“Chueco” on Disney+: Remembering ALF Is Inevitable, Calling It a Heist Is Unfair | Review | Review | Review | Summary | Argentina | Mexico | Streaming | SKIP-Introduction

The story begins so simply that it can be summed up in two paragraphs. Juan Custozzi (Dario Barassi) is an Argentinian musician, father of three and widower living in Mexico. He realizes that his income is not enough to survive and loses his house. From one moment to the next until a real miracle happens: he discovers that he has inherited a million dollars. However, before receiving the monthly payments left by an uncle, he cannot remember, he must agree to fulfill three conditions.

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Glad that he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, Juan accepted and signed the inheritance without letting the lawyer managing his uncle’s estate explain what was behind it: he had to take care. CHUECO (voiced by Argentinian actor Agustin Aristaran), the pet of his uncle Giancarlo. It’s a baby-sized monkey, but 17 years old. If it’s a surprise in a world where cats and dogs are kept as pets, it’s worse if they know what the visitor is talking about.

Apparently, hearing (and believing) a monkey talking in a familiar environment is part of the contract the viewer tacitly signs with the creators of the series being televised. Ultimately it depends on how this evidence is used to determine whether the result is positive or a huge error. When the first case occurs, it becomes inevitable to return to other products that we had fun with in the past. The Paul Fusco-created series “ALF” that aired for only four seasons between 1986 and 1990 was enough to penetrate our memory and heart.

“ALF” told the story of the Tanner family of a father, mother, two children and a cat named Lucky. One night, while the family was searching for radio waves in their garage,​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​fronts.​​​​​​ Moments after the surprise, the character – known as ALF – will not only speak, but will show that he has the same mental speed as any of his hosts. Thus, in more than a hundred episodes, we saw how a bond between humans and aliens was born and strengthened.

So it was inevitable to remember “ALF” when watching the new sitcom Disney Plus wants to engage with Latin American family audiences. in”CHUECO”, we do not have an alien, but a monkey not from a distant planet like Melmac, but rescued in the wild by Giancarlo Custozzi at the age of two, and who – in a very remarkable fit of wisdom and luck – injected the gene that allows him to speak. This eccentric character with big ears and caramel eyes is 100% inserted into the family environment, in addition to the characters already described, there is also a housekeeper without mincing words (Amanda/Consuelo Duval).

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After the surprise of seeing a monkey speak with a Buenos Aires accent, Custozzi prepares for their new life. Without financial problems, they simply need to be taken care of CHUECO And keep his secret till the end. And in 13 half-hour episodes, we’ll see how the family members introduce themselves little by little. Of the five (including Amanda), we have only one Argentinian actor (Juan/Dario Parasi). But the differences here are minimal, because from beginning to end there is always a solid harmony felt.

Juan is a father who knows he is alone, does not hide the difficulties of being a single parent and is not afraid to show his weaknesses to his children. Delfina (Mariel Abrigo) is a high-spirited teenager who dreams of becoming a musician and gets into mischief to keep her father from failing crime. It happens when he escapes to play with the band Los Tequiciatos. Third is Martin (Santiago Torres), another young man who loves soccer as much as video games. He seems to be the more relaxed brother of the three. He gets excited when he demands time to study and find business ideas, even if it’s spent with the Play Station. And the family’s younger brother, Vicente (Pado Alvarado Loza), is a kid who stands out for his cunning and good judgment, breaking the mold in the Custozzi household and suggesting ways out of trouble.

But nothing in this family would be complete without Amanda. The character of the housekeeper is played by the popular Mexican actress Consuelo Duval, thanks to her role as Federica in “La Familia P-Luche” in a televisa format where everyone but daughter Bibi seems to have a screw-up. In the series – in which Duvall shares roles with Eugenio Terbes as Ludovico B-Lucci – there is often no room for political correctness. And the aforementioned actress lived with her clueless and lazy husband on the ropes.

Withdrawal. Assuming there is an inspiration between one series and another, we have a family who receives an unexpected ‘visit’ from a stranger (with unimaginable powers) in the house. But if you compare “AlF” to “Mi familia es un Dibujo,” the telefe soap opera that swept across Latin America in the mid-nineties, it’s the same. Even worse if we go back even further, doesn’t “ALF” have a little inspiration from the 1982 Steven Spielberg-directed global hit “ET”? So we can find many examples in television, movies, comics and cartoons in general, where the appearance of an ‘outsider’ character with qualities close to us takes us back to Fusco’s creation. (100% SPOILER DATA, Amanda speaks and gestures like Federica B-Lucche. What could it be?).

It is better to analyze each of the thirteen chapters in their entirety than to claim plagiarism, copying, or inspiration.CHUECO”. Disney Plus Sitcom Entertainment. It shows how well actors from different latitudes can get along in a standard script. We are also faced with a dangerous production, often far from stereotypes (there is even a gay man who discovers himself and everyone openly reacts). Dario Parasi brings to life the father many of us love. Consuelo Duval is grumpy, but at the same time delivers hot food on a plate when you need it. Children exude nobility and are completely removed from the vices that plague our society. The latter, however, does not make them insecure in the face of danger: Uncle Giancarlo’s old partner wants to be relevant. CHUECO

Despite charting a series of hits, the Fernando Barbosa-created sitcom is far from perfect. Assuming there will be a second season, 13 more episodes might be a lot to ask for. The level of chapters is not always the same in this first installment. If the first three and the last stand out, the eighth and ninth are inferior and affect the final balance somewhat. In the same way, Amanda’s character should gain a little more weight in the future without leaving her alone as someone who tries to keep the sometimes unruly monkey in the right direction. Later, secondary characters such as the card contestants, the ‘kidnappers’ or even the school teacher who likes Juan ends up with a sense of debt, if we talk about the actors. Anything that cannot be worked on with greater dedication in the future.