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Mr. Subtlety Says FUTURAMA MOVIE IV Is Worth Your Quatloos!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
Untested spy “Mr. Subtlety” has seen the fourth and likely final “Futurama” straight-to-DVD movie, but he starts by reviewing the first three. If you’re interested only in “Into The Wild Green Yonder,” skip over this next section:
Good news everyone! I've had the surprising good fortune of seeing the fourth and (final?) Futurama four-episode DVD movie thingy "Into the Wild Green Yonder." (my place of employment gets our DVD deliveries slightly early sometimes!) And you know what? It's a damn fine effort and if it does mean the end of Futurama as we know it... well, it's a worthy entry to go out on.
But before we get into the meat of this thing, I think I ought to address the post-network run of the series, and explain where I stand on things, since it seems that fandom is radically divided about whether there should have been more Futurama, which of the movies work as movies, as episodes, and which one represents the "real Futurama." I'll admit it. I was surprised at the negativity which has been nagging at all three movies in these talkbacks, even though critics seem to be universally supportive (negativity in talkbacks, you say?). As far as I'm concerned, each of the three DTV Futurama adventures is pretty fantastic in its own way, but each also has obvious and unmistakable flaws.
Of the three preceding ones, I'd have to say that I think "Bender's Big Score" is the most successful. It has a great sci-fi concept at its heart, loathesome villians, an epic scope, plenty of laughs, and a moving and faithful treatment of the characters. Still, it had a few shortcomings. The biggest one is its massive tonal shifts between parts, which would later become episodes on TV. Halfway through, it's a musical for about 22 minutes? All the action at the end is crammed into what feels like 5 minutes, while Fry's adventures as a whale biologist stretch out over two whole episodes? As a film, it feels like the tone and action shifts abruptly and unnaturally, which is the biggest issue. Besides that, it also has a few other flaws, namely that its winks to continuity become more like shouts after awhile, and a few jokes feel a bit leaden (a rarity in Futurama writing). Because of these issues, the thing feels a little clunky and awkward, like the show had to find its sure footing again. Most people, including me, seemed to be able to look past the problems and enjoy the obvious greatness of the script and character work. But not everyone.
Then came "Beast With a Billion Backs", and things got even more divided. Beast sported an even more ambitious Sci-Fi plotline, with fantastic animation and direction but and even more erratic structure and some odd character directions. While I enjoyed that Futurama was really using its newfound life to explore the fresh ground it had broken in episodes like "Godfellas" and "the Sting" (which is to say, semi-serious sci fi with the story, atmosphere, and concept every bit as important as the humor), many people seemed to find it less funny and perhaps not as true to the characters (for the record, I think it simply showcases different sides of the familiar characters, but it certainly did come out of the blue and angered fans by downplaying the continuity of the first DTV feature). The film format gave the writers room to pursue science fiction ideas quite boldly (the central concept behind "Beast" ought to make some of the great sci fi writers like Vonnegut and Heinlein appreciate its uniqueness and interesting questions!) and even experiment with tone (there are real traces of sci-fi horror in the third act). While it is true that a few later-season episodes tried this sort of thing, the epic-length feature allowed the writers to do it on a scale they had been unable to attempt before. I found it fascinating and hilarious. But not everyone was pleased, to say the least. Family Guy it wasn't; hell, it wasn't even "Less than Hero."
Finally, "Benders Game" seemed to be the most popular among talkbackers, though I found it unequivocally the weakest of the series. Without question, it is the least ambitious, with a fairly funny but run-of-the-mill story giving way to a really uninspired parody of LotR. I think Futurama is far too funny and imaginative a show to resort to calling their Gondor parody "Wipe Castle" and putting a giant toilet in it, and was really disappointed that the writers used one of their last chances to deal with these characters to put them in such a cheap joke. Then again, despite the abrupt change in plot, "Bender's Game" probably is the most cohesive of the three, feeling like one long story rather than four episodes which follow each other. Moreover --other than the parody section-- it, more than any of the others, captures the laid-back feel of the majority of the series, where the characters sit around the office and watch TV, rather than going on epic mind-bending adventures.
So. That was a lot of blather about the three previous ones. But that's not what this review is about. This one's about the new Futurama, the last Futurama. How is it?
Well, first off, this one may well be the best of the series. It pretty much avoids all of the pitfalls that plagued the others. Its a big, smart sci-fi with great ideas, lots of laughs, great character moments, and it all feels like it evolves organically, without jarring shifts between "episodes".
But let me spill the plot first. I'll be spoiler-lite but if you don't want to know the plot, stop reading. Because I'm going to describe it.
