Mystery Science Theater 3000 (2017–2022) User Reviews (80)

It's good, but nowhere near the charm and magnificence of the past.

[Otkon · 7/10 · 30 April 2017]

If I were to put a grade on this season, it's a solid B-.

Pros:

1) The new Mads are not terrible. Neither is Jonah. That pixie Felicia can actually pull off being devilish. Patton does imbue the TV spirit of TV's Frankness. And Jonah is lummox-y enough to follow in the footsteps of Joel and Mike.

2) Some of the invention exchanges have been outright hilarious. Todd Hitler, you are a victim of circumstance.

3) The theater riffing is where the season shines because it is fairly reminiscent of the previous seasons. Jonah and the bots have far more personality and intonation doing impressions and voices while talking in the theater than they do during the host segments. But it still all seems slightly off. I can see edits and unsynced overdubs throughout the episodes.

The Meh:

1) The film selection process has the same issue that the MST3K movie did. The films have to be widescreen, feature length and of better-than-atrocious A/V quality. Gone are the barely-lit 4:3 clunkers with wax-cylinder soundtracks. And forget about those off-the-hook shorts. There will be no Manoses and Mr B Naturals this time around.

2) The songs are hit or miss. The Kaiju song from the first episode was brilliant. The Dougie Howser duet was not.

3) I am still not seeing Tom and Crow as fully fleshed out yet.

Cons:

1) The puppeteering is dreadful. Trace, Kevin, Bill, Patrick and even Mallon didn't need assistants to bring the bots to life. The new bots are just off because there are too many people operating them. There is no single person giving each their own personality. Gypsy is practically ruined by the new mechanics. She's essentially dubbed - and the whole hilarity of her falsetto voicing by men is gone. And so what if she hangs from the ceiling, or that Crow and Tom's arms can slightly point.

2) The guest spots are jarring and unnecessary. I guess people might have forgotten who Jerry Seinfeld was, or he had to keep his SAG membership active or something. But I saw no point in him or the over-exposed Neil Patrick Harris just popping in. And, sadly, the appearances by the previous season characters also seemed like complete wastes. Pearl, Bobo and Brain Guy had no decent material because Mary Jo, Kevin and Bill need to write all their own stuff. They were just kitschy afterthoughts this time around.

3) It's just too elaborate. From the digital Jetscreen, to the 700-piece Bonehead house band, to Pearl's clone, to the extra puppet crap. Everything is just overblown. Honestly, Tom hovering around the theater ogling women is tiresome and pointless. So is Gypsy descending with a cooler and making one riff an episode. Even the art direction for props during the host segments is just too fancy.

4) The wedding subplot. This seemed like Netflix telling them - like SciFi did - that they needed a story arc and season cliffhanger. But moreover, it was an excuse to give extra perks to the biggest Kickstarter donors. Either way, it was lame.

Final thoughts: It bothers me that 15 penniless people in Minnesota could put together an amazing production twenty years ago but hundreds of people with a budget in LA couldn't recreate that magic seamlessly.

Yes I do want to see more MST3K but I do hope some of these issues are refined in the future. Pare down the premise and extraneous stuff, have the voice actors do their puppetry, get the show more tightly knit and it will flow much better.

Less would be more

[RogerBorg · 7/10 · 18 April 2017]

The cast and crew is composed of talented and likable people, and we know the format can work. There's no reason why this latest series of MST3K (they're at pains to point out that it's not a reboot) shouldn't be every bit as much fun as much what came before.

But much as I love the people involved, it feels over-produced and slightly off-key. Jonah Ray is immensely personable, but not all of that makes it to the screen. He says his lines in a competent Everygeek fashion, but they're clearly not HIS lines, and could be delivered by anyone. It's all very precisely scripted, directed and edited, which is almost, but not quite, the opposite of what it needed. Fumbling a few props is about as far as the vérité is allowed to get.

Felicia Day runs through her usual quirky gamut of mugging and grimacing. It's not a particularly engorged gamut though, and she exploits most of it in every scene. It's nothing that we haven't seen before, many, many, many times, and I find the charm starting to rub thin. Mary Jo Pehl manages do to more with less time in a few appearances as "Grandma" Pearl Forrester. Patton Oswalt - well, he's on the screen and does the best with what he's given, is about the most you can say.

With the huge writing cast, the content should be outstanding. But that surfeit of riches is the problem: everyone wants to write a line and the riffing just never stops. A fair amount of it is just say-what-you-see-in-a-funny-voice padding, too.

Since none of the cast has a particularly distinctive voice, it can be hard to tell who's talking. The upside is that it doesn't actually matter, since none of them have distinct personalities either. The lines might as well be allocated in round-robin fashion, for all the difference it makes.

The first episode, Reptilicus, is particular weak, and dragged perhaps three genuine laugh from me, one of them a cheap erection joke. It feels hugely crowded, with constant riffing crammed into every single moment of silence in the film. And I do mean every single. After, between, and sometimes even before what's happening on screen, the last being particularly jarring. Apparently Precognition is a required course at Gizmonic Institute Academy.

This is MST3K:the ADD Edition. At times, I was shouting "Down in front, watch the movie," rather than feeling like a part of the gang.

That said, stick with it, as it does improve rapidly as the series goes on. Jonah and the bots' timing gets slightly better, and the riffs tend to increase in quality as they cut back on the sheer quantity - "The Beast of Hollow Mountain" being a notable regression to clumsy verbiage.

The movie choices are largely solid, providing plenty of material and some of the films are almost watchable on their own merits. Only the truly dire "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" seems to stump the writing team, and that episode falls flat.

Taken overall, it's a decent effort and is genuine MST3K. But given the budget and cast, I'd set my expectations just a little higher than what they delivered.

