The Escapade of Rogue Gunther

The poster

**The Escapade of Rogue Gunther** is a 2022 CGI-animated comedy-adventure Netflix and direct-to-video film by 1001 Spears, based on the concepts of the Venture video game.

The film stars Hyuk, Sadie Sink, Quentin Tarantino, Andy Samburg, Matt Smith, Rainn Wilson, Clémence Poésy, Kevin Sussman, Jimmy Shergill, and Charlie Carver. While the film received overwhelmingly positive reviews for its action, humor, animation, and writing, the consumerist elements were criticized.

## Synopsis

Meet Rogue Gunther, the greatest builder and traveler in the Venturian galaxy as he heads off on his deadliest trip yet. Join Rogue's squad of builders as their mission leads them from Venture City to Strangford Detention Center to the Gothic planet of Medahiri where they must help the well-earned heir to King Berge’s throne find the bravery to retake the land from the dark god Bullock the Baleful.

Their gifts in construction will be put to the test as they face off against Bullock's skeleton warriors. Get ready for an action-filled adventure like nothing you have ever seen before, The Escapade of Rogue Gunther!

## Plot

The movie starts with Rogue Gunther, the most famed explorer in Venture City, mining underground and recovering a power crystal from a cavern; he finds a field of crystals and chooses the largest power crystal in the cavity after throwing away his initial choice. After removing the crystal, Rogue awakens the tangerine-colored Achroite Archon and is pursued through the tunnel as the monster tries to kill him and the Achroite Archon blocks the only exit with a pile of boulders as Gunther tries to flee. Rogue battles the Archoite Archon using the Mine Mechanoid at an underground castle, but is thrown out of the suit; Gunther, fearing that this will be his final moment, is relieved upon finding a mound of rubble. Rogue builds a catapult as the Achroite Archon crushes the mech, only to realize that Rogue has ejected and continues to pursue him, causing a tower to collapse, trapping him. Rogue finishes the catapult and launches himself at the boulder pile, knocking through them; as he starts to flee, the crystal shatters into a newborn Stone Troll. Rogue gives the baby a pacifier and constructs a stroller for it, before returning the infant to the Achroite Archon and asking for forgiveness. The Achroite Archon is initially reluctant but decides to give him a Magmamith energy crystal for his trouble, which Rogue thanks him for.

Immediately after leaving the cave, Rogue drives his Hasten Cage car back to the 1001 Spears skyscraper in Venture City; on the way there, citizens express how much they love Gunther and praise him when he demolishes a construction site while driving to the fortress. When Rogue arrives he is introduced to a trio of new teammates, fireman Bhatt Masterson, environmental scientist Margaret Swamp, and car designer Para Wood, by his boss John Venturia, who will aid him in his next mission, investigating a recent jailbreak at the Starcop penitentiary planet XXX69. The team is introduced to Monicas Hugh, who swears to Rogue Gunther that she is his most devout worshipper and shows them the space shuttle she designed for them; Hugh shows them the mini of it ("The rotor is battery-operated!") upon which Bhatt questions how they would fit inside of it, leading Monicas to show them the real version.

Flying off of Earth, the team travels to the penitentiary planet in Xeno War spacesuits, upon which Para requests that he should protect the space shuttle, but Rogue denies him of this privilege. The ingress is locked so Rogue builds a huge key to open it, leading to Bhatt's declaration that breaking into a penitentiary is idiotic and he questions if they'll still get arrested for it, forgetting that they were legally assigned to the task. While analyzing the fortress, Bhatt farts before Rogue tells him to serve as a lookout for the rear of their group, but the squad continues to show their disfunction as Rogue claims he is a one-man army. After finding someone trapped in one of the jail cells, they are attacked by of the inmates, the dark god Bullock the Baleful, who assaults them with his dark magic and vanishes with the other criminals. Rogue and his allies free the Starcop Watch Commander who sent John the distorted distress call early on and reassures them that he sabotaged the ignition of all of the shuttles to prevent escapees from fleeing the planet. Unfortunately, the trio steal the squad's shuttle and use the guns on it to demolish the other shuttles, stranding them on XXX69.

