When an accident gives Fry psychic powers, he discovers that his unique biology (from being his own grandfather) grants him the power to combat the forces of darkness who wish to destroy a rare violet star and the life that has come to fruition in its system.

CRITIQUE

The fourth and final Futurama film is by far the most cinematic of the lot, almost completely dumping its episodic format to become a true feature film.  And if this were the final chapter of the Futurama saga, there couldn’t be a better way to go than this.

After demolishing old Mars Vegas to rebuild it bigger and better, Leo Wong next sets his sights on building an intergalactic miniature golf course, which will endanger a violet star system that has mysteriously developed life.  Frustrated that the law will not step in and save the star system, Leela joins up with a group of eco-feminists who plan to disrupt the construction.  Meanwhile, Fry gets into an accident that gives him psychic powers. After a failed attempt to use this money to win a poker tournament, Fry finds himself taken in by a secret society that wishes to protect the violet star from those who wish to destroy it – including the mysterious “Dark Ones.” 

Like the previous films, The Wild Green Yonder is full of the nutty fun that makes Futurama so enjoyable.  If this were the final chapter, fans will feel as though the Planet Express crew has gone out in style.  For those who have never seen the show before, this film is self-contained and is completely accessible.  If there was never to be any more Futurama, I feel that this is an excellent way to bring the series to a close without truly ending anything, but still giving the audience a sense of closure.

THE VIDEO

The Wild Green Yonder is presented in 1.78:1/1080p widescreen and looks absolutely fantastic. The colors are consistently vibrant throughout and there are no flaws in the image at all.

THE AUDIO

The Wild Green Yonder is given a fantastic 5.1 DTS-HD mix. The dialogue is consistently clear and is never lost under music or sound effects.

THE EXTRAS

Audio Commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Patric M. Verrone, Michael Rowe, Lee Supercinski, and Peter Avanzino: A nice commentary track, but doesn’t really offer too much. There is an option to view the speakers via Video Commentary, but this is more distracting than anything else.

Docudramarama: How We Make Futurama So Good: A fake documentary showing you how an episode of Futurama is made.

Deleted Scenes: A few deleted scenes, nothing remarkably funny or necessary.

“Louder, Louder:” The Acting Technique of Penn Jillette: A featurette looking at Penn’s involvement in this feature.

Matt Groening and David X. Cohen in Space: A video diary of the two going on a zero gravity trip.

How to Draw Futurama in 10 Very Difficult Steps: See how to draw more of your favorite characters

3-D Models with Animator Discussion: Exactly that.

Bender’s Movie Theater Etiquette: The Do’s and Don’ts of movie going.

Zapp Brannigan’s Guiding to Making Love at a Woman: Zapp’s love hints.

FINAL THOUGHTS

While not having the greatest features, The Wild Green Yonder is still a good disc and a good film. Fans of the series will feel satisfied with the end and those who are just getting into Futurama for the first time will be treated to a great story.