**************************
There's been some speculation based on the trailer, in which Zapp discusses a long-running conflict (that narration is NOT in the film, btw, all the more reason for you to buy a copy of "Bender's Game") that this would be a kind of battle of the sexes. Which I am thankful to say it is not. The conflict he is referring to turns out to be no less a conflict between the forces of life and death, as personified by two ancient alien species who are fighting a neverending battle to preserve or destroy all life in the universe.
The life-side species, called the encyclopods, hold the key to life for all species. They have been hunted to extinction by the death-bringing species, known as the Dark Ones. But thanks to an unusual interstellar event, the encyclopods may be resurrected, along with all extinct life. The Dark ones are going to try to stop that from happening. And who is going to stop them? Who else but Fry?
Leo Wong turns out to be a major villain in this one (he unknowingly is aiding the Dark Ones), and works out pretty well in that role. He hires Bender as protection against protestors, as Leela (and a group of radical eco-feminist… fun, right?) tries to stop him from destroying a life-encrusted asteroid in the name of building his cosmic mini-golf course. Also, Bender beds Don Bot's floozie, Scruffy takes to the helm of the planet express ship, Zoidberg, Fansworth, and Hermes are put in a go-go dancer cage, Fry wears a tin-foil hat and fake mustache, Amy and Kif's relationship is addressed (briefly), Zapp Brannigan appears, Spiro Agnew's body is killed, and the true purpose of the mysterious "number 9 man" who appears all over the early Futurama seasons will be revealed (though, oddly, his penchant for mu-mus embazoned with the number 9 is never addressed).
What does all this have to do with Fry and the Dark Ones? It will all wrap up pretty fantastically in the end.
***************************************
End plot spoilers.
Now, the film does have a couple problems, the chief one being it takes to long too get to the meat of the story. While it doesn't feel like a wholly separate episode, there is a long sequence in "Mars Vegas" which is very funny but is only tangentially related to the plot. I didn't think about it while watching it, but going back, sure enough, it's about 22 minutes long. A couple key points are introduced about the main plot, but too much time is wasted considering the magnitude of what is at stake. In fact, the conflict which Fry has to resolve isn't really even introduced properly until about the 37 minute mark, way too late for the kind of slow build which should have happened here. On the other hand, looking back, you can see the elements of the plot slowly aligning right up until that point, after which things move pretty damn quickly to the big finish, which features at least a glimpse of every major Futurama character, a couple pretty solid twists and a real sweet heartbreaker of an ending which should bring a tear to the eye of many a Futurama fan as it did to mine. (As for the twists, my wife figured out the big twist about 5 minutes before it happened. It took me by surprise, though; although its not exactly out of the blue, it definitely isn't telegraphed like it was in "Bender's Big Score")
The plot is fairly lean and self-contained, although you're certainly much more likely to enjoy it if you're a long-time Futurama fan. The movie wisely avoids excess nods to continuity like BBS; only major characters get much time here, so you won't be distracted with the likes of Bubblegum Slim or Hedonism bot. Futurama completists will chuckle at the mention of career chips, the deaths of the last of the Free Waterfall clan, the inclusion of Number 9 man, the mention of Fry's missing delta brain wave, etc, but they're not the kind of congratulatory winks they have been in previous DTV adventures, they just happen to be little details which fans will dig but fit snugly into the plot so that they never seem overt or out of place.
The Sci- fi (which also includes some pretty strong fantasy elements) is fairly well developed, and quite well visualized (the film's animation is never quite breathtaking, and never quite achieves the kind of visual awe that Beast With a Billion Backs did, but it is still conceptually solid and imaginative). There are a couple sly references as well, most obviously to "Dune," "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," and maybe "The Fifth Element" but undoubtedly future viewings will undoubtedly reveal more. The thing is funny, but like the first two DTV film, it's definitely a story, and one with pretty major philosophical implications, too. While it's a little less complex and imaginative than either of those two, it's a very thoughtful and well-constructed story which weaves many strands together in a surprisingly subtle way. The jokes are numerous along the way, but the story is ultimately propelling this thing, so folks who wish Futurama was more like Family Guy, it ain't happening.
But enough about the references, and philosophical implications, what about the jokes? It is important, of course, that the jokes work. There were maybe one or two that fizzled, but the movie stays consistently funny all the way through. No dry spell, no falter. Funny end to end. Great lines aplenty, funny character moments, crazy shit that only Futurama would make major plot points (a significant portion of the film takes place near a giant gorilla hazard in Leo Wong's interstellar mini-golf course. Genius!).