After the group displays their incompatibility yet again, failing at building a new shuttle, Rogue constructs the shuttle for the squad on his own, claiming that internal conflict during vital objectives is why he only works as a one-man army. The four of them leave XXX69 and Rogue claims responsibility for the team's failure during a video teleconference on the flight back to Earth, claiming that he was diverted by the emblem on the Watch Commander's penitentiary pod, belonging to Phi, one of the two prisoners freed in the dark god's jailbreak. Venturia tells the squad that the dark god is Bullock the Baleful, universally despised for terrorizing the middle-ages exoplanet of Medahiri, the setting of Dungeons & Dragons: The Lost Mines of Mirefield; the leader of the exoplanet, the dead King Berge, killed himself to ensure his kingdom's security and incarcerate Bullock. The king left his son Prince Berge with his strong gold gladius to lead the kingdom, despite Prince Berge's impotence in combat, explaining to them that Bullock has developed a scheme to bring all the forces of malice together and rob the sword. Venturia orders Rogue and the team to fly there to abduct Bullock.

Bhatt tries to parallel park the ship, he knocks over the Twain Towers in the process, which deeply upsets Para; the team take refuge in an ancient, abandoned gold mine filled with resources but witness a group of weaponized zombies marching through the woods, learning that Bullock has gotten a stranglehold on Medahiri around his castle with a joint zombie and gremlin military acting on his orders. Rogue looks for Prince Berge while the rest try to construct a combat-oriented bullock wagon as Rogue leaves to find Prince Berge and convince him to battle against Bullock. Bullock tells Pumon and Shigrim the Zombie Warriors to hunt down Rogue at his castle after learning of the squad's occupation, claiming he will lead them to Prince Berge and thus the gold gladius, completing his colonization of Medahiri.

Rogue finds Bogarth the Monster, who challenges him to three tasks after refusing to let him cross a bridge ladder; after Rogue solves all of his enigmas, Pumon and Shigrim track down Gunther after previously failing to trap him, demanding Bogarth to surrender him. Bogarth tries to kill the zombies with a Jedi Mind Trick but fails, prompting an irritated Bogarth to devour Rogue, bludgeon the two zombies with his club, and escapes to a hidden doorway painted like the woodland, before defecating Rogue out on the other side of the wall. Bogarth shows Rogue the way to Prince Berge's base, informing him of the history of his father and the gold gladius; Bogarth also tells Rogue that he is the only monster on Berge's squad and was assigned to defend Berge. Back at the camp, Para reveals that he is in love with Margaret, who rejects him and leaves to find a beast that made enigmatic tracks, upon which Margaret finds a wyrm and gets burnt by its vomit; however, she befriends the dragon soon after. As Bhatt and Para work on the cart, Rogue locates Prince Berge, who fails at a joust and is absolutely livid at him. Rogue proposes that he allies with Berge to kill the dark god's forces, but Prince Berge condemns any possibility of aid, confessing that neither of them combined would ever be able to stop Bullock. Furious, Rogue goes back to his squad at the camp and meets Opai the Dwarf, who assumes that they are his adversaries at first but is sedated once Margaret tells him that they travelled to Medahiri in order to kill Bullock.

