Green’s a good sport) and the odd smirk-inducing one-liner, but when you’re able to count those laugh-out-loud moments on one hand, you know you’ve got problems.  Content with merely referencing Jedi without that cutting Family Guy comedy and simply showcasing its slick animation (as with the previous two instalments, the film looks great, especially on Blu-ray), It’s A Trap provides a disappointing anti-climax to a trilogy that could and should have equalled the brilliance of the show’s standard TV episodes. Sadly, not so much a new hope as it is a no hope.

As mentioned, the Blu-ray visuals are spectacular. Never have Peter, Lois and co looked so good, and the action sequences certainly do the animators proud in hi-def. The audio does a terrific job with those action sequences too, while quieter moments provide a subtle but clear and distinct soundtrack.
 
The extras aren’t bad. As well as getting a Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy of the film, you get a decent commentary led by Seth MacFarlane, plus a few amusing featurettes, including an entertaining 30-minute featurette focusing on Star Wars Trivial Pursuit for the hardcore fans of the holy trilogy (though how entertaining this is very much depends on how much of a Star Wars geek you are).

Overall Verdict: Mediocre Family Guy at best. A disappointing end to a disappointing trilogy that started out so well.

Special Features:
Audio Commentary With Cast and Crew
‘A Very Special Message From Darth Stewie’ Featurette
‘Star Wars Trivial Pursuit’ Featurette
‘Drawing With Peter Shin’ Featurette
Sock Puppet Outtakes
Animatic
‘Making the Scene’ Featurette

Reviewer: Lee Griffiths