But Futuama is about so much more than that, and this movie seems to know it. The cartoon always wore its heart on its sleeve, and here it remembers to hit all the right emotional notes while still being funny. When the end comes, we're laughing, but it's bittersweet. And what's more, it feels earned. Maybe it's because we already have so much history with the characters, but their final (?) farewell is sweet and funny and smart. It feels kind of akin in spirit to the last episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" where the crew we've spent years getting to know is retired, to an uncertain fate, perhaps, but also to a new chapter of their lives. It's less arty than "the Sopranos", but bolder than "Star Gate:Atlantis". It is perhaps the perfect ending for the series, even more so than "The Devil's Hands..." since it addressed the way the universe of Futurama –and the characters-- have subtly changed in the five years since then. All major characters contribute, but the focus is wisely on the big three, Fry, Leela and Bender. Interestingly, they spend large portions of the episode apart, but the movie uses the long history we now have with them to fill gaps. We don't need to be hit over the head with Leela and Fry at this point; it's hanging there constantly with both characters, even when it's not being directly addressed. So the characters develop along their own story arcs until they finally dovetail into each other and all that history pays off. And in the end, it's clear that nothing will ever be quite the same. What will the next chapter be like for our heroes? We may never know. But the genius of Futurama is that it makes us WANT to know. It never fails to be creative or funny, but its heart is a very human one, and it lies with the sensitive, surprisingly complex characters who make their last bow here. Unless they make more.
As you can probably guess, I'm a big fan. The combination of genuine sci-fi love, plottiness, wacky humor, smart humor, and real earnest sweetness makes Futurama one of the most ambitious shows ever conceived, (says I,) and its success should be a testament to the deft talent that was able to make that tricky combination work organically and symbiotically. And I doubt anyone has any illusions that it wasn't also the thing that damned the show to this sort of life support. But I, for one, am forever grateful that this unique and special show got a chance to return for one last hurrah. If this is the way they go out on, I'll consider it worthy tribute to another classic sci fi show far too great to be appreciated in its own time.
So buy the friggin' DVD already, and maybe we've got a shot at eking out a few more seasons!
Cheers,
Mr. Subtlety.
PS: By the way, for those wondering about Seth MacFarlane being listed as a guest star, watching the film isn't going to clear anything up for you. I listened for him while watching, without hearing him in there at all. Checking IMDB, I discovered he's the guy who sings a weird song about Mars Vegas at the beginning. But there's not really any purpose to the song (it serves the same role as the Yellow Submarine or Steam Boat Willie bits at the beginning of the other ones) and there's definitely no reason for MacFarlane to the one singing it (not that he does a bad job, it's just that it's the same job anyone who could decently impersonate Dean Martin would do). I can only interpret it as a peace offering and a sign to fans that there's room in their hearts for both series, and, hell, why not. The Family Guy/South Park feud is much more fun anyway.
“Futurama: Into The Wild Green Yonder” hits store shelves Tuesday.
Kirk!! Spock!! Blu-ray!!
But before we get into the meat of this thing, I think I ought to address the post-network run of the series, and explain where I stand on things, since it seems that fandom is radically divided about whether there should have been more Futurama, which of the movies work as movies, as episodes, and which one represents the "real Futurama." I'll admit it. I was surprised at the negativity which has been nagging at all three movies in these talkbacks, even though critics seem to be universally supportive (negativity in talkbacks, you say?). As far as I'm concerned, each of the three DTV Futurama adventures is pretty fantastic in its own way, but each also has obvious and unmistakable flaws.
Of the three preceding ones, I'd have to say that I think "Bender's Big Score" is the most successful. It has a great sci-fi concept at its heart, loathesome villians, an epic scope, plenty of laughs, and a moving and faithful treatment of the characters. Still, it had a few shortcomings. The biggest one is its massive tonal shifts between parts, which would later become episodes on TV. Halfway through, it's a musical for about 22 minutes? All the action at the end is crammed into what feels like 5 minutes, while Fry's adventures as a whale biologist stretch out over two whole episodes? As a film, it feels like the tone and action shifts abruptly and unnaturally, which is the biggest issue. Besides that, it also has a few other flaws, namely that its winks to continuity become more like shouts after awhile, and a few jokes feel a bit leaden (a rarity in Futurama writing). Because of these issues, the thing feels a little clunky and awkward, like the show had to find its sure footing again. Most people, including me, seemed to be able to look past the problems and enjoy the obvious greatness of the script and character work. But not everyone.