I hope it gets another series with this cast, perhaps half the writers and a quarter of the budget. A little less might produce more.

Not as good as the original series

[JayPatton88 · 7/10 · 9 August 2020]

Netflix tried to resurrect Mystery Science Theater 3000 ; to bad they could not resurrect the original show, but some laughs out of this reboot all the same.

Starts slow, but then if feels like the good old days!

[tjveil · 8/10 · 17 April 2017]

Rejoice, MiSTies! The Satellite of Love is back, and so is the Gizmonic Institute and all of those terrible movies we love to make fun of!

Under the guidance of Joel Hodgson, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return feels like old times. Sure, some things are different. Of course the cast is new, with Jonah Ray taking over command as Jonah Heston, this edition's poor hapless guy who's being tortured with bad movies. His companions are the same (primarily Crow and Tom Servo), but they're voiced by different people (Hampton Yount and Baron Vaughn, respectively). And the Mads (mad scientists) are new as well, with Dr. Forrester's daughter Kinga (Felicia Day) taking over, ineptly assisted by TV's son of TV's Frank (Patton Oswald).

You may need to adjust your set... just a little. We actually get to see poor Jonah's "origin" story...and amusingly, due to crappy recording technology, he has to literally act it out every episode. But at first it's a little jarring to hear the theme song grind to a halt right in the middle.

And whereas the old series used to show silly bits over the opening theme, the new one shows Jonah's kidnapping as a smug Kinga sings about how she'll send him cheesy movies, the worst she can find. Yes, with minor modifications, it's still the same catchy, loopy song. Cha-ching!

There are a few other things to get used to. Gypsy's throaty falsetto voice has been replaced by a midwest woman, and of course Tom and Crow sound different.

And the most important part, the movies? Well, they're actually improved. They're more recent and in color, but they're still B-movies. I have to admit being concerned that the series got off to a REALLY slow start with the first episode's riffs on "Reptilicus". I don't think I laughed once during Jonah and the 'bots' mockery, because the writing just was unfunny, weak, and frankly kind of desperate. Things improved in episode 2, and by episode 3 there were genuine belly laughs to be had. Guess it took them a while to get back into the groove of things.

So if you're still wondering how he eats and breathes and other science facts, repeat to yourselves it's just a show -- you should really just relax.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 is back!

Back and Almost as Good as the Original

[nmn34 · 8/10 · 20 April 2017]

EDIT- I feel I need to knock off a point from my initial review. At the time I was more forgiving but season 2 drives home a serious problem with the new series. There are too many jokes. For every two good jokes, it feels as though there are twenty bad ones in between and hurt the two good ones. The original series worked because it played off the movie, this is nothing but a distraction from it.

One of my favorite TV shows of all time get its second wind and the breeze is good. With a new cast and Joel behind the wheel, they have sought some great material for their 14 episodes and have given the series a nice new coat of paint. It took some time to get over the new voices for the bots, I'll admit, but nothing a little more exposure won't fix.

I love their selection. Two of them I have seen on Netflix before, Starcrashers and The Loves of Hercules, and Reptilicus is in my personal collection of $1 VHS tapes. With such quality, there is a plethora of ribs to be made. There is an android Texan for God sake, we have already crossed the camp line and I'll be damned if we aren't going to see that to the end. The other movies are strong contenders as well. In Cry Wilderness an obnoxious brat of a kid befriends Bigfoot and has to save his father from... all the while everyone throws as many insults as possible at the sole native American. Wizard of the Lost Kingdom has a doughy swordsman sort of avoid using swordsmanship to protect a bratty wizard kid. Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II has a fat wizard teach a bratty kid magic while David Carradine desperately tries to avoid swordsmanship to protect them. I am beginning to sense a trend. But Yungary... has a giant monster dance with a bratty Korean kid. But they don't just pick on kids, The Time Travellers has a bratty man child, son of a...! If I were to pick a best episode, it would have to be Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II because woof. Between the teen actor getting hit with puberty hard and the cast forgetting to act, it is just non stop fodder for Jonah and the bots. Carradine's constant heroic entrances and sudden departures are especially hilarious, half the time he doesn't even do anything. Just show up, kill a couple guards, then out the window as everyone stands around and watches. The weakest movie of the season has to be Avalanche, it starts strong and ends well but for a stretch the movie just doesn't have much to ridicule. Mainly because nothing happens, the movie stalls on endless exposition that makes one wish the avalanche would come sooner. Even then, I wouldn't call it a terrible episode, the end is ripe with cheesy goodness as Rock Howard frets over his endangered mother who might be his age and Mia farrow is as wooden as ever.

The humor is pretty diverse. The sketches have that family friendly, perhaps even PC at times, quality that was very reminiscent of Joel's seasons. They try to be inoffensive and sometimes slap on the hand of the movie for being behind the times, such as shaming Rock Hudsen's character in Avalancehe for being a poor role model. The theater however feels more like Mike Nelson's run. They tear into the movie ridiculing it for all of its faults without remorse. Bad special effects, terrible costumes, the wizard kid runs like he may have some special need, nothing is safe. Even Gypsy gets into the act, though why I can't quite understand. Her appearance has more flair then the others but her jokes just don't deserve the build. She shows up, drops something off, and leaves with a somewhat disappointing quip while Tom and Crow are left with the A material.

There is one glaring flaw I have with the new season/series, and unfortunately its the mads. I like Felicia Day and I like Patton Oswalt, but Kinga Forrester and TV's Son of TV's Frank just don't seem to cut it. There is no activity with the characters, while their fathers were very active in their segments their kids are very wooden. They deliver their scenes like a stand up routine, they just stand in front of the camera and deliver their lines. The invention exchanges are especially weak, their inventions rarely if ever call for them to do anything beyond spin a wheel or talk. Their predecessors made love to the camera, I kind of wanted more from them.

