Family Guy’s ‘Fat Gun’ Fails to Soar: Fans Disappointed by Latest Parody

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Summary

  • Family Guy’s “Fat Gun” parody falls short in ratings despite Top Gun‘s potential as fodder.
  • The show’s history of movie spoofs includes complete parodies and episodes where characters play themselves.
  • “Fat Gun” fails to impress due to overused jokes, missed opportunities, and a lack of focus on the sequel.

In the season 23 premiere, “Family Guy” paid tribute to both “Top Gun” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” but this episode showcases a weakening of one of their signature humor styles. Titled “Fat Gun,” the animated series delves into another movie satire, a tactic they are famous for, with their “Star Wars” parodies being among their most popular and critically acclaimed. However, “Fat Gun” stands out as one of their least successful parodies, surprising given that “Top Gun” seems tailor-made for “Family Guy.

In a playful twist, “Funny Gun” (a nod to both “Fat Gun” and the film “Top Gun”) reimagines the characters from “Family Guy” in roles across the “Top Gun” series, similar to how they often satirize other movies. Peter steps into Maverick’s shoes, Lois becomes Charlie, Stewie takes on Iceman, and Chris is cast as Rooster in the sequel, among others. The episode begins by referencing “Top Gun,” humorously adapting parts of the story for laughs, such as extending a volleyball scene to involve jet planes retrieving a ball. Following Goose’s death, the narrative shifts to “Top Gun: Maverick,” depicting Peter journeying through various Tom Cruise films before reaching the sequel. “Family Guy” then decides to bypass most of the sequel, instead focusing on parodying the climax of “Top Gun: Maverick” for the remainder of the episode.

Family Guy Has A Long And Storied History Of Beloved Movie Parodies

For quite some time now, Family Guy has been renowned for its humorous movie parodies, which have become one of their signature elements. They produce two kinds of parodies. The first category features the characters of Family Guy assuming roles other than their usual selves, as seen in their take on Top Gun and their versions of Star Wars, namely “Blue Harvest,” “Something, Something, Something, Dark Side,” and “It’s A Trap.” The second type involves an episode that is a parody of a movie, yet the characters remain in character within the series itself, such as “PeTerminator,” “North by North Quahog,” and “The Woof of Wall Street.

As a seasoned film critic, I must say that “Family Guy” has earned its reputation for ingeniously satirizing movies in a comical manner. Characters like Stewie, donning the role of Hannibal Lecter in “Oscars Guy,” brilliantly poked fun at classics such as “Silence of the Lambs,” “American Beauty,” and “Forrest Gump.” The humor was often subtle yet effective, even in instances like Meg’s unexpected appearance as Jabba the Hutt in “It’s A Trap.”

The series excelled at weaving humor into its episodes, often taking aim at movie plot inconsistencies and performances. They had an uncanny ability to time their parodies perfectly, making their spoofs a popular feature across multiple seasons and episodes.

How Do Family Guy‘s Movie Spoofs Measure Up On IMDb?

Family Guy’s spoofs have garnered mixed reactions but generally receive high marks from fans. The highest-rated movie parody is “And Then There Were Fewer,” the season 9 opener, which combines Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” and the mystery film “Clue.” This episode has an impressive IMDb rating of 8.7/10. The series’ first foray into Star Wars, “Blue Harvest,” also ranks high with a 8.2/10. “Three Kings,” an episode featuring three Stephen King stories – “Stand by Me,” “Misery,” and “The Shawshank Redemption” – is another fan favorite with an 8.1/10 rating. Other highly-acclaimed parody episodes, each rated at 7.8/10, include “Three Directors,” which mimics Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, and Michael Bay’s filmmaking styles in the story of Peter’s dismissal, and “PeTerminator,” where Peter becomes a Terminator hunting for Stewie and Brian.

The least well-received spoof by Family Guy is an episode titled “HBO-No,” which pokes fun at popular TV shows such as Game of Thrones, Succession, and Big Little Lies, earning a rating of 6.3/10 on IMDb. On the other hand, when it comes to movie spoofs, the episode “Fat Gun” ranks lower with a score of 6.6/10. However, season 19, episode 2, “The Talented Mr. Stewie,” which mimics The Talented Mr. Ripley, is even less popular with a rating of only 6.4/10. Despite Family Guy often hitting the mark with movie spoofs, they occasionally miss when aiming at larger targets.

Why “Fat Gun” Seemingly Didn’t Land With Fans The Way The Show’s Other Spoofs Have

Just like how traditionally does, ‘Fat Gun’ employs humor similar to its past spoofs, emphasizing ordinary aspects and adding their unique brand of wit. There were moments of laughter, but many jokes seemed predictable, such as the stereotypical characters, digs at Tom Cruise, and conspicuous elements like the missing mother of Rooster in the second movie. Also, given that has been parodied extensively before, including in shows like , it’s a well-trodden ground. Since a high-profile parody of is yet to be made, this episode could have been more effective by focusing solely on the sequel instead of brushing over significant parts of it.

Since “Fat Gun” features two films within a 22-minute timeframe, it could have potentially allowed for an extended spoof episode, similar to their popular “Star Wars” parodies, providing ample time to explore humorous aspects of both “Top Gun” movies that the show had previously overlooked. However, compared to other memorable spoofs in “Family Guy”, “Fat Gun” appears less impactful. With the series being renewed for four additional seasons, “Family Guy” is likely to parody more movies; yet, “Fat Gun” might not have resonated with viewers as intended.

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2025-04-16 15:34