[DVD] Futurama - Bender's Big Score

[joerules]

I picked it up this morning and can't wait to watch it. If I can think of something there will be a comic and review within the week.

[joerules]

Like most of the stories told in the last season of Futurama, Bender's Big Score is really well told. It's laugh out loud funny but sweet and genuine at the same time. Something that other prime time animated shows struggle to capture, Futurama seem to deliver effortlessly.

As sweet as the conclusion is though, it's somewhat predictable. I was bummed that I'd caught up 30 minutes too early, but still so excited at how they brought it all together. So while they didn't surprise me it was still hard to be unimpressed.

What's so refreshing about this adventure is its awareness of the history of Futurama. Not only do they reference the cancellation and 2-year hiatus, but they make numerous shout outs to classic moments in the series. One of which is Fry's nephew Phillip from one of my favorite episodes of all time.

It's obvious that the DVD will be broken up into episodes, but only because you can see where the commercials are going. Perhaps years of the show actually having commercials have set us up to see this cliff-hanger moments, but regardless - they're there. Thankfully what's not there is the obvious half hour breakdowns. Looking at the Family Guy movie or even the "hour-long" episodes of the office it's easy to see themes get chopped off and shifted at the half hour mark. Those are made easily accessible for easy access syndication. But Bender's big manages to weave the different stories together wonderfully into a one fleshed out adventure.

BBS is an adventure through time and like any time travel story there are bound to be some paradoxes that pop up. These glitches in time become a running gag at one point, but there were others that the movie seems to brush off laughingly. Character's travelling to the future and then their past selves not doing the same? You have to fulfil the timeline! Or not. It bothered me a bit but the more I watch it the more I'm able to let it go and enjoy the story for what it is.

So what's missing? Easy - Zaph Brannigan. But with three more features on the way he'll hopefully get the spotlight.

Loved it though. Full review once I dig through the extras.

[Bizarro_Joe]

As sweet as the conclusion is though, it's somewhat predictable. I was bummed that I'd caught up 30 minutes too early, but still so excited at how they brought it all together. So while they didn't surprise me it was still hard to be unimpressed.

What's so refreshing about this adventure is its awareness of the history of Futurama. Not only do they reference the cancellation and 2-year hiatus, but they make numerous shout outs to classic moments in the series. One of which is Fry's nephew Phillip from one of my favorite episodes of all time.

Yeah, I caught onto the "twist" pretty early on, too. But it was still very heart-warming.

I was really thrilled to see the return of Fry's family, the lucky clover, and Seymour the dog. The episodes that those characters are in ("Luck of the Fryrish" and "Jurassic Bark") are two of my absolute favorite episodes; I still get a little choked up at the end of "Jurassic Bark" (though not as badly as when I watch the end of Iron Giant... that movie just turns me into Niagra Falls).

Edit: Here's an interview with David X. Cohen on Bender's Big Score:

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=137624

[Tom Brazelton]

Incidentally, have you guys ever listened to the audio commentaries on the seasons 1-4 DVDs? David X. Cohen is just about as funny as they come.

[HeirToPendragon]

Everyone gets choked up on Jurassic Bark

[Silv3r]

Incidentally, have you guys ever listened to the audio commentaries on the seasons 1-4 DVDs? David X. Cohen is just about as funny as they come.

As nerdy as this sounds, to be honest, its weird seeing the episodes without them running. Also: Futurama voice actors are much funnier than The Simpsons voice actors. John DiMaggio is crazy!

From hearing all the commentaries it made me laugh when they brought in Barbados Slim, considering the amount of times he was mentioned on the season 4 DVDs,all the writers loved him, but couldn't figure out a way to put him into a story.

[joerules]

Yeah you can tell they love Barbedos on BBS's commentary too. Thankfully he has slightly more screen time.

[PrivateJoker]

It's really hard to beat Billy West when it comes to voice acting. That dude fukin rocks.

[cooljammer00]

i saw the twist in like, the first 20 minutes. then it went away. then i saw it again and again. but it was still a great movie.

question though. [spoiler]It shows Bender was the one who fossilized Seymour, who did get to be with Fry a bit longer. But doesn't that mean that the Jurassic Bark ending we saw where he dies old and alone isn't true anymore? Or is the time travel thing just to make sure the same things happen, just with different circumstances? Like, Seymour was always going to be found by Planet Express in 3000, fossilized, but now there was a different reason behind it? But the end result is the same.[/spoiler]

guess spoilers dont work.

[Tom Brazelton]

I don't think we see Seymour die in that episode. He basically just sits on the curb and waits and waits.

Cami and I picked this up (with Waitress - not bad) in advance of a big ice storm that was supposed to hit over the weekend. I love it. The movie, not the ice storm.

I found it THOROUGHLY clever, especially in the way it handles time travel and how the show references - and, in effect - reintroduces itself - consistently throughout. Amazing writing.

[trevor]

Finally saw this flick at Movie Night over the weekend. It was enjoyable with lots of booze and popcorn in my system. Bender isn't my favorite character on the show, so I didn't laugh as much as I thought I could - I think Fry's funny, and Dr Z.

The other little call-outs were funny to a point, but after a while it lost a lot of people in the room that hadn't seen the show before.

I'll have to give it another viewing when sober, but it's pretty enjoyable when you're drunk.

[matt!]

i haven't seen this yet, so who knows, but do you think the title is a little lackluster? as clever as these writers are, couldn't they have come up with something a little less literal? i mean, i loved futurama and would have seen this movie anyway, but the title does not inspire me to run and and buy it.

[Tom Brazelton]

I just wanted to post and say I watched the film a second time, this time with the audio commentary on. Just as hilarious.

I've exhausted all of the bonus features as well. Who knew the math lecture would be so funny!

I can't wait for the next four movies they produce.

[trevor]

I'll be watching the commentary sometime this week, I think. The writers are very bright, and no doubt from the comments last night on the Triple Feature, the commentary is just as entertaining as the movie itself.

[scott]

Trevor, I don't think it really lost too many people in the room, I think they were lost to booze and the fact that it was the second movie of movie night and people were getting tired. I throughly enjoyed it at least.