If you haven’t heard of or seen The Venture Bros., then I highly recommend checking it out. It’s easily one of the best TV shows of all time, with countless top-tier jokes, plotlines, and characters. If you have seen it, then Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart will most likely please you with its overall quality, but also sadden you because it marks the end of a twenty-year adventure of super science, supervillains, and near-perfect storytelling.

Explanation: When The Venture Bros. was canceled, its masterminds were forced to turn what was supposed to be an eighth season of the acclaimed series into a finale and movie instead. Luckily, Chris McCulloch/Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer managed to still give the Venture family, their closest friends and most memorable enemies a hilariously weird and on-brand final chapter.

Synopsis: Picking up from the season seven finale, the movie follows multiple story arcs. Hank’s journey to find himself; Dean’s attempt to find Hank with the help of the necromancer Dr. Orpheus and blacula hunter Jefferson Twilight; Rusty on the eve of what might be a disastrous launch of a new piece of technology; a new villainous organization rising in opposition to the Guild of Calamitous Intent with both the Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch firmly in its sights. Each story and character is given the closure they deserve, and some long-awaited answers are finally given to the Ventures and us, including one reveal that made my jaw drop.

First things First: I just want to make this abundantly clear: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart isn’t a movie that you should watch without having seen the entirety of the previous series beforehand. There’s no montage, text crawl or exposition dump. It’s a condensed finale to two decades of storytelling, and it doesn’t waste any time catching you up.

Second Things Second: Since this was originally supposed to be a full season, Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart certainly does feel rushed at times. That being said, it still is kind of incredible how much is crammed into the movie’s short runtime and how much fan-service there is. Almost every single character I wanted to see was there, even if their roles were smaller than I would’ve liked. Shoreleave, Phantom Limb, Red Death, 21, Billy, White, Sergeant Hatred and more make their appearances throughout the film. Brock definitely deserved more time in the spotlight, but I really can’t complain otherwise.

Is it as Good as the Show?: In my opinion, and with just one word, no. However, the show itself is a 5/5 for me, and the movie often gets pretty damn close. I laughed harder and more frequently during Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart than almost any other movie or show this year. If this truly is the last hurrah for the Ventures, I’d be very, very pleased with it ending on a note this strong.

Final Thoughts. I’ve been watching The Venture Bros. for roughly half of my life, and bidding farewell to these characters really is a bittersweet experience. They didn’t go out on the exact terms their creators wanted to, but it was still a mostly spectacular ending to a phenomenal adventure full of laughs, twists, turns, butterflies and bodyguards. Lastly, make sure to watch through the credits, and as always:

GO TEAM VENTURE!