First Futurama DVD-Movie Review (Spoilers, Obviously)

[Starsky]

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=24076

[veemonjosh]

So, the theory of the new episodes really being the movies is true...

When does this come out anyways?

[Starsky]

Tentatively, Xmas 2007.

[DarthGonzo]

Hmm, I'm excited, but it sounds like a heck of a lot of fan service if you ask me.

Kinda like...kinda like...Family Guy when it came back after being cancelled.

I'm all for giving fans what they want but I certainly hope they dont go overboard with this.

[judyindisguise]

Sounds interesting. But I gotta say this: Al Gore is becoming the next "TV's Adam West" when it comes to unwanted intrusive celebrity cartoon guest stars. Why couldn't Bender have beaten HIM up in that trailer somebody posted here awhile ago?

[Neo Yi]

Interesting indeed. The way I read it, it does seem to have some fanservice, yet he did mention it had an emotional drive behind it, something I appreciate, so in short...I'm once again mixed: excited for new Futurama, hesitated it won't be as good as the old ones we got.

Guess it's always up to the tried and true watch before your judge thing again, ahahaha. :D

[TheMecca]

judy- by unwanted intrusive celebrity cartoon guest star, do you mean "Appeared on Futurama twice"? I don't remember him being in anything else.
and Veemonjosh- Yeah, the movie will be 4 airable episodes, but (once again, if memory serves) CC ordered seprately from the movie.

As to the review, hell yes.

[judyindisguise]

judy- by unwanted intrusive celebrity cartoon guest star, do you mean "Appeared on Futurama twice"? I don't remember him being in anything else..

IMO, twice earns Gore that title easily. :D

[judyindisguise]

Hmm, I'm excited, but it sounds like a heck of a lot of fan service if you ask me.

Kinda like...kinda like...Family Guy when it came back after being cancelled.

I'm all for giving fans what they want but I certainly hope they dont go overboard with this.

Yeah...I think I know what you mean. But arguably Futurama's most compelling storyline is Fry's unrequited love for Leela. I guess the writers just couldn't overlook it. IMO Fry's desire for his one-eyed wonder woman (sorry) does make him more human. And humanity is not something the cast of that show is drenched with. They are no way as appealing as the Simpsons gang.

I hope for two things (besides the Fry/Leela bit, for the reasons stated above): a toned-down Bender (not tamed, just toned down a mite) and for god's sake a personality for Dr. Zoidberg. The way he was handled during the show's original run just baffles me. His voice gives the impression of a dry, laconic Yiddish fatalist, but his dialogue gives the impression of a blithering idiot. I think if the dialogue matched the voice Zoidberg could be a much-needed addition to the cast, since nobody in it really seems to have much common sense. A more sarcastic voice of reason (to counterbalance Leela's earnestness) would be very refreshing IMO.

[RonDrakenfan17]

Yahoo I can't wait for these episodes to come out soon, they sound so cool. I hope they conclude the Brain saga I always loved those episodes and from it sounds like it just may do that. Ask for Leela/Fry I am a shipper of them so I don't care if its fan service or not I'm a sucker for romance :D

[Jave]

I hope for two things (besides the Fry/Leela bit, for the reasons stated above): a toned-down Bender (not tamed, just toned down a mite) and for god's sake a personality for Dr. Zoidberg. The way he was handled during the show's original run just baffles me. His voice gives the impression of a dry, laconic Yiddish fatalist, but his dialogue gives the impression of a blithering idiot. I think if the dialogue matched the voice Zoidberg could be a much-needed addition to the cast, since nobody in it really seems to have much common sense. A more sarcastic voice of reason (to counterbalance Leela's earnestness) would be very refreshing IMO.Eeeh... but isn't that the point of Dr. Zoidberg? The fact that he SOUNDS serious but turns out to be a total moron?

