One of my favorite adult swim shows is the animated action comedy The Venture Bros. For those of you unfamiliar with it, I will be explaining things throughout the article about the shows and the characters so that you at least have an idea.
Premise: The series mixes action and comedy together while it chronicles the adventures of the Venture family: well-meaning but incompetent teenagers Hank and Dean Venture; their emotionally insecure, ethically challenged super-scientist father Dr. Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture; the family's bodyguard, originally the ultra-violent and macho secret agent Brock Samson and his later replacement, reformed super villain and "cured" pedophile Sergeant Hatred; and the family's self-proclaimed arch-nemesis, The Monarch, a butterfly-themed super villain.
As of right now, the shows fifth season is in production, and has yet to air.
Why this would work as a movie: Parody movies are popular among movie goers. Though not enjoyed by critics, they draw in large audiences (I mean hell, Scary Movie is still going strong). The Venture Bros. parodies that action adventures series popular among the youth of yesterday such as The Hardy Boys or Johnny Quest.
The main characters are the Venture family. The family often goes on adventures all around the world often getting into trouble with either Dr. Venture's arch foes or due to their own antics.
Hank Venture: The Venture brothers, Hank and Dean are fraternal twins. Hank is the more outgoing and rebellious of the two. Hank is also close with the family's bodyguard Brock Sampson.
Max Thieriot: Max is currently starring as Dylan Masset in the A&E thriller/drama
Bates Motel. In it, Thieriot's character is an adventerous and daring rebel. That is what drew me to Thieriot as Hank. While he hasn't had much experience in comedy, Thieriot would be great for bringing Hank to life in a live-action film.
Dean Venture: Dean is the smarter and more reserved of the twins. Dean also maintains a sense of optimism that the rest of his family seems to lack through their misadventures.
Logan Lerman: Known for his roles in Percy Jackson and
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Lerman has the bookish nerdy look for Dean. He is also a good actor. I was originally worried that Lerman would not venture into R-Rated films (as the film would most likely be), but then I realized he did
Gamer, so I thought "why not?" He fits the role.
Dr. Venture: Dr. Thaddeus S. "Rusty" Venture is the current patriarch of the Venture family. As a kid, he was Rusty Venture, a child explorer and son of super scientist Dr. Jonas Venture. However, in his adult life, Rusty is plagues with problems such as being addicted to diet pills, nightmares he suffers from when he absorbed his twin in his mother's wombs. Flashbacks and dream reveal that his childhood may not have been what it was hyped up to be. Rusty suffered neglect form his father, and was even endangered on his father's adventures. The same mistakes he's making with Hank and Dean. Rusty also suffers from financial problems. Not the inventor his father was, Rusty relies on an income from selling his dad's old inventions.
David Cross: When I was writing my article, I asked myself, "who could play a character who is so pathetic that it's funny?" Well, while I was writing, I was watching
Men in Black II. There's this scene were K and J are in a video store run by Cross, who runs a video store and lives with his mother. And I knew "THAT'S DR. VENTURE!"
Brock Sampson: Brock used to be the Venture family’s bodyguard. He previously worked for the Office of Secret Intelligence (or OSI). As a member of the OSI, he was granted a license to kill, a freedom he exercised with great zeal. He was in college with Rusty, they were even roommates, but the two never socialized. Brock was discharged from the OSI when he tried to expose an organization, the Guild of Calamitous Intent. After that, he became Dr. Venture’s and the Venture family’s bodyguard. Brock eventually left the Venture family and joined an organization known as S.P.H.I.N.X.
David Batista: I know what you’re thinking, “ugh a wrestler.” But please hear me out. The challenge here was finding someone close to Cross’ age (as Brock and Rusty were in college together). I would have gone Dwayne Johnson but he seemed too young. However, Batista is a decent actor. I’m not saying he’s the best. He does need some improvement, but he isn’t bad (like Goldberg or John Cena who are both awful). Batista does give off that tough guy vibe and he’s a badass.
Sergeant Hatred: Hatred was Brock’s superior during his days in OSI. It is revealed that Hatred, during this time, was a double agent for the villainous agency, The Guild of Calamitous Intent. It was because of Hatred that Brock’s attempts to expose the Guild failed and Brock was discharged. He is also a registered sex offender.
The Guild assigned Hatred as Dr. Venture’s nemesis. He has a change of heart and abandons his villainous ways, even becoming the new Venture bodyguard after Brock joins S.P.H.I.N.X.
John C. Reilly: John is an extraordinarily funny actor. He also does some dramatic work such as
Gangs of New York and
Chicago. Hatred is a character that combines both drama and comedy, and I think John would be great at making the combination work.
