I remember watching “Malcolm in the Middle” in its original run. Star Frankie Muniz and I are around the same age, so I was watching it from a decidedly kids’ perspective. My memories of it are somewhat hazy, but I do remember I found it funny then.
And I find it funny now. Hulu and Disney+ are out with a four-part “Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” revival, bringing back most of the original cast and the early-aughts grungy vibe. Since his tenure as Hal in the original sitcom, Bryan Cranston has risen to fame and has since gone on to many great roles, proving he has both comedic and dramatic chops. And here, he’s in full ham, going for broke on multiple physical comedy sets, while sneaking in a few calmer moments that just make the whole thing funnier.
Jane Kaczmarek is back as Lois, just as formidable and just as overwhelmed. This time, she’s trying to plan her 40th Anniversary party and get all of her unruly children (there are six of them) not just to show up but to help her organize it. Meanwhile, the siblings are largely stuck in their own dramas, antagonizing Hal, avoiding each other, and plotting revenge.
The result is a revival that matches the original’s vibe. Yes, much of the original’s innovation has become commonplace; for example, it seems like nearly every comedy now has asides to the camera. But “Life’s Still Unfair” shines with the original’s signature mix of the irreverent and the heartfelt. These are characters who yell and scream, who punish each other, and can be both purposefully and inadvertently cruel. But they’re also a family. And there’s a lot of love there, even if the show is careful to never get too earnest about it.
In this version, that means a heartfelt conversation happens in a men’s bathroom where a third character is having explosive (and loud) diarrhea. The new set of episodes opens with a montage of some of the violence from the original—and there’s more of that too, again with the same cartoon aesthetic that makes it clear we’re in a live-action Looney Tunes and not the typical family comedy.
Most of this consistency works, although there are a few odd choices: No one’s changed their haircut in the past twenty years, for example, which takes us a bit too far into caricature territory. There are also appearances from a lot of the original’s supporting characters, which may delight super fans of the original, but doesn’t do much else.
Likewise, the acting is uneven. Muniz can’t do much believably other than furrow his brow and get exasperated, while his fictional parents effortlessly hit higher grace notes. Some of the siblings are great, while others feel decidedly off… and it’s not just the bowl cuts. It’s a big task to make fantastical, slapstick pieces funny while simultaneously pulling on our heartstrings, and say only about half of the brothers can do it.
To help, the show has wisely added to its cast, making Keeley Karsten as Malcolm’s daughter, Leah, and Kiana Madeira as his girlfriend, Tristan. They are both great with Karsten revising the too-smart, awkward-teen role her fictional father had in the original. She gets better advice, though, reflecting our more emotionally intelligent times. Madeira also shines, with her character getting her own laughs and backstory. The result is a less-male show that feels right in line with the original.
And it pulls off a trick so many of its peers attempt and fail at—it manages to leave open space for future episodes while being wholly satisfying in and of itself. By the end, our dysfunctional family is recommitted to each other, not in spite of their failings but because of them. And most of our principals have learned something meaningful about themselves—amidst the slapstick, sex jokes, and potty humor.
“Malcolm in the Middle: Life is Still Unfair” is loud, uncouth, heartfelt, uneven, and hilarious. It carries on the tradition of the original that way. And like the original, it’s worth a watch.
Full series screened for review. Airs April 10th on Hulu.