The team finishes work on the chariot and almost assault Bullock's base before Prince Berge and Bogarth return, the former that he has reconsidered his decision and will aid them in their war on Bullock, alongside his military. Rogue and Prince Berge sneak into the redoubt while Margaret wears the prince's crown and leads the crusaders against a militia of zombie warriors, causing a sizable massacre; meanwhile, Rogue and Berge kill a magic, animated suit of armor, but Bullock abducts them and shackles the duo upside-down in a hanging cage made of zombie parts above a tarn of molten rock. The dragoons retreat after losing half of their numbers, in part because of Bullock casting a spell that destroys their weapons, Margaret, Para, and Bhatt crash the cart in a river and end up wounded, upon which they violently argue, and Bullock forces Bogarth to give him the gold gladius of King Berge, which Prince Berge brought to the Zombie Barbican. Bullock threatens that if Bogarth refuses to give him the sword, he will torture Prince Berge and Rogue to death; Bullock assumes he was duped when Bogarth gives him a vacant trunk and lobs him at a wall with a blast of dark magic, restraining him to it. Rogue and the prince, initially in despair, realize that their reflections are cast into the clouds and send their squad a message using zombie remains: Venture, which is defined by them as "Take a risk," and Margaret makes out with Para to motivate him, before rebuilding the destroyed ox cart into an Offroad Jeep. As the team reunites with the crusaders and attacks the zombie militia, Margaret flies her wyrm in and orders it smash the cage, freeing Rogue and Prince Berge, the latter taking back his gold gladius; meanwhile, Bhatt flies on top of the castle with a rocket belt to kill Bullock's zombie security guards, Shigrim and Pumon. Para aids Bhatt by tossing a leftover cog at the two zombies, leaving them wholly dismembered. As another bloodbath ensues, Berge tells Rogue that he does not need to find his father, since Stone Gunther will always stays with him in his heart. Returning the favor, Rogue uses all of his effort to convince Berge to finally face his phobia of Bullock to ensure his kingdom's security; immediately after this speech, however, Bullock tries to gaslight Rogue into giving the gladius to him by making a blood oath to lead him to Stone, but Rogue refuses, claiming that "I never lost dad!" and shattering the orb used to convey this vision.

Berge and Rogue fight Bullock, only for the latter to get defeated, leaving him to watch Berge use the gold gladius to battle Bullock, who taunts Berge for keeping his title as Prince of Medahiri as he uses his staff to attack Berge. However, Berge assimilates enough might from Bullock's staff into his blade, allowing the gladius to unleash its true strength, much to Bullock's shock; taking the opportunity, Berge uses the blade to trap Bullock with a fluorescent chain after cutting his hat in half, declaring Bullock under arrest and himself the new King of Medahiri. Following Bullock's defeat, Bogarth is freed from his shackles and the zombie military dies by disintegrating into ashes, leaving Rogue's squad and the crusaders to celebrate their victory as Berge is officially crowned the new King and when Rogue and his squad bring Bullock back to Venture City, Berge applaudes him for being loyal and his ally. The group return to Venture City, allowing Starcop to send the incarcerated Bullock back to the penitentiary planet; congratulating the team for their efforts, Venturia informs them that Phi is still on the loose. Encouraged by their new belief in cooperation, the squad head onward to their next assignment; hunting down and abducting Phi, who hides on the other side of the universe.

## Confirmed Information

* The film will star Rogue Gunther as the main character.
* All the characters will be professionally voiced.
* The film is set in the same universe as Venture City Incognito.
* It will be released on February 23nd, 2022.
* This film will incorporate characteristics of certain 1001 Spears franchises, bending them all into the story. It should be noted that no 1001 Spears properties involved with rival companies of Sony will appear, thus Vepturegeng, Morphers, Manifest Extraterrestrial, and Entrance Comics are not involved. This is not only due to Sony's rivalry with the companies that own them, but also the fact that Brendan wants to promote his other franchises.
* It has been confirmed that elements from Venturian Battle, Venture City Incognito, Pirate Adventure, Galaxy Adventure, Universe Unit, Starcop, Rhett Druidus and the Divine Treasure, and Dungeons & Dragons: The Lost Mines of Mirefield will appear.

### Trailers

A trailer for the film was shown before Upland: Ogres. The trailer begins with the Sony Pictures Animation logo, then the 1001 Spears logo, panning out to show it as the license plate of a speeding turbo car. It then shows Rogue Gunther, along with his team, going on many adventures to save the world. At the end of the trailer, Rogue duels a molten Quartz Leader from Future Mining, this is probably the rumored Magma Monarch.

