Cumulative rating:	(9 ratings submitted)

Synopsis

Characters

George Liquor (Voice: Michael Pataki)

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Animation Type: Combined Standard Animation and Computer Animation (CGI)

Aspect Ratio: 1.37 : 1

Negative Type: Digital

Original Language: English

Original Country: United States

Reviews and Comments

From TibbyH :

If you thought Adult Party Cartoon was hard to watch, you ain't seen nothin' yet buster! Seven years of a mismanaged Kickstarter project run by a child predator brought us to one of the absolute worst cartoons in recent years. Literally nothing about this cartoon works. The crude combination of CGI and 2D is abysmal, the animation itself is needlessly overdone, the pacing is horrendous, the "jokes" don't work and childish attempt to be edgy and mature makes Newgrounds animations seem nuanced. Also, his pathetic attempts to recapture the Ren & Stimpy magic are full proof he never knew what made the show work in the first place. I've seen student films made with no budget and a fraction of the time at my campus that are leaps and bounds more creative and inspired than this dribble. If you needed anymore proof that John K is a talentless hack, this is it. I'm happy the animation community at large has acknowledged this as the unwatchable trash it is.
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From DerekS :

..what the HELL? We had to wait for not one, not two, but SIX YEARS for this animated pile of feces? Yeesh. Wonder what took the guy so damn long. Plus, the controversy just adds salt to the wound, so it's unlikely this short will ever get popular or unironically enjoyable.
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From PopKorn Kat :

John Kricfalusi and his post-Ren & Stimpy output have been...divisive, to say the least. The reviled Adult Party Cartoon forced him out of mainstream animation, and his Kickstarter-funded cartoon "Cans Without Labels" proved to be one of the many, many things that ended his career. He scheduled a 2013 release date, which came and went. All the while, he continued to get tidbits of work elsewhere, while claiming that his cartoon was partially or completely done. In 2018, numerous accusations of sexual harassment and abuse against him ensured he would never work again. And yet, against all odds, he finally released the short in May 2019. To absolutely no one's surprise, this is one can that should have been thrown out.
The plot is simple: George Liquor tries to force his nephews, Slab and Ernie, to eat a face out of a can. That's it. Unfortunately, the short falls flat in every single fathomable way. From the animation to the jokes, there's nothing to enjoy.
One glaringly obvious problem appears within the first scene: the combination of 2D and CGI is painfully amateur. I've seen PlayStation and GameCube games that utilize sprites and models better! Why the cans and furniture are CGI is never explained, nor does there appear to be a reason why.
The other obvious problem that is the short's undoing: every single character is flat and uninteresting--even George Liquor does little beyond threatening his nephews to eat a face out of a can. He worked well alongside Ren and Stimpy in "Man's Best Friend" worked because the personalities of the three characters played off of each other. That's not the case here. Slab and Ernie do not conflict with George's attitudes, nor do they play off of them in unexpected ways. They're simply there to get antagonized by George, and that's it. George Liquor's mood swings are a rehash of Ren Hoek's mental breakdowns, but without any of the character depth that made those moments work. As a result, there's nobody to root for or hiss at.
Then there's the animation. The cartoon never slows down. Even Bob Clampett's wildest work took breaks once in a while! On the other hand, there's moments of unacceptably lackluster animation as well--one example being a scene where a belt-grasping George slides across the floor, with no other body movement in sight. Quite an accomplishment.
The only redeeming factor about this short is that it illustrates how not to make a cartoon: from the production to the execution and behavior of its producer. I think Thad Komorowski put it best: "When all's said and done, they should show "Cans Without Labels" and "Last Days of Coney Island" in animation schools as a warning in regards to what can happen to creators who take their success for granted and abuse their fans and co-workers. Cautionary tale indeed."
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From S. C. MacPeter :

I think Derek S' and Popcorn Kat's comments put it best, but in my opinion, this is NO different from how John has handled his projects, only this time it was purely in his hands. He gives an interesting idea laid out awfully, wastes his times on other stuff until he HAD to make it, and overall, a waste of money and time. Don't waste your time watching this unless you want an idea of how NOT to make a cartoon. John K could never decide if he wanted to be HB or Clampett (those comedy and timing styles DON'T mix well), THIS proves it!
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