Episode 2 ranks with the best of the originals

[jaywensley2004 · 10/10 · 14 April 2017]

The riffs on "Cry Wilderness", the film featured in Season 1, Ep. 2 of "MST3K: The Return" are inspired. Rich with literally hundreds of jokes, this episode relies on the audience being literate, competent critical viewers, having a passable knowledge of film-making, a deep store of pop-culture references and both focus and the ability to listen to and comprehend multiple, simultaneous conversational threads.

The film itself is a mess. A barely coherent eco-spiritual fairy tale, the crew of the SOL makes good use of the pointless nature footage (a long shot of a bear elicits this gem: "Does a bear crap in the woods? Well....keep watching."), bad film-craft ("Why is the bobcat OUT of focus while everything around it is IN focus?") and questionable dialogue (when a hunter finds a footprint of a Bigfoot, the hunter winks at the young hero of the film and says "Let's keep this a secret between you and me," a line which draws this riff from host Jonah Heston: "Okay, it is NEVER good when an adult says that to a kid."). The many non sequiturs disguised as plot-twists serve as set-ups for some brilliant gags and the crew doesn't miss any of them. By the movie's end, the audience is well aware of just how bad is the movie they have watched, and why.

"MST3K: The Return: 'Cry Wilderness'" is the equal of any of the original series' episodes I have seen. If subsequent episodes approach this level of smart and funny, the show's return will be a joyful event.

I can't resist sharing one more gag: When a tiger jumps atop a truck in which a woman and a young boy are cowering, Jonah speaks from the tiger's POV: "Meals on Wheels. My favorite."

It brings me back to my childhood.

[masterkraftster · 9/10 · 16 April 2017]

This is really good I was a big fan of the original mst3k and they have done a good job rebooting this. The movies are definitely more watchable than some of the originals. And the riffs and jokes are funny. I am thrilled Netflix decided to make this season. Some of the jokes are pretty obscure and maybe people won't get them all but honestly I really enjoyed watching this. If you like cheesy movies or are a fan of the original give this a try.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should

[wolfy_the_black · 8/10 · 28 March 2018]

Despite the review title and some of the things I'm going to get into about the new season, I am still giving it an 8 out of 10 because more than just being happy it's back, I'm happy it's on people's minds again. For close to twenty years MST3K was a niche show, a cult classic. I mention it to somebody and more often than not I just got a blank stare back at me. Now with the successful Kickstarter (of which I am a backer) you can find MST3K everywhere. It's streaming on several platforms, the DVDs got put out faster, there's real merch now, people know what I'm talking about and they want more and that can only be a good thing. That being said however, here's what I thought about the new season. Overall I liked it. Not as much as the original series but that's to be expected. It's certainly different, which doesn't mean it's bad, just different. It's like that Twilight Zone episode where the guy wakes up and everything is both the same and different at the same time.

The Good:

-The writing is top notch with the movies themselves and with most of the host segments.

-The rapport between Jonah, Hampton and Baron. The jokes flow really well between the three.

-Also really enjoyed Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt as the new Mads.

-Hampton Yount as Crow in general, he's like right smack dab in the middle between Trace and Bill as Crow as far as voice and personality are concerned.

-Being new while also calling back to the original series. For instance they brought back Pearl, Bobo and Brain Guy a few times (although what was with Bobo's mask? Did they lose the original or get that on sale?)

-The movies riffed were a great selection. Definite favorites were Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II, Yongary, Starcrash and Cry Wilderness.

The Not Exactly Good, Not Exactly Bad But I Got Used To It:

-Moving the opening to before the credits instead of after. I guess with no commercials it makes that change necessary.

-The new opening credits in general. Why does Jonah apparently have to recreate it every time? Just roll the opening, it doesn't need an explanation too.

-The new door sequence.

-Baron Vaughn needs to distinguish himself more, at least in the theater because he sounds like Jonah a lot of the time.

-Speaking of Tom, the fact that his arms are stiff now instead of loose springs.

-The increased mobility of the bots in the theater, which seemed to be done just because they could rather than have it be organic.

-The increased amount of riffs with more pop culture based jokes. You can tell how young the writers room is, which isn't good or bad, just an observation.

-The lack of Minnesota based jokes.

-Gypsy's new voice, though she didn't actually show up a whole lot outside the "payload" bits.

What I Did Not Like:

-Speaking of Gypsy, the stupid nonsensical "payload" which served no other purpose then to get Gypsy in the theater. Why when that never had to be a thing before?

-The new SOL bridge. It's just so flat with no dimension to it and I miss the hexfield viewscreen. If the movie could make the bridge bigger while still maintaining it's distinctive look, there's no reason this shouldn't.

-The extra people in Moon 13. They never needed anything more than the main Mad and one or two sidekicks, everything else just seems like superfluous nonsense that again they added just because they could instead of stopping to think if they should (which is pretty much the main criticism I have of the season as a whole).

-No shorts. Given it's on a streaming platform instead of TV I can see why there aren't any but still, I think one could have been done.

-Like others have mentioned, the shear amount of riffs they have with this basic thought of filling every non-dialog second with a joke, some of it even being blurted out before whatever it is they're riffing actually appears on screen. It just makes it painfully obvious these guys are reading a script instead of supposedly watching the movie for the first time. The show (outside of KTMA) has always been written so why is it Joel, Mike, Trace, J, Kevin and Bill were able to make the riffing sound natural and these guys can't? The answer is there's too many jokes! Not everything on screen needs a joke. The pacing got better as the season went on, but they can afford to tone it down a bit. Hopefully with season 12 on the way they'll take this criticism to heart and find their groove so that it sounds more relaxed and natural. Also it's ok to speak over dialog occasionally.

