After being in space for many years, Rocko and his friends attempt to adjust to an even more modern life.
Nickelodeon seems to be on a roll with getting their older IPs revitalized, with Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie and now in 2019 we have new animated specials for Rocko's Modern Life and Invader Zim. The series originally ran for four seasons, totalling 52 episodes between 1993 and 1996, ending with Filburt’s grown-up children crashing a rocket ship through Rocko’s house in the final episode, sending them to space.
You could say the special Static Cling starts right where the series left us, with the trio flying through space for 20 years, before finding their way home to a world that is definitely no longer the 90s. Now Rocko's Modern Life was a popular show partially because of the content that the writers chose to cover.; specifically in its use of satirical social commentary, though the parents would also get the added bonuses of the adult humor, double entendres, and innuendo (Rocko did work as a phone sex operator in one episode, a detail that my younger self did not notice).
Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling manages to bring back that same style of humour and social commentary, commenting on the "new" modern world of constant phone model updates, online social network addiction, the anti-cultural appropriation culture, and acceptance of transgendered people, etc. Sometimes the jokes do fall flat, trying to poke fun at a topic that has been mocked multiple times already, but for the most part, the tone between this special and the original series remains consistent.
What also remains consistent is the animation style and voice cast. While there have definitely been some technological improvements in the last 20+ year which give Rocko and co. a much higher definition and clarity, the general style of the characters and the environments are exactly what we remember. Carlos Alazraqui, Tom Kenny, and Mr. Lawrence return as our main trio of Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt, and do their usual great eccentric voice work.
Interestingly, the story is actually based more around Bighead family than our usual trio, but has a great meta-story arc that takes a jab at the fans that keep demanding old television series to return. Thematically the special looks at the concept of accepting change and discovering new things instead of chasing nostalgia: as ironic and satirical as this special can get.
There are definitely some characters, and jokes that will have a better result if the viewer has watched the whole series, but it still works well enough as a standalone. Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling does a great job bringing back that nostalgic 90s show, with the same tone, but in a 2010s context. The pacing is a little off, feeling slow at the start, and rushing through the end, but it's a great watch, that still leaves you wanting more.