H.E.L.P.eR: Helpful Electronic Lab Partner Robot or H.E.L.P.eR was an invention by Jonas Venture to serve as a nanny for his son Rusty. He served well in that purpose and now serves as a nanny for Hank and Dean. Years of neglect by Rusty have left H.E.L.P.eR in a state of disrepair and a wreck both physically and emotionally. Despite being a robot, H.E.L.P.eR has emotions and cares for the Venture family. He is often abused and neglected by Rusty, but Brock, Hank, and Dean care much more for him.
As he only speaks in beeps, blips, and whistles, H.E.L.P.eR doesn’t need an actor to play him. He can be played by a combination of puppetry and CG.
Supporting Characters: The secondary characters in the show. Ranging from the super unusual to just plain weird.
Dr. Jonas Venture Sr: Jonas was Rusty’s father. He was a superscientist and adventurer. While he was looked upon as a hero by all, flashbacks into Rusty’s childhood suggest that Jonas was actually demanding and emotionally distant to his son, exposing him to extreme (and unnecessary) danger.
Thomas Jane: At first, I didn’t even consider Thomas Jane. He didn’t strike me as the type of actor to do comedy. Then I learned he had a minor role in
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. And with that, I decided to cast him as Rusty’s father. He definitely has that hero vibe to him.
Dr. Jonas Venture Jr: Jonas Jr (JJ) is the twin brother of Rusty. While they were both in the womb, Rusty absorbed JJ and kept him for most of his life. It was during a surgery that Jonas was unwittingly removed. His original goal was to reclaim his life and kill Rusty. However the two brothers reached a reconciliation. JJ is far smarter and much more successful then Rusty.
Peter Dinklage: This was a fairly easy choice. Dinklage is known for both his dramatic and comedic works. The difficulty here was figuring out how to do JJ (and Billy Quizboy along with him). Either to use actors with dwarfism or to use actors without it and film them in forced perspective (like the hobbits in
Lord of the Rings). Besides, Dinklage looks a lot like JJ.
Master Billy Quizboy: Despite being an adult, Billy still goes by the moniker “boy genius.” When he was younger, he was a contestant on the game show
Quizboys, hosted by Pete White. Unbeknownst to Billy, Pete rigged the questions so that Billy would always win. Eventually, the scandal was exposed. Billy and Pete traveled cross country, participating in the underground quiz circuit. Due to a mishap, Billy accidentally wound up in an underground dog fight where he lost his arm an eye. He was rescued by the OSI and fitted with a bionic arm.
Danny Woodburn: This was a difficult choice. I knew Woodburn from
Mirror Mirror and as Big Figure in
Watchmen. My real concern about Woodburn is whether or not he can pull of Billy’s signature lisp.
Pete White: Pete attended college with Rusty and Brock. Pete is the best friend of Billy Quizboy. He and Billy founded the company Conjectural Technologies (what it is in unclear). He and Billy operate the company from their trailer home. Later, they are shown living on the Venture compound.
Jason Schwartzman: Despite being younger than my Billy, Rusty, and Brock, I knew Jason was perfect as Pete White. With makeup, he could look a little bit older to match the others as well as appearing albino.
Molotov Cocktease: Molotov is a Russian mercenary and assassin. According to Brock, she is the only woman he ever loved. She has an interesting history with Brock. He killed her father, and then she killed his partner, and then he took out her eye (which he now keeps in a jar in his bedroom).
Kate Beckinsale: This one was mostly because Kate’s hot. No question about it. The only concern was “would Kate Beckinsale do a comedy?” Then I remembered she did
Click, answering my question. Only this comedy would also suit her skills as an action actress.
Dr. Byron Orpheus: Right now, I want to say that Dr. Orpheus is my FAVORITE character in the series. He is a master necromancer. He masters in communications with a minor in women’s studies, but he claims the title of doctor was bestowed to him by a higher power. He lives in and rents what used to be the advanced arachnid research lab in the Venture compound. A recurring joke with Dr. Orpheus is that he speaks in an over-the-top melodramatic tone with an epic theme music playing in the background, usually in the worst possible moment. I mean take a look:
Brent Spiner: Most famous for Mr. Data in
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Brent Spiner is a great actor. This gave me a lot of hell because like I said Orpheus is my favorite character. Finding someone to capture his melodrama was really tough. I think I nailed it with Spiner.
Triana Orpheus: Triana is the daughter of Byron Orpheus and his ex-wife. Being the daughter of a necromancer isn’t easy. For instance, Triana always wears the same outfit because her father made her closet a dimensional portal to the netherworld. Triana is also the object of Dean’s affection.