-The "meta" ness of the whole thing. For example they make blatant references to Kickstarter, that this show is streaming, that it IS a show and that they're back from a previous show, the Mads have the MST3K logo on their sleeves, etc. I haven't seen every episode of the original series, but I don't remember them being so blatant about "this is a TV show" or even mentioning the title despite half the series had them reading fan mail. It was really off-putting.

-On that note, I miss the "homemade" aspect of the original show. The biggest concern I had when the Kickstarter to revive the show was first announced and Joel said it would be filmed in Hollywood with a new cast was that it would lose it's homemade charm. One of the things I liked most about the original series was how everything was done in house. Like all the songs were written and sung by the cast, the sets and props were done by Best Brains and if any other characters showed up they were always played by somebody from the crew. Unfortunately those fears were realized between the overabundance of Paul and Storm songs and guest stars, most of which had nothing to do with whatever else was happening in the episode, the more mobile bots, which aren't even controlled by their voice actors anymore, the aforementioned new sleek bridge set, and the overly produced miniature scenes, particularly the opening in episode 1. You can plainly tell those scenes were done by a professional stop motion studio instead of a bunch of guys with spray-painted crap found around the house. Again, it felt like they only did it because they had an abundance of new resources instead of asking if it should have been done at all. Less is more in this regard, especially with this show.

-This may be just me nitpicking, but I had this sense that they were deliberately not acknowledging Mike's time on the show. Not so much Mike's time as a whole since like mentioned earlier Pearl, Bobo and Brain Guy showed up several times, but Mike himself. Like bringing back Gizmonics and the invention exchange, which was Joel's thing and having Jonah be more Joel-like in general. Like before MST3K Joel was a prop comic, that was his thing so the whole invention exchange was an extension of that. When Mike took over he started to do it but it was clear he wasn't a tinkerer like Joel so they dropped it. Why would Jonah be doing it? I don't know anything about Jonah's history before he joined the show but I know he's not a prop comic. I know there isn't the best history between Joel and Mike behind the scenes but still, with Jonah clearly doing Joel's stuff, it just felt like they wanted you to forget about whatever Mike did on the show. I'm hoping as time goes on Jonah becomes his own host with his own characteristics instead of just being a rehash of Joel.

Overall though, I did like the new season and I don't feel I wasted the money I kicked in, I mean I got a whole bunch of neat swag to go with the new episodes so it's all good on that front even without the new season itself. It had some good things, some bad things but ultimately I'm happy with it and I'm happy it's getting another season. Hopefully Joel et al read these reviews and take the criticisms to heart.

Never Seen the Original MST3K, but I Want to Watch the Original Series Already!

[Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187 · 9/10 · 27 April 2017]

MST3K has become a staple in comedy-television culture; but I only just discovered it thanks to Netflix's MST3K: The Return. I love the premise: a guy stuck in space forced to watch B-Grade movies with his robot-friends: 'Robot Roll-Call: CamBot! Gypsy! Tom-Servo! Crooooow!' I really like what I've seen of the reboot so far. It's like if there was a film-critic television show shot using the leftovers from the set of BBC's Red Dwarf. And I think that's a brilliant mix.

MST3K is a cult classic and I'm happy that I've discovered that cult-following. I can absolutely see why it's got such a devoted following. The commentary is honest, snappy, and complimentary-defamatory to the films being watched by the characters and us!

I'm going to watch the original series thanks to this surprise reboot.

Potential is there, but simple things ruin it

[dmhead777 · 6/10 · 23 April 2017]

Mst3k is one of my all time favorite shows. Joel has never been a favorite of mine, but I really do enjoy the episodes when he is a host. When Mike became host, however, I think they polished the show exactly where they wanted it. Almost every joke was on point and hilarious.

Throughout the entire run, there was almost a humble way of presenting it. They didn't need famous people or cameos at all and it seemed to do really well with the limited characters. It didn't need anything else. For a show with such a zany and not-so-serious premise, the story was great that you could follow it. If it had a cast change, they would make a comment or explain why a certain thing was a certain way. They would always acknowledge questions. The show also ended on a great note.

With the new season, it seems like it was painfully rushed and sloppy. The story is lackluster and doesn't answer a lot of questions you may have. For example, they have a lot of callbacks to previous episodes and seasons and seem to go into detail about certain things, but gloss over why the bots are back on the SOL in the first place. I know "it's just a show and I should relax", but with them including details to link the story to past seasons and then gloss over why the bots are back doesn't make too much sense.

I actually don't mind the new cast. Jonah makes a good host that reminds me of Joel and the actor for Crow plays it very well. Tom Servo's voice however is rough. It seems like he is just trying to imitate Kevin Murphy's Servo most of the time. It is obvious because he doesn't seem to have a personality so far. I don't think it was a good casting choice, but it is the very beginning of the new season. Speaking of voices, Gypsy's new voice is terrible. I don't think that because it is a woman's voice, but because it makes the character no longer that interesting. Gypsy, to me, was always great because it was obviously a man imitating a woman. With this new voice it just doesn't add anything new. Also, her dropping in the theater to make a joke is super distracting.

The new mads are decent. I like Oswalt's character, but Kinga is far too overacted. Even for this show she is over the top and doesn't strike me as genuine like the past mads. She is rarely funny and doesn't scream "evil" to me. I may just have to get used to her because I found Pearl Forrester to be perfect in every way. I absolutely loved Mary's character and her timing.

As I said before, the riffs are too quick and the jokes are lackluster at best. They almost talk over one another and don't let the jokes breathe. They cram too much. Also, all these cameos are awful. They don't add anything to the show and it is not needed. I am hoping it gets renewed for another season as I think there is a lot of potential. Hopefully Joel lets Jonah make it his show a little bit rather than a rehash of Joel jokes. Overall it is a decent watch, but I don't think it demands repeated viewings.

