This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Who are the Smiling Friends? They’re Pim, Charlie, Allan, and Glep and they’re here to make you SMILE!! And they guarantee to put a smile on YOUR face, if you buy this disc (*Smiles not actually guaranteed*). Watch 8 wonderful adventures into this fantastic, odd, beautiful, sometimes scary, but always amazing world. Plus, they go to Brazil in a special bonus episode. Get yours and start smiling today!
For thoughts on Smiling Friends: The Complete First Season, please check out our thoughts here.
Video Quality
Smiling Friends: The Complete First Season comes to Blu-Ray with a terrific transfer that allows the show to look like the best version of itself. This is a perfectly clear presentation free of any dirt, debris or digital artifacts. The line work and details are crisp and maintained resolutely without any bleeding or blurring. There does not appear to be any issues with banding or other such nuisances throughout. Whenever characters go into dark spaces, the black levels are deep instead of appearing milky. Colors are vibrant and deep with some excellent saturation from location to location. Despite the somewhat throwback animation style, this is a show that was made to be seen in high definition with its pleasing release here.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a great DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio soundtrack that brings the series to life really well. Sound effects are rarely required to dig deep in the low end, but there is some texture that is appreciated. The show provides some unique environmental effects that allow the world to feel three dimensional. Dialogue is forefront in the track with a crisp presentation in the center speaker that spreads into surrounds when the moment calls for it. Music is bright and lovely as it comes through with good fidelity. Warner Bros. has delivered a strong audio presentation that should please most fans. There are optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentaries: Every episode is given an audio commentary courtesy of creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack in which they discuss the development of the episode, background details you may have overlooked, trivia about the characters they have not revealed, the voice performers, how they came up with certain designs and more.
Final Thoughts
Smiling Friends is a truly hilarious and slightly insane new entry into the hierarchy of Adult Swim animation. The series has a somewhat throwback style that appeals to the heyday of internet creativity when people didn’t have so many guidelines on what makes good “content” for the masses. The series feels exciting and as if any episode could devolve into something completely unpredictable. The more time you spend with these characters, the more you come to love them. This is one we will be revisiting again and again. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a terrific A/V presentation and some fun commentary tracks. We are counting the days until the next season. Highly Recommended
Smiling Friends: The Complete First Season will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on August 29, 2023.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.