Kat Dennings: Kat is smoking hot. Her role on the sitcom
Two Broke Girls is what really made me see her as Triana. She can pull off the semi-gothic and sarcastic girl really well.
Villains: Throughout the show, the Venture family comes across many enemies. Many of them claiming to be Dr. Venture’s sworn nemesis.
The Monarch: Dr. Venture's self-styled archnemesis. His real name is Malcolm. He is obsessed with Monarch butterflies, which he claims raised him as a child after he survived the plane wreck which killed his parents in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. In fact, he only spent a few months unsuccessfully imitating them before returning to claim his inheritance, and still seems to have almost no understanding of their biology or behavior. He attended the same college with Rusty, Brock, and Pete where he began “arching” Dr. Venture for a yet unrevealed reason. Dr. Venture however sees the Monarch as an annoyance more than a general threat.
Ty Burrell: His role on
Modern Family really supported my casting of him as Dr. Venture’s “Arch” nemesis. Like the Monarch, Phil Dunphy is a character who talks a big game but isn’t at all imposing in reality. And, also like the Monarch, when Dunphy carries out a plan, it usually blows up in his face.
Baron Werner Ünderbheit: Ünderbheit was another supposed arch foe to Dr. Venture and also attended college with him, Brock, The Monarch, and Pete. Now he is the dictator of a country called Ünderland, which shares a border with Michigan. In his college days, Wener lost his jaw in an explosion, and now wears a prosthetic one. He blamed Venture who was his lab partner. It is revealed it was actually the Monarch trying to kill Venture.
Ray Stevenson: This was another difficult choice because Ünderbheit is so imposing in stature. And every time I think of Stevenson I think of that crappy Punisher movie. But then he did
The Other Guys. And I knew I had the baron.
Phantom Limb: Phantom Limb seems to be one of the most capable villains in the show, and he seems indifferent to the Ventures unlike the others. He gets his name from the fact that his arms and legs are invisible. He is shown to have an intense rivalry with the Monarch.
Robert Downey Jr.: This is a role I think RDJ would OWN! RDJ looks a lot like Phantom Limb, and his portrayal of Tony Stark has that ego a-hole vibe that Phantom Limb has. I don’t think RDJ has ever played a villain before, but as I said, he would own it.
Dr. Girlfriend (Later Dr. Mrs. The Monarch): As her name implies, Dr. Girlfriend is the Monarch’s girlfriend. She used to be Queen Etheria, a sidekick and lover to Phantom Limb until she was seduced by The Monarch. She then worked by his side as Dr. Girlfriend, later marrying him and being renamed Dr. Mrs. The Monarch. She is known for comically deep voice which she claims to have gotten from smoking for 6 years.
Sarah Chalke: Sarah Chalke is notable for her roles as Dr. Elliott Reid in
Scrubs and more recently as Polly in the new sitcom
How to Live with your Parents (for the Rest of your Life). When I first saw her in How to Live, I thought she was extraordinarily plain. But then I started seeing more of her, and I realized that she is really hot! Dr. GF should be hot despite her voice.
Patrick Warburton: Patrick is known for his roles in animation as well as live action. His deep voice would be perfect for the signature deep voice Dr. Girlfriend has. If this movie actually happened, this would also serve as a cameo. Patrick actually voices Brock in the series.
Henchman 21: 21 is the best friend of fellow henchman 24. He’s a parasitic bachelor who lives with his mother before he joined the Monarch. It’s revealed he also is attracted to Dr. Girlfriend. Despite being nerdy and incompetent, he is fiercely loyal to the Monarch.
Bobby Moynihan: Bobby is known as one of the current cast members of
Saturday Night Live. He is amazingly funny. And I feel he would capture 21 perfectly. Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill felt way too obvious.
Henchman 24: 24 is 21’s best friend. Like 21, he is loyal to The Monarch. He takes great pride in owning a Nissan Stanza. In season 3 finale, while the floating cocoon (the Monarch’s base) is being attacked, 21 and 24 hide out in 24’s Nissan Stanza. However, H.E.L.P.eR hijacked the car. 21 got out safely but 24 was unable to buckle his seat belt (which he decided to wear
IN A PARKED CAR). H.E.L.P.eR drove the car out into a battlefield and 24 was killed when the car exploded. 24 later returned to haunt 21, which was revealed to be a figment of 21’s grief-stricken imagination. 21 keeps and talks 24’s skull.
Bill Hader: Honestly, after I cast Moynihan as 21, I saw no one else as 24 other than Hader.
21 and 24 are also my favorite characters on the show (along with Dr. Orpheus). They have this great dynamic. And I think Hader and Moynihan as a duo would bring them to life with amazing results. Watch:
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As always, BOTH reviews and thumbs up are appreciated!
-MCott
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