Happy with it.

[Whitney_T · 8/10 · 16 December 2018]

Honestly, I think this hit the mark far better than the massive wave of reboots we've seen over the last decade, more specifically, Netflix.

Of course people are going to disagree, I clearly see that from the large amount of poor reviews, but as nostalgic as this is for myself as well, I was not disappointed.

I appreciate the modern pop culture references during the movie commentary, and the banter during intermission(s) still made me laugh. Though the use of newer films that are specifically made to be low-budget and terrible, sort of takes away from the "low budget" and "special effects" jokes, I still feel they made it work in their own MST3K way.

Definitely could've done without the arm movements of Felicia Day (nit-picking), but if I'm being honest, I've only ever really cared for the trio anyway and not so much the Dr. Forrestor scenes, so it doesn't really change the format for me the same as it might others.

Overall, I feel like the show stuck to its roots and that social evolution and two decades between the series accounts for most of changes that people are disappointed in. A lot of these wrinkles will likely iron out over time but it will certainly not please everyone, especially those picking at technicalities.

I say give it a shot, I was skeptical but very pleased.

Good, But A Little Annoying

[chazzheaton · 6/10 · 19 April 2017]

I'm a fan of the original release, the cast were quick, witty and hilarious (Space Mutiny being my absolute favourite). The 2017 version has been updated, but the much loved corny effects and movies are still there with more modern references. However, I find that there seems to be *too* much going on during the movie. The cast seem to jump in with a joke just slightly before it happens and they seem to comment on everything and anything. I know that MST3K has always been scripted, but the original felt like it was just some friends watching a movie, the jokes felt (mostly) natural and spontaneous. The new one, not so much. There are whole chunks of jokes and talking at times and it's a little off putting personally. I've also noticed that the little silhouette at the bottom seems to be slightly smaller than in the original series! However, the B movies are just as terrible, the actors and robots are funny, which is all you really need for MST3K, I'm sure it'll please new and old viewers alike.

Bold move choosing not to be funny

[JonjaNet · 2/10 · 13 October 2023]

As much as I want to like MST in all its forms, this attempts to keeping the show alive are pale shades of the even the worst of the original.

The new crew come across as a group of fans who THINK they can riff like the cast of MST. (There are a ton of folks doing the same level of riffs on YouTube.) Jonas and the bots all sound to similar and each provide the same style of "jokes". They lack the personality that Joel/Mike, Trace/Bill and Kevin brought to their characters.

There are many seasons, most of them pretty damn funny, of the original show that can be endlessly watched.

Turn down the lights (where applicable) and keep circulating the tapes.

Just as good if not better than the original, if you actually give it a chance.

[mbkforever · 10/10 · 28 April 2017]

(Fan of the original - have VHS tapes - begged my local cable company as a child to add sci-do network to our lineup just so I could watch Mst3k In my home town instead of just seeing it in hotel rooms when my parents would take us on vacation. I have my Cred here - just fyi

I don't understand these 1/10, 2/10 reviews - clearly these people are Just hung up on the fact that The hosts aren't Mike/Joel and it's not the late 90s. Their review shows that they have already made up their mind - most admit they didn't even finish the first episode.

The original spirit is there - jokes are on point with modern references, production quality enhance the experience (though, is initially off putting when we are so used to lo-fi movies and VHS recordings of the show).

If you are a fan - you WILL be offput at first. I did not want to accept the new host, new mads, new robot voices, better production value, and modern references. After episode 2, I was totally onboard, and the revamped theme and new voices and cast - which I had decided I wanted to hate 15 mins into episode 1 - had me totally turned around. Watched the whole series about 3-4 times now, and am already ravenous for more episodes.

Give it a chance and you will love it like I do now. This show is basically the new spouse that your divorced parent marries and you have it set out that you're going to hate this person... until you actually sit down with them and have a great conversation and realize they be pretty darn cool, despite your preconceptions. Even if you won't quite love them the same way, you have to admit that life is better for everyone now. (With more mst3k episodes)

Far Exceeds Expectations!

[virtual-93888 · 10/10 · 16 April 2017]

I have been a die hard fan of the original series since the 90's. When I heard about the reboot I was happy to hear that creator Joel Hodgson would be involved but also very nervous that it couldn't possibly live up to my nostalgic wishes. I am happy to say I was wrong!

I have watched 6 episodes of the new season and would be hard pressed to pick a favorite but have to say they were right to start with "Reptilicus". They are all excellent. The comedic banter of the bots and the new "Joel", Jonah, is as good as ever and makes even the worst movie entertaining. One of the most remarkable things about the banter, to me, is that the new cast is all relatively young and, even though I know the writing is a group project that includes Hodgson, it frequently includes pop culture references based in the 60's and 70's. The young cast deliver these references with an insider's confidence that doesn't miss a beat. Very clever!

The reboot of Mystery Science Theater 3000 has pulled off a very difficult task and they have done it well. Making a cherished memory relevant again and still maintaining the familiar vibe. I'll be watching and re-watching this season for a very long time!

The same spirit and obvious love and respect!

[gyeazle · 10/10 · 24 April 2017]

I had to write my first review on here to let anyone out there who was a fan of the original MST3K that they have little to worry about. The return was actually a little more than I was expecting! The jokes a bit more quick fire than before, which with today's attention span helps with those who thought the original was too slow. Now, I'm obviously biased with this one seeing as how I'm from Minnesota and grew up watching the show since it was a small local network show when I was like 8 up to it's end the year I graduated high school. To my amazement, I cried shortly after I started the first episode and had to pause it until I could return to a less emotional state of happiness before continuing.

