Critic (The) (1994)

Jon Lovitz plays Jay Sherman in The Critic, one of the most intelligent, creative, slapstick, and witty (in that order) cartoons for adults. For some, Lovitz does wear thin over the years, but his single-schmaltz hopscotch through the inanities of bad movies to physical humor to weak puns panning yet another cinematic travesty always make me chuckle. (All week I've been unable to get his "Buy my book!" and "The bluest skies you've ever seen in Seattle..." out of my head.) I will also never tire of Hans Zimmer's musical theme. By way of comparison, The Critic is not as funny as Family Guy but more intelligent, as funny as The Simpsons but more intelligent, funnier than Futurama and Venture Bros. but more intelligent, funnier than Daria but as intelligent, and definitely funnier than Duckman, Mission Hill, Undergrads, and Harvey Birdman. Five stars.