Images of the film were featured in the January 2022 Triggerzine, featuring shots of Rogue wielding a broadsword, Rogue's squad as astronauts boarding the Universal Enforcer from Universe Unit to go Xeno, a knight fighting a cultist, and two zombie warriors.

## Cast

* Hyuk as Rogue Gunther, the main protagonist, and hero of Venture City.
* Sadie Sink as Margaret Swamp, the environmental scientist and domineering woman of the Builders Club.
* Quentin Tarantino as John Venturia
* Andy Samburg as Bhatt Masterson, the bodybuilder of the Builders Club and a firefighter.
* Matt Smith as Para Wood, a genius car designer and tech expert of the Builders Club, he is rather skittish.
* Rainn Wilson as Bullock the Baleful, the dark god of Medahiri and the main villain of the film.
* Clémence Poésy as Monicas Hugh, the scientist of the Builders Club, she favors Rogue and is gawky. She created the Starcop Imposer and is Margaret's ex.
* Kevin Sussman as Commander Brendon Sabine
* Jimmy Shergill as Stone Gunther
* Charlie Carver as Pumon the Zombie Warrior, a languorous trooper in Bullock's army, he loves to mess around.
* Devon Bostick as Shigrim the Zombie Warrior, a lethargic troop in Bullock's army, he also loves to mess around.
* Gerardo Reyero as Hogarth as the Gnoll
* Caleb McLaughlin as Prince Berge

## Parents Guide

### **Sex & Nudity**

Mild

* The main woman in the cast, Margaret Swamp, wears a uniform that reveals deep cleavage.
* Margaret makes out with fellow team member Para Camran to get what she wants.
* It seems as though scientist character Monicas Hugh is attracted to Rogue Gunther and she calls him "[her] god."

### **Violence & Gore**

Moderate

* Blades, guns, and axes are used but almost never result in any bloodshed.
* Some horror scenes including a stone troll and a gigantic army of zombie warriors.
* The character Bhatt loves to smash every object and kill every enemy he finds, being the weapons expert of the team.
* Zombies are killed by decapitation, dismemberment, and mutilation, including unarmed and retreating ones, which results in sprays of green slime.
* Animated suits of armor try to kill Rogue and Berge with swords, one of the armors is vertically bissected which causes purple blood to come out.
* Para is stabbed through the chest near the end of the movie and bleeds copiously although he is eventually healed.

### **Profanity**

Mild

* 1 use of "dick" when a zombie says "This is dick."
* When Hogarth the Gnoll tries to fool the asinine zombies and fails, he says "Shit! I should've known that wouldn't work."

### **Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking**

Moderate

* Drug use and countless instances of alcohol references and use.

### **Frightening & Intense Scenes**

Moderate

* The space jail is dark and scary, with the scene having jump-scares.
* Compared to the rest of the film, the scene of the rising troop of zombies is surprisingly terrifying, even more so because two of the zombies are major comic relief characters.
* There are countless other terrifying characters, but it turns out that some of them are peaceful. None of them are overly horrifying given that this is a family-friendly film.
* Some of the zombies are murdered by getting cut up with green blood.
* The protagonist has a very dark and disturbing backstory, having witnessed his father's killing. However, Rogue's story and arc are often more touching than depressing.

## Classification

* Australia: M
* Brazil: 10
* Denmark: 11
* Netherlands: 12
* Norway: 9
* Portugal: M/12
* Singapore: PG13
* South Korea: 12
* United Kingdom: PG
* United States: Not Rated (Video release)
* United States: TV-14 V (Netflix and television releases)

While not officially rated by the MPAA, the American Blu-Ray release shows a "9+" age rating on the cover and it'd be rated PG-13.

## BBFC

### Case Study

The BBFC gave *The Escapade of Rogue Gunther* a PG rating with the BBFC Insight 'violence, threat, and language'. According to BBFC Guidelines, moderate violence may be acceptable at PG without detail, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy).

