MODOK Review: Marvel’s Dry Take On Dark Humor

Marvel’s MODOK released last week, and it’s got some mixed reactions from the public. Some hailed it as Marvel’s brilliant take on dry and dark humor around supervillains, while others just found it dull and underwhelming. So I decided to see what the fuss was all about!

1. Quick Review

MODOK might seem like a half-baked attempt at off-beat dark humor. Though the premise of an intelligent supervillain who is trying to rule the world loses his company sounds fantastic on paper, the execution lacks the edge. It’s almost as if the show is stuck somewhere in between The Boys and the Avengers franchise.

2. Is It Worth Watching?

Honestly, it’s okay! If you’re bored on the weekend and are looking for something that’s not too heavy on the mind or the emotions, it’s a decent watch. So yes! It is worth watching on those occasions.

Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. - Trailer (Official) | Hulu

3. Plot

MODOK, aka Mental Organism Designed Only For Killing, is a genius scientist who wants to dominate the world. But he’s lost his company to a tech giant called GRUMBL and just might be losing his family too.

And oh, did I mention that this genius scientist has also experimented on himself to an extent where he now has a huge head and a small body. I’m sure there’s a metaphor there somewhere, but it doesn’t really come through.

And that’s how the series begins. It explores the dilemma of MODOK, where he has to choose between having a family and becoming the world’s biggest villain. I’m not going to lie, but this does warm my heart a bit.

I. Cast And Characters

The characters have been voiced by some well-known faces in the comedy genre. Patton Oswalt, who has co-written the show voices MODOK, Melissa Fumero of the B-Noine Noine fame plays the daughter. Besides these, we also see Jon Hamm (from Mad Men) as Iron Man and Bill Hader as Samuel Sterns.

Patton Oswalt as an actor is much stronger than him as a writer on this show. He does make the character what it is, and it would’ve been insane if the character was a bit edgier.

4. Final Thoughts And Grade

The show seems uncertain about the kind of sentiment it wants to deliver. It tries to keep it warm yet dark, the humor is somewhere between sassy and dry, and overall it becomes a mixture of all this which would leave the audience a bit confused in terms of how to feel.

The plotline’s premise is quite interesting, and the way the various plot threads of GRUMBL, his family, and world domination come together is a good watch. It won’t leave you bored, but it won’t leave the kind of impact it intended to.

But having said all that, maybe we’ll see a season 2 with sharper writing and characters that we will feel invested in. Well, here’s hoping for a better season 2 (if there’s one!)

5. About M.O.D.O.K

M.O.D.O.K. is an upcoming American stop-motion adult animated series created by Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt for Hulu. It is based on Marvel Comics character of the same name.

The show also stars creator Patton Oswalkt as the titular character and is joined by cast members Aimee Garcia, Ben Schwartz, Melissa Fumero, and Beck Bennett. Guest stars include Jon Hamm, Nathan Fillion, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bill Hader.

M.O.D.O.K has long pursued his dreams of one day conquering the world. Although, after years of failures and defeats from Earth’s mightiest heroes, he loses control of his evil organization A.I.M. The story follows M.O.D.O.K trying to get his organization back while dealing with a personal crisis at home.