“Family Guy,” that animated bastion of irreverence and pop culture riffing, kicks off its 23rd season with a volley of high-altitude hilarity. This time, the target is “Top Gun,” the iconic 80s action flick that launched a thousand aviator sunglasses sales. Prepare for “Fat Gun,” an airborne parody that’s likely to push the boundaries of taste, logic, and possibly even animation technology.
The episode’s premise is simple enough: insert the Griffin family and their Quahog cohorts into the world of fighter pilots, volleyball, and Kenny Loggins anthems. One can imagine Peter as a portly Maverick, Stewie as a miniature Iceman, and Brian as a sardonic Goose, probably complaining about the lack of decent Chardonnay at the officers’ club.
“Family Guy” has a long and storied history of skewering beloved films, often with mixed results. Sometimes the jokes land with the precision of a laser-guided missile; other times they sputter and crash like a poorly maintained F-14. But hey, at least there’s usually a cutaway gag featuring Herbert the Pervert to distract from the weaker moments. Let’s just hope they don’t overuse the chicken fight. That gag, frankly, should have been retired years ago.
“Family Guy” airs Sundays at 9:30/8:30c on FOX.