[TheMecca]

I hope for two things (besides the Fry/Leela bit, for the reasons stated above): a toned-down Bender (not tamed, just toned down a mite) and for god's sake a personality for Dr. Zoidberg. The way he was handled during the show's original run just baffles me. His voice gives the impression of a dry, laconic Yiddish fatalist, but his dialogue gives the impression of a blithering idiot. I think if the dialogue matched the voice Zoidberg could be a much-needed addition to the cast, since nobody in it really seems to have much common sense. A more sarcastic voice of reason (to counterbalance Leela's earnestness) would be very refreshing IMO. Yeah, but that would be terrible. Zoidberg is, arguably, the best supporting character (well, of the Planet Express crew anyway) and he's funny because he's a moron, like Jave said. Making his dialogue be serious would be a "Jerkass Cosmo" move, if you will.
As for a slightly toned down Bender? He's the most popular character. Not gonna happen.

[judyindisguise]

Eeeh... but isn't that the point of Dr. Zoidberg? The fact that he SOUNDS serious but turns out to be a total moron?

But just about everybody in the show is a total moron. A character who's actually a little different from the others, personality-wise, would be nice...

[judyindisguise]

Yeah, but that would be terrible. Zoidberg is, arguably, the best supporting character (well, of the Planet Express crew anyway) and he's funny because he's a moron, like Jave said. Making his dialogue be serious would be a "Jerkass Cosmo" move, if you will.
As for a slightly toned down Bender? He's the most popular character. Not gonna happen.

Bear in mind that Futurama flopped on Fox, and there were reasons for that. The public (or the "great unwashed masses", whatever position you wanna take) didn't go for it the way it went for The Simpsons. I watched the show during its first run and I catch it every now and then on Adult Swim, but I still see its flaws and IMO Zoidberg is one of them. And who said his dialogue had to be serious? I apologize if I gave that impression. A sarcastic voice of reason, much like Groucho of the Marx Brothers, or Jackie Mason, can be pretty damn funny IMO if used with discretion. And at least it might make him distinct from the other idiots. Bender is a slob who's into booze and women. Fry is also a slob who's into booze and women. Zoidberg...is a slob who would probably also be into booze and women if all the jokes about those things weren't already being used for Bender and Fry. As it is, he's an idiot who lacks personality. Boring IMO.

But then I'm not a Futurama fanatic. To me it's a show that never lived up to its potential, amusing as it can be from time to time. Unlike The Simpsons, which lived up to its potential and then some. And anyway, I realize that what I hope would happen isn't gonna happen, most likely. But hey, it's fun to think about...

[Starsky]

But that's Zoidberg's charm. He's not exactly a moron, he's just the biggest loser ever, which is why we love him and why his spotlight moments are always absolutely hilarious (the scene in The Cryonic Woman where Fry, Leela and Bender are fired and everyone starts paying attention to Zoidberg is HYSTERICAL).

But just about everybody in the show is a total moron. A character who's actually a little different from the others, personality-wise, would be nice...
Well, they all have their quirks, but they're not all morons. Leela, Bender, Kif, Hermes, LaBarbara, Cubert, Dwight, Amy (although she is incredibly naive) and Professor Farnsworth (crazy, yes, but not stupid) are characters that can't be labeled that easily.

[judyindisguise]

But that's Zoidberg's charm. He's not exactly a moron, he's just the biggest loser ever, which is why we love him and why his spotlight moments are always absolutely hilarious (the scene in The Cryonic Woman where Fry, Leela and Bender are fired and everyone starts paying attention to Zoidberg is HYSTERICAL).


Well, they all have their quirks, but they're not all morons. Leela, Bender, Kif, Hermes, LaBarbara, Cubert, Dwight, Amy (although she is incredibly naive) and Professor Farnsworth (crazy, yes, but not stupid) are characters that can't be labeled that easily.

Some of them can. The Professor is a senile moron. Bender is a thuggish moron. All the rest you mention don't IMO have much personality in any case, with the possible exception of Kif. But again I'm a viewer of Futurama who likes some episodes but isn't all that into it. Those of you who are enthusiasts probably just see things in it I don't. Anyway I'm glad it's getting another chance, and it'll be cool to see what the crew behind the show come up with.