I also strongly believe that this show is very important in these times we're currently living in too. (It's 2017 and if you're reading this in the future, I hope hope hope things got better because everything seems to be going wrong right now) and this show is one of the few heart filled good times for the whole family where you can sit back and enjoy some time in front of the TV with some family, friends or just Jonah, Tom Servo, Crow, Cambot, Gypsy and the Mads. And it's super easy to go back to the originals anytime if you wish, just look for it and you shall find. Keep circulating the tapes to those who know what that mean! :)

Not the show it used to be but the two are separate and I like this one too

[ragpap93 · 8/10 · 9 May 2017]

The movies are bad so what is the matter when the guys do the riffing over the dialogue. It happens sometimes even in the other MST3K. The new guys are just finding their groove. At first it felt like the jokes were crowded but then I remembered the pause button and the rewind button. The content is fresh and relatable. With references ranging from breaking bad to selfies. Things settle down though and the talking over the dialogue reduced so that was a hopeful sign. One must remember that the silliness in a scene is what helps the guys in doing some of their best work so it is unreasonable to expect for the jokes to even out. The energy and enthusiasm is showing. There are some good quotes here too. I hope people give it a chance because it is not about perfection here but rather the joking about imperfection. My difference in opinion is probably because I did not grow up watching it on the Sci-fi channel but YouTube and now Netflix instead. It is expanding its audience people and it is a good thing so maybe I can talk about it with friends finally. The cry wilderness movie in the second episode is the one to watch for. The movie choice matters I guess. So I like it after the second episode so hopefully they can work on some of the chinks but not a problem. and finally what I don't understand is when people complain that the show is too funny now. I don't know what to say to that.

More please!

[rboyerk · 10/10 · 9 July 2017]

As a long time MST fan, I was both excited and a bit apprehensive about a reboot of the show. And upon first watch, it was a kinda "weird"... voices and things being different and all... but those feelings quickly disappeared, and I have completely fallen in love with this show! The original show had its great episodes as well as the mediocre ones (many mediocre ones, if we're honest), but with the new show I feel like its got its great episodes as well as ones that aren't quite as mediocre as some of the original ones were. And the couple really great ones... easily on par with the best of the original (e.g. Prince of Space, Puma Man, etc).

Some other reviewer have said that there's too much talking, too many zingers, like they packed too much in... but I didn't get that at all. I thought the pace, content, zingers etc. were balanced really well throughout all the episodes. The fast-ish pace worked really well for me, and kept me consistently entertained with very few boring lull moments.

In short, this show is a blast, there are no episodes I find myself skipping whenever doing a re-watch, and it has exceeded my expectations by a long way. I REALLY hope this is the beginning of many more seasons to come!

"Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return"- A laugh-out-loud and extremely well-constructed revival of the iconic and quintessential cult series of the 80's and 90's.

[TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness · 9/10 · 28 April 2017]

Honestly, the most disheartening thing about "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return"- the long-awaited revival of what might be the greatest cult-series of all time, is that the floodgate has opened for comparison. It's almost impossible not to think about the old seasons while you watch it. And because that original run throughout the 80's and 90's is so beloved... there's going to be a lot of people who can't (or won't) give the new episodes the credit they deserve, just because well... they're new. I can definitely see some of the hardcore fans feeling uncomfortable with it and nit-picking it to death.

Which is really a shame, because if you can get over the minor flaws that pop up now and then, it's just about as perfect a continuation as is possible. It has that same delightfully kitschy homemade quality. The same delightful sense of self-awareness. And the same brilliantly hilarious and hilariously brilliant "riffing" that made the original such a classic. Sure, there's some hiccups here and there, but for the most part "The Return" is absolutely fantastic and captures the spirit of the original.

It's been almost 20 years since the Satellite of Love last drifted the far reaches of space, and in the meantime a new villain has risen- Kinga Forrester (Felicia Day), who has decided to resume the experiment known as "Mystery Science Theater 3000" along with the help of hapless sidekick Max (Patton Oswalt), also known as "TV's Son of TV's Frank." Together, they kidnap Gizmonic Institute pilot Jonah Heston (Jonah Ray) and trap him along with the classic gang of "robot friends" (including of course Tom Servo, Gypsy and Crow) on a new S.o.L. on the Dark Side of the Moon, where they will be forced to watch a slew of terrible movies... all the while joking and riffing along with them to pass the time.

In a lot of ways, it's almost as if the series never really left. After a short prologue sequence in the "pilot" that sets up the new story and characters, the show gets right back to what the original did so best- showcasing some of the best of the worst bad B-movies of yesteryear, while poking fun at them through clever jokes and riffs. Mixed in are short skits (including a number of infectiously charming musical sequences) where Jonah, Day, Oswalt and the 'bots have some on- screen fun, along with amusing new "commercial bumpers" for the non- existent commercials.

Series creator and original host Joel Hodgson returns as a producer, and in many ways, this series seems to capture the same sort-of laid back and quirky tone of his original run on the series before his departure. From the inclusion of the "invention exchange" to the fact that much like Joel, our new host Jonah seems to take everything in stride, it feels like a slightly beefed up and somewhat higher- budget rendition of early MST... which I personally love as a fan of those first few seasons. They also cleverly maintain the same no-budget homemade "look" of the original without pushing it too far or holding back too much. It's a fine balance that Hodgson and the rest of the creative team have, but they always walk the line perfectly.