*The Escapade of Rogue Gunther* features pervasive frenetic scenes of violence and action where the main cast face explosive gunfights and high-speed pursuits with aliens and zombies. However, these flashy animated scenes of violence are fantastical and packed with humorous scenes, keeping the tone fairly soft and goofy. There is rare use of realistic weapons aside from historical ones like axes and flails, with blood, pain and injury detail staying infrequent. Punches and kicks look comic due to the animation style, although we see many of the blows connect. Additionally, the madcap action violence is offset by the film's bittersweet aesop and reassuring "tears of joy" ending.

In what's likely the strongest scene of violence and bloody detail, Rogue's ally, Para, is impaled through the gut by a weapon before it is removed, but Para doesn't show much reaction aside from the occasional scream of pain, continuing to converse with his team despite copiously bleeding. Para's injury is magically healed soon after his stabbing, which is part of why the BBFC Compliance Officers who viewed the film felt that the impaling scene was mitigated from what would justify a 12, along with the comedic elements. Moreover, it was agreed that older children in the audience could be familiar with the sight of animated characters being stabbed without lasting injury, and would therefore not be horrified by the image of blood from a character's puncture wound.

As well as violence, it was noted that *The Escapade of Rogue Gunther* has some bad language, including 'ass', 'bitch', 'damn' and 'hell,' as well as one use each of 'shit' and 'dick.'

*The Escapade of Rogue Gunther* was released on Netflix on February 22 and the BBFC received few complaints about the rating. You can read the detailed BBFC Insight here.

### Insight

Rated PG for violence, injury detail, threat, language

* Violence: There are countless battle scenes where the heroic characters defeat many villains, including aliens and zombies, with characters kicking and punching each other while performing exaggerated jumps. Several of the blows have an obvious landing and realistic historical weapons like axes and flails are used but the violence involves fantastical monsters and stylized humans. Characters are visibly injured in combat, notably zombies getting decapitated and dismembered with green spurts, along with one character getting skewered through the abdomen by a sword but continuing to communicate with his team. Other scenes involve sci-fi space shuttles and aliens shooting guns at others, causing large, fiery explosions and intense crashes, but there are few depictions of characters getting severely injured and the fact that all of the combat involves animated characters makes the fantasy nature of the violence fairly clear.
* Injury Detail: A character is seen bleeding on his shirt and hands after getting a sword removed from his stomach and characters are seen with bruises, cuts, and bloody mouths from fighting.
* Threat: There is a sequence in which the main character and a noble prince are abducted by the villain and hung upside down inside of a cage before it is destroyed, upon which they almost fall in a pit of a lava. Other lengthy sequences show characters being pursued by titanic monsters that cause mass destruction and huge armies of zombies and orcs that trample crusaders and villagers.
* Language: There is some bad language, including 'ass', 'bitch', 'damn' and 'hell,' as well as one use each of 'shit' and 'dick.'

