Dangeresque (film series)

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Revision as of 19:56, 30 August 2023

This article is about the film series. For other uses of the word "Dangeresque", see Dangeresque.

So dangerous, so dangerous!

Dangeresque is a series of amateur action movies made by Strong Bad, who also stars as the title character: "a private eye, a crooked cop, a secret agent, and a celebrity pharmacist" who fights both "the law" and "the crime". He is assisted by Renaldo, played by Coach Z, and encounters several other characters played by the various denizens of Free Country, USA.

The homemade movies, shot with The Cheat's video camera, parody cliches of 70s and 80s action filmmaking and are generally cheaply made and poorly acted. Visual effects and titles are applied in-camera rather than through editing, with cardboard sets or stunt doubles very apparent. Dangeresque's method of crime fighting is patent nonsense, but the timely delivery of catch phrases like "Looks like I'm gonna have to jump!" always makes the ladies smile.

Series entries

"So I'm gonna have to—"

The Dangeresque series has not been released in production order (notably, Dangeresque II was the first one shown); oftentimes only a portion of the full "movie" is shown in a toon. Series "canon" is very loose, befitting the informal production of entries.

• Dangeresque 0: The Prequel Begins (mentioned in The Criminal Projective)
  • Taking place in 1983, a conflict with Professor Experimento results in Dangeresque getting kicked out of the space program.
• Dangeresque 1: Dangeresque, Too? — Not in 3D ("digitally remastered" director's cut shown in dangeresque 3)
  • Dangeresque and his new partner Dangeresque Too must put aside their differences to reclaim a serum stolen by Perducci, which will prevent Cutesy Buttons from getting kidnapped.
• Dangeresque II: This Time, It's Not Dangeresque 1 (highlights shown in stunt double)
  • Dangeresque risks life and limb to recover a missing VHS tape, coming into conflict with the dastardly Baron Darin Diamonocle.
• Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective — in 3D! (a playable game released as the fourth episode of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People)
  • Renaldo is about to retire when the case to get the formula to restore Cutesy Buttons's rainforest escalates into a large adventure climaxing into a confrontation with Uzi Bazooka and Craig.
  • An edited version of the game's cinematics was released in anaglyph 3D on the SBCG4AP Collector's DVD.
• Dangeresque: Put Em on Ice! (featured in a rock opera Easter egg)
  • A brief scene of Dangeresque ice skating is shown. This may have been a stage production rather than a movie.
• Dangeresque: Puppet Squad - The Curly Fried Caper
  • Dangeresque and Dangeresque Too track down the guy who stole his curly fries that one time.
• Dangeresque 4 ÷ 2 = 6 (featured in sbemail 206)
  • A fake movie trailer released as an April Fools' joke, Dangeresque and Dangeresque Too encounter duplicates of themselves.
• Dangeresque Puppet Squad: The Hot Jones Hijack
  • Invited to the Cheat Commandos Bring-Your-Own-Hot-Jones Decemberween Party, Dangeresque and Firebert must recover the Hot Jones that has been stolen by Stingy Relenque.
• Dangeresque: The Roomisode Triungulate (a trilogy of games)

1. Behind the Dangerdesque — Dangeresque fake-solves a cold case to prevent The Chief from sending him to jail!
2. The Intersection of Doom & Boom — Dangeresque and Renaldo deal with car troubles at a seedy intersection!
3. Keep My Enemies, Loser — Dangeresque is forced to take a side-gig doing security consulting for Perducci!

Cast

Dangeresque and Renaldo

See also Characters#Dangeresque

• Dangeresque — Strong Bad
• Renaldo — Coach Z
• Cutesy Buttons — Marzipan
• Baron Darin Diamonocle — Bubs
• Dangeresque Too — Homestar Runner
• Perducci — The King of Town
• Istanbul — The Cheat
• Hot Tub — Strong Sad (credited as "El Dumpo")
• Killingyouguy — Strong Mad (credited as "himself")
• Szechuan Steve — The Cheat
• The Stunt Double — Strong Sad (Uncredited)
• Professor Experimento — Pom Pom
• Dadgeresque — Senor Cardgage
• Uzi Bazooka — Homestar Runner
• Sultry Buttons — Marzipan
• Craig — The Cheat
• The Monster — Strong Sad
• The Informant — Strong Sad
• Kidnapping Victim — The Poopsmith
• Stingy Relenque — Homestar Runner
• The Chief
• Kowalski (mentioned)

Cheat Commandos featured in crossover

• Firebert
• Gunhaver
• Crackotage
• Fightgar
• Reynold
• Silent Rip (voice only)

Music

Since nothing says vintage cop shows like a funky groove, Dangeresque employs a Shaft-style anthem in "The Theme from Dangeresque II". The end credits of Dangeresque 1 and Dangeresque 3 have a softer, 1980s buddy movie feel with "Today is Alright 4 2Nite". The end credits sequence of Dangeresque: The Roomisode Triungulate uses a similar-sounding song, "You're Gonna Have 2 Jump". The underlying score of the films themselves are short, sparse, rather campy interludes between scenes sung by Strong Bad.

Fun Facts

We'll see... Just you wait...

• Dangeresque's cool glasses are illustrated in the liner notes of the Strong Bad Sings CD. Strong Bad himself is obviously the illustrator, since he does not fail to remember the hatching (see suntan).
• The Brothers Chaps had originally planned to name the series "Danger Man". However, upon learning that the name had already been used by a 1960s TV series, the decision was made to change to "Dangeresque".
• Elements of Dangeresque may be inspired by the audio show Sounds Dangerous! from Walt Disney World. The show featured undercover cop Charlie Foster (Drew Carey) taking down smuggler Lefty Moreno, who is disguised as circus performer The Great Rinaldi.
• In the email the movies, it is said that Dangeresque 3 will come out "We'll See...". It also shows four crossed out dates, ranging from 2004 to 2006 (all having passed by the time of the email's release). Later in the same email, Strong Sad (who was listing every movie that onscreen actors had starred in), reacts to Strong Bad by stating "He was in Dangeresque 1 and 2!"
  • The Genesis version of Lufia and the Fortress of Doom, which was eventually cancelled, had a similar ad campaign to that poster for Dangeresque 3.
• When Strong Bad is interviewed in DNA Evidence, he acts in character and costume as Dangeresque, and the Dangeresque theme often plays in the background. The "Looks like I'm gonna have to jump!" catchphrase also makes an appearance.

• Homsar is the only main character not to have any role in the movies.