Then came "Beast With a Billion Backs", and things got even more divided. Beast sported an even more ambitious Sci-Fi plotline, with fantastic animation and direction but and even more erratic structure and some odd character directions. While I enjoyed that Futurama was really using its newfound life to explore the fresh ground it had broken in episodes like "Godfellas" and "the Sting" (which is to say, semi-serious sci fi with the story, atmosphere, and concept every bit as important as the humor), many people seemed to find it less funny and perhaps not as true to the characters (for the record, I think it simply showcases different sides of the familiar characters, but it certainly did come out of the blue and angered fans by downplaying the continuity of the first DTV feature). The film format gave the writers room to pursue science fiction ideas quite boldly (the central concept behind "Beast" ought to make some of the great sci fi writers like Vonnegut and Heinlein appreciate its uniqueness and interesting questions!) and even experiment with tone (there are real traces of sci-fi horror in the third act). While it is true that a few later-season episodes tried this sort of thing, the epic-length feature allowed the writers to do it on a scale they had been unable to attempt before. I found it fascinating and hilarious. But not everyone was pleased, to say the least. Family Guy it wasn't; hell, it wasn't even "Less than Hero."
Finally, "Benders Game" seemed to be the most popular among talkbackers, though I found it unequivocally the weakest of the series. Without question, it is the least ambitious, with a fairly funny but run-of-the-mill story giving way to a really uninspired parody of LotR. I think Futurama is far too funny and imaginative a show to resort to calling their Gondor parody "Wipe Castle" and putting a giant toilet in it, and was really disappointed that the writers used one of their last chances to deal with these characters to put them in such a cheap joke. Then again, despite the abrupt change in plot, "Bender's Game" probably is the most cohesive of the three, feeling like one long story rather than four episodes which follow each other. Moreover --other than the parody section-- it, more than any of the others, captures the laid-back feel of the majority of the series, where the characters sit around the office and watch TV, rather than going on epic mind-bending adventures.
Well, first off, this one may well be the best of the series. It pretty much avoids all of the pitfalls that plagued the others. Its a big, smart sci-fi with great ideas, lots of laughs, great character moments, and it all feels like it evolves organically, without jarring shifts between "episodes".
But let me spill the plot first. I'll be spoiler-lite but if you don't want to know the plot, stop reading. Because I'm going to describe it.
**************************
There's been some speculation based on the trailer, in which Zapp discusses a long-running conflict (that narration is NOT in the film, btw, all the more reason for you to buy a copy of "Bender's Game") that this would be a kind of battle of the sexes. Which I am thankful to say it is not. The conflict he is referring to turns out to be no less a conflict between the forces of life and death, as personified by two ancient alien species who are fighting a neverending battle to preserve or destroy all life in the universe.
The life-side species, called the encyclopods, hold the key to life for all species. They have been hunted to extinction by the death-bringing species, known as the Dark Ones. But thanks to an unusual interstellar event, the encyclopods may be resurrected, along with all extinct life. The Dark ones are going to try to stop that from happening. And who is going to stop them? Who else but Fry?
Leo Wong turns out to be a major villain in this one (he unknowingly is aiding the Dark Ones), and works out pretty well in that role. He hires Bender as protection against protestors, as Leela (and a group of radical eco-feminist… fun, right?) tries to stop him from destroying a life-encrusted asteroid in the name of building his cosmic mini-golf course. Also, Bender beds Don Bot's floozie, Scruffy takes to the helm of the planet express ship, Zoidberg, Fansworth, and Hermes are put in a go-go dancer cage, Fry wears a tin-foil hat and fake mustache, Amy and Kif's relationship is addressed (briefly), Zapp Brannigan appears, Spiro Agnew's body is killed, and the true purpose of the mysterious "number 9 man" who appears all over the early Futurama seasons will be revealed (though, oddly, his penchant for mu-mus embazoned with the number 9 is never addressed).
What does all this have to do with Fry and the Dark Ones? It will all wrap up pretty fantastically in the end.
***************************************
End plot spoilers.