The new cast is just splendid and really get "into" the vibe and spirit of the series. I quite love Jonah Ray as the new host, and in a lot of ways he captures the best of both the Joel and Mike Nelson "eras" of the original series. He has Joel's casual attitude, with a touch of Mike's higher energy and broader humor. He's just great, and it's clear from the very first scene that Ray's loving his job. His wide-eyed excitement is all too often infectious, and he's just a joy. Day and Oswalt are both a blast and a half as the new "Mads" (respectively the offspring of Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank) and have great chemistry together... in addition to a lot of nerd-cred that I enjoyed. And even though they are controversial... I love the new voices for the robot friends. Story goes they decided to recast with new voice-over artists that Jonah had worked with in the past to aid in their chemistry, and I think it works very well. Baron Vaughn and Hampton Yount both capture the essence of Servo and Crow to perfection, and even though it's jarring to hear an actual woman's voice coming from Gypsy, Rebecca Hanson does well with the role.

Really, the only complaints I have are so minor that they're almost completely negligible in the grander scheme of things. And it mainly pertains to the fact that the show takes a few episodes to reach its stride. The first three or so episodes do have the occasional odd skit that falls flat, or moments where the riffing is overdone to the point of feeling inorganic. And some of the recurring gags can wear a little thin. (They really love their jokes about Fudgy the Whale in the first two episodes...) But those are only small moments in otherwise very entertaining episodes. And they can't pull the series down that much for me.

I understand that some people aren't going to like Jonah. I understand that some people won't be able to get over the new voices for the 'bots. And I understand that some people will just not particularly like the humor as much as they once did. But to me? This feels like classic "MST3K." And I love it. It's just about perfect, and I hope that this signals the start of a new run, and that we'll be seeing the Satellite of Love for years to come. I've missed you, "MST3K." And I'm beyond thrilled that you're finally back!

A fantastic 9 out of 10.

A strong and faithful reboot, but not all is lovely in the Satellite of Love.

[yamatoblaze · 7/10 · 14 April 2017]

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return joins an elite number of reboots that are actually worth watching. The movies are just as corny as ever (I suppose there's no shortage of awful B-Movies out there), and the jokes continue to hit the mark far more than they miss. By and large the casting choices are fantastic.

There have been a few choices made that seem like missteps, however.

The first is that the comedians in the writers room might, ironically, be TOO funny. So eager are they and the cast to fit in every zinger that Jonah and the Robots never seem to stop to breath and as a consequence, the audience barely has a moment to register and appreciate the joke before the next one is already being fired at them. Another consequence of this machine gun approach is that it completely undoes any illusion of spontaneity. While MST3K has been scripted for quite some time, it is very apparent in this reboot. Routinely, one of the gang will start their joke before the movie catches up to the moment the joke references. Naturally this apparent divinatory ability on the part of Jonah and the robots belies the conceit that they are watching the movie for the first time.

A little more ruthless cutting of material may improve the pacing, if we see a season 2.

The second is the decision to include Gypsy in on the fun during the movie - but only for brief moments. She'll descend from the ceiling, make a single joke, and then disappear again for the rest of the episode. It's just a little odd, and quite distracting. I would much rather, if the crew wanted a female voice in with the gang, that Gypsy simply be there the whole time. Maybe that's the ultimate goal, and these brief drop-ins are some sort of trial run?

Unfortunately, Tom Servo disappoints. There is nothing wrong with Baron Vaughn at all, but his voice isn't perfect for the part. The problem is that while Hampton Yount sounds passably like the Crow of the past, Vaughn's take on Servo sounds nearly identical to Crow too. Without subtitles on, I could only occasionally tell which of the two jokers was cracking wise at any particular time. Another odd choice with Tom is an upgrade that lets him fly, which two episodes in has been used a handful of times to have his silhouette float upwards across the screen towards the subject of his joke. These have all fallen flat so far.

Beyond these quibbles, the new reboot is a hilarious show and a respectful, authentic-feeling successor to the legacy it continues.

Definitely a good start -- needs some refining.

[eva-varnju · 8/10 · 24 April 2017]

Expectations for MST3K's return were definitely high, and while I am pleasantly surprised, there is room to grow. The sets are fun, the casting good, but the chemistry simply hasn't had time to grow yet.

Strengths: Solid joke writing, and some amusing guest appearances for the host segments (I particularly enjoyed Mark Hamill as a carnival barker). Plus, the cast really has a lot of potential.

Weaknesses: Pacing! The riffers tend to race through their lines and it is painfully obvious at times that it is scripted. The old MST was scripted as well, but there was natural flow to it that made it feel like the bots and host were providing spontaneous commentary. While a lot of the jokes are really funny, the rushed delivery of almost every line can really detract from it. I am hopeful, however, that as the performers get more comfortable with their characters and what they're doing, things will improve. We saw a similar growth curve with the original MST, too.

All-in-all it's definitely worth watching and quite funny. I'm also appreciative of the fact that the season is light on the SUPER BORING old black and white sci-fi movies (more like walk-a-thons!). There's plenty of cheesy fantasy crap and monster movies that are genuinely fun to watch and ripe for riffing.

Decent Start, Needs to Grow

[doc_phantoms · 7/10 · 21 April 2017]

One of the problems with reviving a cultural monolith like MST3K, is that it needs to be done perfectly or it will be deemed a dismal failure.

This reboot does a pretty decent job in updating many aspects of the show to 2017. The DIY aesthetic is still there and exploited pretty well. The cast is very solid. The change to Gypsy was a long time coming and well-executed.

The films that have been chosen are not particularly stand-out awful, but definitely fodder for riffing.

The main issues I have with the rebooted series can be ascribed to growing-pains as the cast and crew (re)acquaint themselves and fall into a groove. Although fondly remembered, the first two seasons or so of MST3K are far from stellar for similar reasons: the chemistry needs time to brew, everyone needs to get the feel of the format, and they need to find their strengths and exploit them.

The Host Segments are somewhat weak. While they have always been hit or miss, in this series they are rather disposable. This might be remedied once the crew decides on the relationship between Jonah and the Bots. Joel was "the Father" and Mike was the "Brother." Jonah is kind of awkwardly tossed into there and they simply abide.