## Common Sense Media

* Age: 10+
* Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* Summary: Smart, funny escapade; but also a large cross-promotion.
* Review: Parents need to know that this Direct-to-Blu-Ray and Netflix movie is both satisfying and based around the Venture game's mechanics, from the destructible environment to building complex things easily. Several scenes start with characters finding mounds of resources that they build into functional space shuttles and other vehicles. Of course, these modes of transportation are taken from other 1001 Spears IPs, especially those owned by distributor Sony. While the message about the significance of partnership is great for families, there are some violent battles with characters getting attacked with weaponry and horror for more sensitive viewers, including a seemingly-infinite military of zombie soldiers and a stone troll.
* Positive Messages: ⭐ Highlights how important collaboration is and how to function jointly and with respect; that being said, past Rogue saving a baby golem at the start, it seems like violence is the answer here as zombies get mowed down like grass and negotiation is off the table.
* Positive Role Models: Rogue Gunther is a Tony Stark-type protagonist in that he is self-deprecating and pompous at the same time; while Rogue is nowhere near an excellent adventurer with all the blood that ends up on his hands, he does serve as a pillar for other characters in their mission to become excellent. To put it simply, this celebrity can share the limelight every once in a while, even if he's adamant about popping a zombie head or two. The character Bhatt loves to smash every object and kill every enemy he finds, being the weapons expert of the team. Margaret Swamp is a creative risk-taking hero but dresses scantily and kisses a man to get her way, while scientist Monicas Hugh is instrumental to the team's efforts but awkwardly fawns over Rogue.
* Diverse Representations: There are only two women and one black character in a cast of millions; the main woman is a creative risk-taking hero and the other is a scientist, but the former wears a uniform that exposes deep cleavage, and the latter fawns over Rogue. Plus there are some gay stereotypes in the form of a comic relief zombie character who wears a skirt and high heels; on the plus side, the film is headed by a Korean and it is heavily implied that the two women present are bisexual.
* Violence & Scariness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Blades, guns, and axes are used but almost never result in any bloodshed. Some horror scenes including a stone troll and a gigantic army of zombie warriors. The character Bhatt loves to smash every object and kill every enemy he finds, being the weapons expert of the team. Zombies are killed by decapitation, dismemberment, and mutilation, including unarmed and retreating ones, which results in sprays of green slime. Animated suits of armor try to kill Rogue and Berge with swords, one of the armors is vertically bissected which causes purple blood to come out. Para is stabbed through the chest near the end of the movie and bleeds copiously although he is eventually healed.
* Sexy Stuff: ⭐⭐ The main woman in the cast, Margaret Dayton, wears a uniform that reveals deep cleavage. Margaret makes out with fellow team member Para Camran to get what she wants. It seems as though scientist character Monicas Hugh is attracted to Rogue Gunther and she calls him "[her] god."
* Language: Not much worse than schoolyard insults and "crap."
* Consumerism: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Venture logo appears everywhere and the game's structure building frequently appears as a plot element. Every scene has a distinct model that corresponds with another 1001 Spears film or series, especially those owned by distributor Sony, the movie feels like you are going to 1001 Spears World without exiting your home.
* Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: The comedic zombie characters have neon-colored cigars in their mouths during one scene; while they are lit, no smoke is depicted.

### What's the Story?

Rogue Gunther (voiced by Hyuk) is just your decent Venture adventurer; everybody in the galaxy knows his reputation as a hero and his mastery of construction. When his CEO, John Venturia (Quentin Tarantino) squads him up with German car designer Para, heroine Margaret, and an overall nasty man named Bhatt, Rogue's "one man army" reputation comes to a sudden end as the group is sent to a Starcop penitentiary planet where a distress signal was picked up. They are led to the middle ages exoplanet of Medahiri, the lair of Bullock the Baleful-- a god who is hellbent on killing all heroes, abruptly charging the squad with locating the local prince, the only person who can kill a god, yet cooperation is an afterthought to this quad of gurus and their internal conflicts very well could prevent them from saving everyone.

### Is it any Good?

This captivating Netflix escapade is a smash hit for 1001 Spears fans, with laugh-out-loud jokes, a great plot, exceptional characters, and a super uniquely Pain Weltanschauung. That being said, it is also a cross-promotion; each scene is centered around amazing new buildings and transportation from 1001 Spears' recent films and shows, but given that the cross-promotion is a genre of its own today (cough cough, *Space Jam: A New Legacy*) Brendan does it with dignity.

Talking with tween viewers about watching this versus what it promotes will probably temper the consumer frenzy that is integral to this film; yet in every scene, this blockbuster has the creative spark that 1001 Spears fans deserve. It is built on the fact that risks are what the Venture empire is about and it's all the better for it.

### Talk to your Kids About...

* Families can talk about inventive consumerism; this is a film based on franchises from the same parent company (like the long-running *Super Smash Bros.* video game series). Does this movie make you want to play Venture or watch the other advertised works?
* Tween viewers can also talk about cooperation and how it aids Rogue in saving humanity. When can a "one man army" prove instrumental and when can it bring about someone's downfall?

