To thank his loyal fans (and to rake in some extra bucks), series creator Seth MacFarlane made this special movie.  It is, in fact, set up and paced like a three-part episode, but you don't have to wait to see the exciting conclusion! 

The first issue: while the advertisements emphasize the "uncensored" elements, if you watch the DVD out of the box by hitting "Play Movie", it isn't uncensored (in other words, it is censored).  There are a few bad words which have been bleeped out, but for those of you expecting something "too hot for TV", you'll be disappointed.  However, you can turn off the censoring bleeps on the DVD, but it isn't the default option.

The second issue would be the extras.  They're a bit lacking.  There is a good audio commentary from Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein and some animation tests, but overall, the extras weren't anything special.

Those are the issues.  You may find yourself feeling as though you're watching just another episode in the beginning of this movie, which wouldn't be a bad thing.  But...Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story gets better and better.  Some of the funniest "Family Guy" moments ever are in this film, and are, as they say, "friggin hilarious".  There are classic lines which will not be revealed here.

Suffice it to say, if you enjoy "Family Guy", this is absolutely worth picking up.  If you've always been more of a fan of "South Park" or "The Simpsons", you owe it to yourself to watch a few episodes.  Some of the humor in the show is a bit of an acquired taste, but it's worth acquiring.  And some of the gags in this film shouldn't be missed.

If you're looking for a cute film for kids, this isn't it.  "Family Guy" isn't for families.  It does deal with adult issues (albeit in a silly way) and it's not exactly up to the high moral standards that makes for good children's programming.  For example, a dog and a baby getting drunk:

Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin - The Untold Story is unlikely to draw as much fire as, for example, South Park: The Movie did.  Perhaps this explains why the word "uncensored" is featured as prominently as it is on the packaging.  The creators don't want families picking this up, thinking they're getting a Disney movie.  For the easily offended: just because it's got "family" in the title and features a talking dog doesn't mean that there aren't adult themes.  If you watch this expecting Sleeping Beauty, you're in for a long, hard night.  Gigity.

This film is funnier than the TV show.  If you hate "Family Guy", it's hard to imagine that this would turn you around, but it well might.  It's worthy of repeated viewing, too.

Meta Scores:

Movie: 4.0

Video: 3.7

Audio: 3.5

Extras: 3.2

DVD Extra Features: Audio commentary, a few previews of "Family Guy" and "American Dad", and some animation tests...nothing spectacular.

Expectation from the Title: The long awaited airing of dirty laundry from brother of D-List celebrity Kathy Griffin.

Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything):  This family has a very loyal dog, which is always nice to see.

The Pros: Funny funny.  Some of it is better than anything that's been in the show, especially in the latter parts of the DVD.  Lots of Stewie and Brian.

The Cons: A bit lacking in the Extra department.  The "uncensored" stuff is trumped up a bit too much as it's really no more raunchy than a TV episode.