Now, the film does have a couple problems, the chief one being it takes to long too get to the meat of the story. While it doesn't feel like a wholly separate episode, there is a long sequence in "Mars Vegas" which is very funny but is only tangentially related to the plot. I didn't think about it while watching it, but going back, sure enough, it's about 22 minutes long. A couple key points are introduced about the main plot, but too much time is wasted considering the magnitude of what is at stake. In fact, the conflict which Fry has to resolve isn't really even introduced properly until about the 37 minute mark, way too late for the kind of slow build which should have happened here. On the other hand, looking back, you can see the elements of the plot slowly aligning right up until that point, after which things move pretty damn quickly to the big finish, which features at least a glimpse of every major Futurama character, a couple pretty solid twists and a real sweet heartbreaker of an ending which should bring a tear to the eye of many a Futurama fan as it did to mine. (As for the twists, my wife figured out the big twist about 5 minutes before it happened. It took me by surprise, though; although its not exactly out of the blue, it definitely isn't telegraphed like it was in "Bender's Big Score")
The plot is fairly lean and self-contained, although you're certainly much more likely to enjoy it if you're a long-time Futurama fan. The movie wisely avoids excess nods to continuity like BBS; only major characters get much time here, so you won't be distracted with the likes of Bubblegum Slim or Hedonism bot. Futurama completists will chuckle at the mention of career chips, the deaths of the last of the Free Waterfall clan, the inclusion of Number 9 man, the mention of Fry's missing delta brain wave, etc, but they're not the kind of congratulatory winks they have been in previous DTV adventures, they just happen to be little details which fans will dig but fit snugly into the plot so that they never seem overt or out of place.
The Sci- fi (which also includes some pretty strong fantasy elements) is fairly well developed, and quite well visualized (the film's animation is never quite breathtaking, and never quite achieves the kind of visual awe that Beast With a Billion Backs did, but it is still conceptually solid and imaginative). There are a couple sly references as well, most obviously to "Dune," "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," and maybe "The Fifth Element" but undoubtedly future viewings will undoubtedly reveal more. The thing is funny, but like the first two DTV film, it's definitely a story, and one with pretty major philosophical implications, too. While it's a little less complex and imaginative than either of those two, it's a very thoughtful and well-constructed story which weaves many strands together in a surprisingly subtle way. The jokes are numerous along the way, but the story is ultimately propelling this thing, so folks who wish Futurama was more like Family Guy, it ain't happening.
But enough about the references, and philosophical implications, what about the jokes? It is important, of course, that the jokes work. There were maybe one or two that fizzled, but the movie stays consistently funny all the way through. No dry spell, no falter. Funny end to end. Great lines aplenty, funny character moments, crazy shit that only Futurama would make major plot points (a significant portion of the film takes place near a giant gorilla hazard in Leo Wong's interstellar mini-golf course. Genius!).
But Futuama is about so much more than that, and this movie seems to know it. The cartoon always wore its heart on its sleeve, and here it remembers to hit all the right emotional notes while still being funny. When the end comes, we're laughing, but it's bittersweet. And what's more, it feels earned. Maybe it's because we already have so much history with the characters, but their final (?) farewell is sweet and funny and smart. It feels kind of akin in spirit to the last episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" where the crew we've spent years getting to know is retired, to an uncertain fate, perhaps, but also to a new chapter of their lives. It's less arty than "the Sopranos", but bolder than "Star Gate:Atlantis". It is perhaps the perfect ending for the series, even more so than "The Devil's Hands..." since it addressed the way the universe of Futurama –and the characters-- have subtly changed in the five years since then. All major characters contribute, but the focus is wisely on the big three, Fry, Leela and Bender. Interestingly, they spend large portions of the episode apart, but the movie uses the long history we now have with them to fill gaps. We don't need to be hit over the head with Leela and Fry at this point; it's hanging there constantly with both characters, even when it's not being directly addressed. So the characters develop along their own story arcs until they finally dovetail into each other and all that history pays off. And in the end, it's clear that nothing will ever be quite the same. What will the next chapter be like for our heroes? We may never know. But the genius of Futurama is that it makes us WANT to know. It never fails to be creative or funny, but its heart is a very human one, and it lies with the sensitive, surprisingly complex characters who make their last bow here. Unless they make more.
As you can probably guess, I'm a big fan. The combination of genuine sci-fi love, plottiness, wacky humor, smart humor, and real earnest sweetness makes Futurama one of the most ambitious shows ever conceived, (says I,) and its success should be a testament to the deft talent that was able to make that tricky combination work organically and symbiotically. And I doubt anyone has any illusions that it wasn't also the thing that damned the show to this sort of life support. But I, for one, am forever grateful that this unique and special show got a chance to return for one last hurrah. If this is the way they go out on, I'll consider it worthy tribute to another classic sci fi show far too great to be appreciated in its own time.
So buy the friggin' DVD already, and maybe we've got a shot at eking out a few more seasons!
Cheers,
Mr. Subtlety.
