One of the defining landmarks of 1990s lowbrow animation, Mike Judge's extremely popular Beavis and Butt-Head (1993-1997) caught on fast and burrowed itself deep in American pop culture shortly thereafter. It's debatable whether the antics of our two heroes include clever observations of society or crude slices of slacker life---but most fans agree that the series represents a bit of both. The original broadcast episodes merged short animated adventures with Mystery Science Theater 3000-style critiques of music videos, both old and new. The blend between the two halves was rarely seamless, but the formula often worked extremely well.

Presented on DVD in a three-volume series dubbed "The Mike Judge Collection", the original format of Beavis and Butt-Head has since been put under the knife; that is, the shorts and videos have been separated as stand-alone segments. Additionally, roughly one-third of the total run of Beavis and Butt-Head shorts will never be a part of this collection, as series creator Judge doesn't feel they're good enough to include (and only a fraction of the videos will ever see the light of day, thanks to expensive rights issues). Fair enough, regarding the former problem: it's Judge's baby, and at least we're getting most of the cartoons. Incidentally, what's made the final cut is generally entertaining stuff: sure, it was a bit funnier 10 years ago, but it's still pretty amusing stuff in its own right. Either way, there's just no other series like it.

Here's the complete list of all 40 shorts included in this third volume:

With that said, there's little change to the overall presentation and vibe of this third and final volume of Beavis and Butt-Head. Basically, it represents "the best of the rest"; that is, most of the content included here is from the final few seasons. It's amazing that the adventures of everyone's favorite dynamic dunces lasted as long as they did---and even more amazing is the fact that there are so many standouts during the series' final years. Many will lament the exclusion of fan-favorite episodes like "Way Down Mexico Way", "Cow Tipping", "Beard Boys" and "Heroes", but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Unless a miracle happens, stick with your worn-out tapes of the original broadcasts.

Standout episodes this time around are fairly frequent, including the one-two punch of "Huh-Huh-Humbug" and "It's A Miserable Life", which find our heroes stuck in parodies of A Christmas Carol and the Frank Capra Christmas staple---and just for good measure, they're rounded out quite nicely by "Letters to Santa Butt-Head" on the bonus disc. The black-and-white "Leave It to Beavis" is another great tongue-in-cheek tribute to a classic, while more traditional episodes like "Graduation Day", "A Very Special Episode", "The Miracle That Is Beavis" and "Vaya Con Cornholio" are other favorites that immediately spring to mind. More mediocre episodes are few and far between, but it's all just a matter of taste; to be honest, there's really not a genuinely bad one in the bunch.

Luckily, this third volume keeps things moving with a solid batch of bonus features. Though it's still regrettable that the "bonus" music video clips couldn't have been inserted back into the actual shorts, those used to the new presentation on DVD shouldn't be too disappointed. All things considered, the fact that these episodes remain in their original, uncut format---unlike the first volume, much to the dismay of fans---makes The Mike Judge Collection, Volume 3 a no-brainer for Beavis and Butt-Head disciples and anamation fanatics alike. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

As with the first volume, these episodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 format. The transfers aren't all in perfect shape, but they're all relatively clean and clear. The only problem here is a moderate level of interlacing---especially common in animation DVDs---which creates a bit of softness and blurriness during scenes of action (NOTE: Viewers with standard-definition TVs may not notice this problem). Even so, it's safe to say that these episodes offer a visual improvement over the original broadcast versions, so fans of the show shouldn't be disappointed.

The audio department offers a quality presentation, as the included English 2.0 Stereo mix is front-heavy but surprisingly dynamic with a lively atmosphere that gets the job done nicely. Unfortunately, no subtitle options have been provided for these episodes---and worse yet, Closed Captioning isn't supported either.

The three-part behind-the-scenes saga concludes with Taint of Greatness: The Journey of Beavis and Butt-Head (24:04), an interesting finale in its own right. Oddly enough, this featurette spends nearly as much time covering the soon-to-be-re-released Beavis and Butt-Head Do America as it does with the proper episodes, but fans of the series should enjoy every minute. It's presented in roughly the same format as the first two volumes, with plenty of face time for Mike Judge and a generous helping of episode clips. All things considered, it's a satisfying end to the saga.

Next up is the original, uncut Frog Baseball (2:55, above right), the crudely-animated 1992 mini-episode that started it all. It's safe to say that animal lovers won't enjoy this one---but then again, it's just a freakin' cartoon. We also get a handful of Special Appearances (35:31 total, above left) that includes "Yule Log Clips", "Letters to Santa Butt-Head", footage from the 2005 Video Music Awards, an interview with MTV's Chris Connelly and more. Closing things out are a few Promos (3 clips, 5:06 total), including B&B Do America plugs, "Sunday Stew" clips and a commercial for "Holiday Gifts". As with past volumes, there's also an Interactive Link for The Animation Show and a handful of DVD Previews for other MTV releases. Though it's a shame Judge still hasn't offered episode commentaries, fans should be pleased.

It's safe to say that any fan of Beavis and Butt-Head that owns the first two volumes of "The Mike Judge Collection" should have no problem picking up this third and final volume. Featuring a multitude of uncut, original shorts, a decent technical presentation and another helping of fun bonus features, it's a well-rounded released that lowbrow animation fans should enjoy. Though it's disappointing that the remaining episodes may never see the light of day, more dedicated fans may wish to seek out Time Life's individual volumes and the out-of-print History of Beavis and Butt-Head for a slightly more complete collection. Until then, enjoy what's included here…bungholes. Recommended.