DVD REVIEW

Futurama - Bender's Big Score

Fox Home Entertainment || Not Rated || Nov 27, 2007

Synopsis

Proving that you just can't keep a good animated series down, Bender's Big Score revives the Futurama crew in a full-length feature chock full of the satiric touches that made the Matt Groening series a cult favorite among sci-fi and animation fans. In true Futurama form, the plot of Big Score is proudly ridiculous:

At its core, it's about alien telemarketers with a plan to steal Earth's most valuable historical objects, who use e-mail viruses to cripple Planet Express and take control of belligerent robot Bender; the latter carries out their scheme via a time-travel code tattooed on Fry's backside. This allows for all manner of subplots involving Fry's return to the 20th century, romantic confusion between Fry and Leela (Katey Sagal), and a host of cameos ranging from Kwaanza-bot (Coolio) and Zapp Brannigan to Al Gore.


Critique

When I was about 5 years old, we moved into a new housing tract on Del Prado Circle in Fairfield, California, a little bit north of San Francisco. The neighborhood seemed huge at the time. There was a pool, and the houses seemed to line up one after the other all the way to the horizon. I went back a few years ago, and nothing had really changed, but the neighborhood just didn’t feel the same. It was smaller somehow, the same and not.

I had the same feeling watching Bender’s Big Score, the new Futurama movie that will, I hear, become part of a new season. I was a big fan of the show when it first aired. The show is whip smart, with a sensibility that I love (the classical music radio station that plays “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mixalot), and Billy West put to rest any doubt about his being one of the greatest voice over artists ever. (Of course, those of us who first discovered him on Howard Stern years ago have known that for some time.) After being gone for more than four years, Bender’s Big Score has all the right pieces, but it just isn’t the same. Some of the jokes work, but so many more of them don’t, and the film as a whole falls flat.

At the beginning of the movie, we learn that the Box Network (guess who) cancelled their delivery contact, then moments later we learn that those executives were themselves fired. This opening piece – an unapologetic slam at the network that cancelled the show – is one of the funniest moments in the film.

The basic story follows the gang as they are all duped in a not-so-elaborate email phishing scam. Bender is not only not upset about this, but he actually enjoys it. HE travels through time, stealing history’s treasures.

Bender’s Big Score is gag after gag, and some of the jokes work; there are some great lines (“Sir, you’re just a little in a rage ‘cause you’re dying”). There are also long stretches where the movie just doesn’t work; it’s just not funny. Die hard fans will be glad the show is back, but all this movie did was make me want to go back and re-watch the old episodes.


Video

Bender’s big Score is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The movie’s cartoon color palette is sharply presented. The overall picture is vibrant and the transfer is well rendered.


Audio

This disc is presented in 5.1 Dolby Surround. The presentation is excellent, with all channels coming through with great clarity. This won’t tax your system, but the dialogue and the audio effects are balanced well and sharply presented.


Special Features

Commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr, Claudia Katz, Dwayne Carey-Hill, and Ken Keeler: normally commentary tracks with more than two or three people are impossible to listen to. There are just so many people trying to talk that no one really says anything. This track doesn’t quite reach that cacophonous level, but it gets close. Everyone involved obviously had a great time, and their enthusiasm comes across, and there are some amusing exchanges, but on the whole it’s hard to imagine sitting through the whole thing.

Futurama Returns!: a live comic book read by the cast. (8:57)

Everybody Loves Hypnotoad: a full episode of the popular show. Good luck with this one. (22:00)

Deleted Storyboard Scenes: three scenes, presented with voice over so we get an impression of how they might have looked.

A Terrifying Message From Al Gore: an animated ad for An Inconvenient Truth with optional commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen and Al Gore. (1:24)

Bite My Shiny Metal X: a math lecture that is more entertaining than it might sound. A professor talks about mathematical theories as they relate to the show. (26:04)

3D Models/3D Turnarounds: a look at the 3D rendering for some of the ships seen in the film.

Bender’s Big Score: the original draft of the script.

New Character/Design Sketch: exactly that.

Original 5 Minute Comic Con Preview: a long trailer for the film. (4:55)


Final Thoughts

Bender’s Big Score feels like Futurama lite. The characters are there, and all the same people are behind the scenes, but the jokes just don’t fly. I’ve read that this is going to be broken up into four episodes of a new season, which seems like a bad idea. Fans will like this, but some will inevitably be disappointed. The bonus material is great.

VERDICT: RENT IT

 

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Review posted on Jan 27, 2008 | Share this article | Top of Page

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