PS: By the way, for those wondering about Seth MacFarlane being listed as a guest star, watching the film isn't going to clear anything up for you. I listened for him while watching, without hearing him in there at all. Checking IMDB, I discovered he's the guy who sings a weird song about Mars Vegas at the beginning. But there's not really any purpose to the song (it serves the same role as the Yellow Submarine or Steam Boat Willie bits at the beginning of the other ones) and there's definitely no reason for MacFarlane to the one singing it (not that he does a bad job, it's just that it's the same job anyone who could decently impersonate Dean Martin would do). I can only interpret it as a peace offering and a sign to fans that there's room in their hearts for both series, and, hell, why not. The Family Guy/South Park feud is much more fun anyway.
Kirk!! Spock!! Blu-ray!!
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First!
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Boom goes the dynamite!
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on the first 3 Futurama dvds. My main gripe is that taking it out of the 22 minute format really killed the snap and pop of the jokes. They just either didn't exist or weren't that funny.
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This is definitely the funniest out of the four. The storyline is also top notch, too. Love this show!
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hey... I'm Mr. Subtelty. Since you mentioned it, my feeling is that they ought to go back to 22 minutes episodes, but keep a certain extent of the continuity-based plotlines. You know, like the X-files. One of the things which made Futurama really unique was the commitment to real sci-fi plots and the continuity, but the movie format made things unnecessarily complicated. I think the movies actually work better as episodes (watch em that way and tell me you disagree!) and they should base any further episodes that way, putting monster-of-the-week episodes alongside a few that have long story archs. And perhaps combining them a little. But one thing I hope they don't do is go back to the one-off episodes and forget the idea of a larger scope. I (as my review makes clear, I hope) deeply admire the writers' goal of cultivating deeper, more intricate plots with a wider scope, more at stake, and a more imaginative paradigm. I just think they do best when they combine that with the hum-drum everyday character of one-off episodes. If they get another chance (and I for one certainly hope they do!) they ought to really commit themselves to long-term story goals nestled within standalone episodes. That would really crystalize the kind of unique character I think Futurama alone is capable of cultivating.
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thumbs up
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I'm dying to see this one. I know it's out there in p2p world... but I gotta actually buy it.
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Must say it was quite good, and the ending deff had some nice closure.
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Gay superhero Nazis at 12 o'clock!!! :O
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But these films have been very patchy and clunky, any of the episodes are a better watch. Here's hoping they go back to the series format.
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does the voice of the encyclopod.
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Amy Wong and her parents are the worst racist Asian stereotypes on TV and I shudder at their inclusion AGAIN. Wasn't a previous movie all about them too? And didn't Fry's brain wave problem enable him to thwart another galactic menace in a special two part episode and subsequent follow up episode? So what's new in this film?
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In retrospect I didn't like the first one at all. Where were these jokes that supposedly hit? It meandered far too often. And Beast of a Billion Backs was ok, if only for David Cross.
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1. BENDER'S BIG SCORE
2. BENDER'S GAME
3. INTO THE WILD GREEN YONDER
4. THE BEAST WITH A BILLION BACKS
THAT'S MY 2 CENTS. GO BUY YOURSELF A COUPLE OF GUMBALLS. -
It was funny. Don't see a need to rank them.
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While you make a good point about creating a more serialized Futurama I would have to respectfully disagree. Personally I enjoy the episodic nature of the show. It provides a huge variety of plots, characters etc. especially when syndicated. The one offs just seem to age much better than big storylines. After all even with sci-fi elements the show really is a sitcom at it's core.
We can all agree though, bring it back and no more winks at the camera! -
Robot Devil...and Robot Santa....and Kwanza-bot...and Chanaka Zombie.
I really don't care about the unevenness of the movies...Futurama is great and I can't believe some of the crapola on tv....bring it back to the episodic format. -
The previous three DTV Futurama movies have made me laugh approximately three times. Hopefully, this one can do a little better.
The series was so much better... and that's why the season sets will continue to hold an honored place on my DVD shelf. The DTV movies... not so much. -
Sexiest cyclops EVER.
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Feb 21, 2009 8:37:53 AM CST
No, he doesn't... but she does say "I love you too, Fry".
by jackpumpkinhead
Don't jump up, though; the ending (spoiler, yadda, yadda) probably reverses it all, as they dive into a wormhole.
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If you were as disappointed with the previous three as I was (especially with the horrible "Big Score"), then this one may cheer you up. It's obviously glued from several scripts and maybe that's why it mostly works.
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I really don't care much anymore. I was initially genuinely angry, but once you get over the initial "insult" of the drop in quality I suppose you could watch them and get a laugh here or there. I suppose the real question is whether it was worth it or not?