The Riffing is pretty good but way too fast-paced. While it is naturally scripted (for maximum effect) it is way too jam-packed and the Riffers stumble over themselves trying to get as many in per film. It really weakens the impact of jokes and kills off the all-so-sweet illusion that they're organic. Some of their strongest riffs were the prolonged gags that they gave more than a second's notice to. As a consequence of this rapid-fire pace, they really miss opportunities to focus on exploitable moments or they create awkward transitions that really do not sell what could have been apexes of the episode.

As I said, the quality is there: they just need to see it and grow into it. So time will tell if they do so. Their pacing of riffs is perhaps their key area that needs improvement.

That said, for a reboot: they have updated the series and format well and just need to fine-tune it and surpass the growing pains.

Disappointed with it.....

[vonnoosh · 3/10 · 20 April 2017]

I have to agree with the criticisms of this reboot of what was and is one of my all time favorite TV shows.

Everyone is drawn to different aspects of MST3K they prefer the most. For me, it was the movie and the riffing. That's why it survived through cast changes and even a different network during its original run. ALso, the movie itself is the show. The characters and the reason for the riffing are the excuses for what the show is and I brushed it off when I was a kid and still do. If Cinematic Titanic or Rifftrax can do movie riffing without an elaborate plot outlining a reason for the riffing, then that's fine with me but it wouldn't be fine for people drawn to characters and prefer the host segments.

It's the riffing and the attempts to update the format that bothers me. The series is over written. There's too many jokes. It's hard to follow the lousy movie and I kind of need to do that in order to appreciate the humor more. If they cut the jokes down and made what was happening in the theater during the movies less distracting then the show would be better for me. Some will complain about the jokes themselves but that's always been something irrelevant to me with this show because not every joke works for everyone and it doesn't try to do that. But having seemingly constant riffing and all the added things going on in the theater don't add to the enjoyment. As it is from what I've seen, it's something that needs a lot of work. The original series wasn't perfect and this reboot doesn't need to be. The show had improvised riffing when it was local and was underwritten in the first season because they didn't have as big a staff of writers, the riffing off the script didn't always co-relate to the action in the movie. Sometimes the joke came before the action that was suppose to prompt it. The illusion of spontaneity was lost. Over time, they improved on all of that. I hope this reboot improves, otherwise, it's almost as annoying (but not as depressing) as watching Starcrash without riffing.

Bringing the same robots back is a mistake too in my view. There's literally 185 examples of Kevin Murphy recreating the character of Tom Servo after Josh Weinstein did it for 36 episodes. Trace Beaulieu made Crow's character in 150 episodes, Bill Corbett made it his for 46 episodes. Will the reboot last long enough for Vaughn and Yount to make their marks on Tom Servo and Crow? We are talking about over 40 episodes at a minimum to accomplish that and these episodes would have to be as popular as Manos the Hands of Fate, The Final Sacrifice etc.

It's not like fans of the reboot aren't intimate with these characters as they always were either. It's made even worse that all but 4 of the original series can be seen over and over and over again by fans and they have been to the point where you see a countless number of memes of the jokes used. The re-creators of the show seemed to have forgotten that this show is not a relic of the past in the minds of their audience, the popularity of the DVD releases prove that.

Why not have new robots? Why must Hampton Yount and Baron Vaughn be stuck feeling as though they have to honor the history of this puppet show? New robots in the same setting would have made them, their robots and the personality born from them would be theirs. Talk about screwing up a puppet show.

Literally any premise could work in this because it's the movie that's the show. Using the same premise over again even works but trying to make it so close to the original in other ways is setting it up for failure. Disappointed.

The perfect reboot with extra cheese.

[kristopherkolasinski · 10/10 · 23 April 2017]

It's a loner nerds paradise. A wonderful blend of insanity and mockery. The show is a great mix of old and the right amount of new.

Cheesy jokes, casual banter between friends and poking fun at the hard work of others. It's not just about the bad movies; it's about the fun times that you can have with a few robot friends while being trapped on a floating rock. There's a little for everyone, but enough for no one. It feels like the show never left. The whole cast shines if you're willing to look. Not one episode stands out as the best on its own, but the season together captures the glory days and leaves you wanting more.

Not only is it about the movies and friends, but it has a mini episode of sketches and story to aid the main content. Patton Oswalt, Felicia Day and Jonah Ray nail the parts and make the whole experience legendary. There are tons of throwbacks to the originals and a lot of cameo's to go along with the variety of movies.

You'd be cheating yourself by not watching at least a few episodes.

If you don't like it, that's on me. However, give it a chance and let it sink in.

You can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking your head up a bull's ass, but you'd better take a butcher's word for it.

10/10. I'm glad it's back and hope there's more to come.

So Glad it is Back!

[GunnersMate · 8/10 · 18 February 2018]

I grew up on the original series and was so very excited to see that Netflix was giving this "continuation" series a chance - and I am happy to report that it is perfectly popcorn and binge worthy.

As expected, the original movies are pretty much stinkers, but the new (and some returning) cast and writers definitely deliver the deliciously cheesy and silly jokes and commentary with both respect for the original series canon and a fresh intellect.

The new set of Moon 13 is a nice balance of modern and purposefully cheap looking, the jokes are aimed at adults but still ok to share with your older kids, and the first Netflix season has its own story arc that ties everything together entertainly (and without feeling like a forced soap-opera plot). The new series still includes a number of ridiculously catchy original songs which are delivered with a wink and smart grin - you will find yourself singing them to yourself after the movies end.

Once thing that has always been terrific about MST3K is that if one joke doesn't land for you, another one is already being launched. Same goes for the movie selections - family films, old B-movies, fantasy, space, monsters, foreign films, etc. There is plenty from which to choose and enjoy.