### Movie Details

* **On DVD or streaming**: February 22, 2022
* **Cast**: Andy Samberg, Hyuk, Sadie Sink
* **Director**: Brendan Pain
* **Studio**: Sony Pictures Animation
* **Genre**: Action/adventure
* **Run time**: 142 minutes
* **MPAA rating**: NR
* **MPAA explanation**: Not Rated
* **Last updated**: March 7, 2022

### Reviews

* Parents Say:
	+ Age: 9+
	+ Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
		- Inappropriate for most 8-year-olds
			* Age: 10+
			* Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
			* Review: While the plot is great, it is not for kids; our son just turned 8 and loved it at the start but when he saw the monster eat Rogue, he was terrified and never wants to watch it now. Most of the movie's start is set underground so everything is pitch black and even the first scene is quite a horrifying chase scene for an 8-year-old, this will be a great movie to watch when he is much older.

* Kids Say:
	+ Age: 10+
	+ Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
		- Great for kids around 11+
			* Age: 11+
			* Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
			* Review: This is an enjoyable film for older children-- outside of the violent Games of Thrones war scene at the end, while this is a stunning advancement of animated fight scenes in previous movies, it will probably terrify children: zombies rise from the radiant, lava-filled dirt and kill the crusaders with scythes and blades. Zombies are mutilated, dismembered, decapitated, and smashed with green goo coming out, a living suit of armor is shredded in half from the head down with purple blood, and characters are flung around, electrocuted, and burnt alive. But overall it is PG-13 friendly; the sex is moderate but rare, there are some mild jokes and one makeout scene, the product placement is there of course, but this is a Venture movie, they are going to reference Venture, stupid! There are few direct advertisements, it is suitable for around 11+.