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I was a late comer to Futurama. Didn't get into it till about 1 year before Benders Big Score came out. And I must say I am truly satisfied with the ending we have been given now. The movies were all great, BBS was #1 followed by ITWGY for #2. I hope that it does get picked back up into series. Imagine, Futurama LOST IN SPACE! lol
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But stop with the fry and leela bullshit. Make them a couple, and leave it at that. It's getting ridiculous.
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Just terrible. The others were inconsistent, maybe even sub-par compared to Futurama's past. But still Futurama, and still funnier than most anything else you'll see in a month. Bender's Game was terrible. I'm glad this reviewer acknowledged that; it gives me hope for this one.
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The first film was a big, sloppy continuity-heavy French kiss to the fans. I liked it a lot, didn't really love it because the "villains" were so weak and the final battle seemed really weak.
Then came the second film, which was a GIGANTIC middle finger to the fans and continuity. Seriously, Fry drops Leela like a bad habit, shacks up immediately with some nobody and then essentially commits suicide because she won't commit right away? And Leela, after having her heart broken in two and seeing Fry in a new light, shrugs it off and never mentions it again? Fucking weak, lame bullshit.
Ugh, then the third ... yeah, it was funny at times (especially the scenes in the robot asylum - that shit was genius), and it had a coherent story, and so does a lot of fanfic. And that's all it was. Fanfic, "what if?" comic-booky shit. Seriously, after all the weight given to the Nibblonians, it turns out they're ALL in some chicken coop place making dark matter? And this was never mentioned before by Nibbler? Not as fucking lame as Beast, but still weak bullshit.
I'm crossing my fingers that this last one returns to what I (at least) love about Futurama, the core relationship between Fry and Leela, and to a lesser extent Bender. Plus a strong supporting cast. That's the series for me. -
come on, his singing voice at the beginning is so distinctive, it's like brian was singing it.
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Steh McFarlane does NOT do the voice of the Encyclopod. Who does do the voice is part of the storyline.
I too prefer the show in episodic form. You get a wider variety of stories, big and small. -
yeah going back I can hear it now. But come on, its more Sinatra/Martin than MacFarlane (especially in conext), and any of the voice actors on the show can probably do about the same level of imitation. Listening to it after I knew, though, I was like "oh, yeah. of course."
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A *true* Furuama fan would never have garbled "Barbados Slim" and "Bubblegum Tate".
Ummm... racist! -
Can't stand that fat greasy fuck.
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A moment of silence for the headless remains of former (or would that be former current and again former?) Vice President Spiro Agnew.
His one-note gagness will be missed.
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and doesnt try to oomph up the cast with big names, except for the occasional guest spot wonder woman was good, but there really was no point in using name stars for the roles
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That's really all I want to know at this point.
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..will not get it in "Wild Green Yonder". The single "I love you" is, literally, their ONLY INTERACTION WHATSOEVER. In fact for the first 2/3s of the movie I thought they had dropped the relationship altogether. Also, what did you say about this not being a "battle of the sexes" movie? Because 75% of it was Leela and her eco-fem's (all very ditsy, annoying valley girls) manbashing and making "fem"izations of every word they said, which was meekly funny the first time but got progressively more annoying. However, despite that, I still enjoyed it. So there's that.
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I loved that part where Katie Seagal basically does her Married with Children routine as Leela dresses up just like Peggy.
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"Beast" was pretty disappointing however, while "Bender's Game" was ok but thin on both ends because of how segmented and separated it was, how little it actually had to say, and how tame its final act was. But I am fully looking forward to this one, and although unlikely, I hope it brings enough interest from the network (Comedy Central, really? WTF?) to get a real season of episodes back. Still, if this is to be the series' last stand, at least I know I was there, I put my money where my mouth was every single time, and was rewarded by the dedicated cast and crew behind Futurama - the smartest and best looking cartoon ever.
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I am shamed. Not sure why that came out of my head. At least I didn't write "Hedonism Slim" and "Bubblegum Bot."
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I just meant the battle Zapp is talking about in the trailer narration is not a battle of the sexes. And interestingly, though they play up the feminism for iffy laughs, it actually is much more important to the plot that they eco-radicals. Which is very thankful as far as I'm concerned, because men-vs-women plotlines are cliches even by sitcom standards. I'd argue the joke here is more about a specific political demographic, rather than a gender (even if its kind of an unfair joke).
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There's surprisingly little interaction between them throughout the course of the movie, but I actually thought it was quite well-handled. Since we already have five years of history on this relationship, its not like we really needed to see Fry moping more, or trying to impress Leela more.
Instead, this was Leela's turn to grow a little bit -- she's asked several times throughout the movie to trust Fry, and ultimately is able to do so not because of anything specific which happened in the plot, but simply because by this point, she sort of has a sudden realization that Fry is a good and trustworthy person at the heart of things, and that's why they're finally just able to say "I love you." She trusts him to be on the right side of things, even without having any idea why he's acting the way he is. That's the kind of culmination of a long-running backstory that you can only really do once a series has been on long enough for that to be firmly established, but I think in this case it is. I consider it a nice close to that story arch, and hope that if it does come back, they're a couple or at least trying to be. -
Maybe because I'm a fool and a sucker. But damn it if I want these writers to grow the hell up and give us a culmination of their relationship. I'd argue strongly that there's a fantastic Fry-Leela story arc going from the pilot to "Devil's Hands", and even if "Bender's Big Score" is a little rocky on the arc, it can still fly (until they pissed it all to hell on the near unforgivable "Beast" and the luke-warm follow up "Bender's Game").
And on top of that, I believe strongly their relationship would be more fun to watch than a rehasing of the steps they've taken to get to this point. I really, REALLY want to see them have a go at it, and for those who might say it'd ruin the show or the dynamic ... goddamnit, that's what writers are for, that's what they're paid to do, to keep it interesting by injecting fresh ideas and situations and letting the characters grow for chrissake!
Their love story is quite beautiful if you consider the path they've both taken to find each other, and yeah, I take this shit seriously because enough of the writing in the series warrants it. The movies ... meh, too much fucking lame weak bullshit. Even if I hold out hope for them to return to a Leela-Fry arc that doesn't insult the viewers who take their writing seriously, like "Beast" did. Okay, end of rant for today ... -
"Into the Wild Green Yonder" is the best of the Futurama movies, even though there was some ad placement, which I think I only noticed because I was high, and it angered me. But I forgive them. They need the money so they can make more Futurama.
Or else.
But yeah, it had the best story, the strongest jokes, the finest character moments.
After "Yonder" my favorite is "Bender's Big Score".
I understand why some of you don't like "The Best With a Billion Backs" -- if you watch it in four episodes it feels less choppy, even though I guess it's actually choppier. Also, the story was unique -- I never expected the monster to be so... loving.
"Bender's Game" was good in the sections that had nothing to do with that lame "Lord of the Rings" parody. I love Nibbler.
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Maybe I need more viewings than 1, but it's been my least favorite so far. I kept waiting for some cool mind-reading moment from Fry that never happened. Ooops, spoilers there huh?
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It felt like an old 1950's sci-fi, I have enjoyed each new Futurama for different reasons and eagerly await more.
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... that so far the Futurama movies can all been boiled down to okay to good, 22 minute episodes. That's how it works best and that's about all the good material you get from these overworked straight to DVDs. You don't even get the characters we know and love in them. Hermes has his head removed from his body, Bender is under mind control, and Fry is under a spell... all for entire 90 minute episodes. And what's with the release of one Blu-Ray disk out of 3 movies and a whole 4 seasons in. It's not like it didn't exist before that 3rd one. The proper thing to do would have been to go back and give us Blu-Ray on the all 4 seasons first and make seasons one and two with a "play all" option. Yes that's how I watch them, I love the show more than you.
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Beast is my fav too, flawed as it is. They really aimed high on that one and even when it doesn't quite work its a pretty amazing concept with spectacular animation and really, really funny jokes. I think its the funniest out of the four, although I can also see why some people can't stand it (jarring tonal shifts, ignoring fry+leela, unusual action by main characters, too weird, too cavalier about killing kiff, etc etc). I like the rest so much that that stuff seems like nitpicking but it was a gamekiller for plenty of folks.
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Classic sci-fi writer? Maybe about five percent of his total writings. He laughs at you from heaven.
Also: "Bender's Game" was boring. I fell asleep for part of it. Thus far, Bender's Big Score has been the best and I think a lot of that is due to "Yippe, Futurama is back!"-itis. -
well, early in his career he was pretty solidly labeled a sci-fi writer, and was never totally able to shake it off. I think he's a relevant person to bring up here because of his use of sci fi and fantasy situations to explore complex moral, social, and philosophical issues without really being a genre writer. Like Kilgore Trout, Vonnegut's writing was always more heavy on the fantastic than the scientific, which makes it, I think, a very nice parallel for "Beast". Another apt comparison would be Philip Jose Farmer, who also took much from Vonnegut. As to Vonnegut's sci fi output, I count 7 of his 14 novels which have explicitly sci-fi premise. And arguably "God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian" does too.
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