## TV Tropes

* All Trolls Are Different: Bogarth the Monster is cruel but ultimately working to defend the teenage prince (Jerk With A Heart of Gold).
* Awesome McCoolname: Rogue and Stone Gunther, if no one else.
* Awesome Music: Debatable if existing songs count, but Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes at the start and Not Afraid by Eminem during the credits.
* Character Development: Every hero in the film goes through this.
* Elmer Fudd Syndrome: Pumon's Speech Impedement, although it's more based on furry lingo than anything else.
* Funny:
	+ Para and Masterson trying to repair the shuttle, with Masterson winging it, leaving Para, The Engineer, furious and correcting him on which machinery to use for what area of the spaceship. Their bickering dynamic is based on real scenarios of people trying to build structures in Venture and other sandbox games!
	+ Bhatt Masterson farting ear-piercingly and blaming the barbecued biscket chimichangas and quesadillas that he ate for lunch, among other things? Beating a Dead Horse meets an Overly Long Gag. Para Wood wondering why he was exempt from getting barbecued brisket chimichangas and quesadillas for lunch? Hilarious!
	+ The squad arguing after the convicts break into their space shuttle and destroy the rest of them:
		- **Margaret:** Who the hell forgot to lock the space shuttle?
		- **Rogue:** I'll be George Washington with the cherry tree. *(points between Bhatt's eyes)* But Bhatt swang the axe by leaving the spark plug running!
		- **Bhatt:** No cap, *(points between Para's eyes)* but leaving the training manual on the instrument panel was!
		- **Para:** *(points between Margaret's eyes before biting his tongue and lip)* I was seconds away from asking if I could stay behind and protect the space shuttle, so ha!
* Gasshole
	+ Bhatt farts three times when they are in the spaceship, blaming it on Andean yam beans, garlic fries, a blooming onion, and a chimicanga and quesadilla platter filled with barbecued brisket.
	+ After Bogarth devours Rogue to flee Pumon and Shigrim before hiding on the other side of a magic wall, Rogue jiggles around in Bogarth's Balloon Belly. Bogarth farts ear-piercingly and forcefully twice before crapping Rogue out. Then, when Rogue, on the verge of nausea, asks if he's the only one who hasn't eaten an chimichanga and quesadilla platter like Bhatt did, Bogarth farts again in Rogue's nose, affirming that he had one with Andean yam beans and garlic fries.
* Good Is Not Soft: Rogue and Bhatt.
* Heartwarming Moments:
	+ "What the heck is he trying to tell us with that?" "Venture. We take risks, they're the only way we won't fail."
	+ The stone troll at the start is pining for its infant, which Rogue mistook for an energy crystal, so Rogue returns the baby, even constructing a stroller and pacifier to calm it. You know what happens? The troll *uncomfortably* *rips an energy crystal off of its body* and gives it to Rogue for all the crap it put him through and the compassion he showed regardless.
* Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: While he survives, Para gets this and quotes the trope verbatim.
* Moment of Awesome:
	+ Prince Berge's duel with Bullock the Baleful.
	+ Rogue's defiance of the malicious god and his The Reason Why You Suck speech before it.
* Nightmare Fuel: Bullock resurrecting the Zombie Military with lightning, causing them to burst from the volcanic ground in a Jump Scare. There is no music, no dialogue, simply an unrelenting, unstoppable militia of reanimated corpse warriors. Marching slowly. Lit almost exclusively by their glowing crimson eyes (Red Eyes, Take Warning.)
* Shout-Out:
	+ The *Indiana Jones* series gets referenced a lot, even more than in other Venture entries:
		- For example, there is an obvious reference to *Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade* in that Rogue's Disappeared Dad left behind a journal full of hints.
		- Hell, making the Indy inspiration for the protagonist clear very well could've been one of Brendan's *aims*!
		- Rogue's jacket is the same as the one Indiana Jones.
	+ As Pumon and Shigrim pursue Rogue Gunther, Bogarth tries a Jedi Mind Trick on them:
		- **Bogarth:** Rogue is not here, you want to go home and rethink your life. (Attack of the Clones)
		- (Pumon and Shigrim get Hypnotized Eyes before snapping out of it.)
		- **Pumon:** Boyfwiend, Wogue is hewe! (Elmer Fudd Syndrome)
		- **Bogarth:** Shit! (Precision F-Strike) (faces the camera and adjusts it, Breaking the Fourth Wall) I should've known that wouldn't work!
* Shut Up Kiss: Margaret to Para when he fears for their safety.
* Tear Jerker: Rogue's second reaction to Bullock's (The) Final Temptation.
	+ **Bullock:** Stone will die without me, this is your only chance to join me and save him.
	+ **Rogue:** \*pounds heart\* I never lost dad.
	+ (Knocks the Crystal Ball out of Bullock's hand, smashing it and tearfully shattering the remains.)
* Visual Effects of Awesome:
	+ The molten rock around Bullock's lair is extremely well done, even compared to the rest of the animation.
	+ Bullock's power waves, orbs, bolts, and the other magic he releases are also a standout.
	+ This was inevitable when you consider that, as a Sony Pictures Animation film, it was made by most of the same animators as *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*.

## Reception

### Commercial performance

The film grossed $5,399,976 worldwide.

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $77,336 in 126 theaters, with an average of $1,226 per theater.

### Critical reception

Common Sense Media gave it 4 out of 5 stars, saying it was a "Smart, funny escapade; but also a large cross-promotion."

## Trivia

* The Builders Club members use the Starcop Imposer to reach the Strangford Detention Center on the planet XXX69.
* Bullock the Baleful's tower is a mountainous, serpentine version of the Skeleton Tower from Dungeons & Dragons: The Lost Mines of Mirefield.
* Rogue Gunther is shown working for Future Mining at the beginning of the film and wears their outfit.
* Indiana Jones' jacket is worn by Rogue, the only difference being that the Venture logo is stitched on one sleeve.
* The dark god Bullock was introduced in Dungeons & Dragons: The Lost Mines of Mirefield, where is only referred to as "the dark god" and a large and complex version of his barbitan is focused on in this film.
* Shigrim and Pumon are the only zombies to have two eyes and not wear armor, aside from the latter's helmet.