Let me ask you something though: Why do you think Futurama, in its original run, failed? It had much more going for it than did Family Guy. It had the creator of The Simpsons behind it for one thing. Why didn't the public go for it?

[Martianinvader]

Let me ask you something though: Why do you think Futurama, in its original run, failed? It had much more going for it than did Family Guy. It had the creator of The Simpsons behind it for one thing. Why didn't the public go for it?
If you recall, when this came out, the networks were unleashing a flood of other animated prime-time shows. Whenever this happens, all the me-too tries get mashed into each other and die. Some very good things also debuted at this time and were ignored as mere copycats desiring The Simpsons' thunder.

[DarthGonzo]

Let me ask you something though: Why do you think Futurama, in its original run, failed? It had much more going for it than did Family Guy. It had the creator of The Simpsons behind it for one thing. Why didn't the public go for it?

Well part of the reason was because it was never allowed to find it's audience. It began on a Sunday then was moved to a Tuesday slot and then finally moved to it's disasterous 7pm Sunday slot - a time when it spent most of the year being pre-empted by sports. By the end there were so many unaired episodes left that it ran for, what, almost two years after production ended. They burned off a whole bunch of the remaining episodes during the summer of 2003.

Judy - don't expect any major character reworkings. Futurama fans love Zoidberg and Bender for who they are. I certainly don't want them to change.

[Starsky]

Let me ask you something though: Why do you think Futurama, in its original run, failed? It had much more going for it than did Family Guy. It had the creator of The Simpsons behind it for one thing. Why didn't the public go for it?
Half of the people I've talked to didn't even know WHEN the new episodes premiered. Fox aired it however they wanted, didn't run promos for it, premiered episodes during the summer, changed the schedule all the time, screwed the show's continuity (oh look, it's the introduction of Hermes' son! Shame he's already been in a bunch of episodes), and the like. Sure, it's not the only reason why it failed (most of the time, it was written by geeks, for geeks), but the fact that most episodes got better ratings in their Adult Swim cable re-airing than in the Fox premiere should tell you something.

[Dogbert]

Why do you think Futurama, in its original run, failed? It had much more going for it than did Family Guy. It had the creator of The Simpsons behind it for one thing. Why didn't the public go for it?In addition to the death by poor scheduling DarthGonzo already addressed, Fox didn't promote it enough. The big reason though, was that even though Futurama's ratings were around the same as Family Guy and were overall decent, the show cost more to make. Thus, Fox rightly demanded more from it.

[Jave]

But arguably Futurama's most compelling storyline is Fry's unrequited love for Leela.Why do people keep saying "unrequited"?! Godgodgodgodgodgod. Fry's love for Leela became mutual at the end of "The Why of Fry". They're a couple now. The writers just don't touch the subject that much because making every episode focus on the romantic relationship of both of them would get boring. In "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playings", Fry wasn't trying to win Leela's love, he was just trying to impress his girlfriend.

Some of them can. The Professor is a senile moron. Bender is a thuggish moron. All the rest you mention don't IMO have much personality in any case, with the possible exception of Kif.Well what do you want the characters to be? They all have pretty much defined personalities at this point. And I don't think Bender counts as a moron, sometimes he can be a backstabber and that kind of stuff, but not a moron. Fansworth, well... he did made a lot of great inventions, didn't he? The only characters that I may agree have little personalities are LaBarbara and Dwight (and even that last one is kind of a longshot), but they were both in... what? 3 or 4 episodes?

Character experimentation is usually done during the first 20 episodes, not during the first 80 episodes.

Let me ask you something though: Why do you think Futurama, in its original run, failed? It had much more going for it than did Family Guy. It had the creator of The Simpsons behind it for one thing. Why didn't the public go for it?Are you really expecting people to answer "because no one liked the characters"? Because that's not the reason.

[DarthGonzo]

Why do people keep saying "unrequited"?! Godgodgodgodgodgod. Fry's love for Leela became mutual at the end of "The Why of Fry". They're a couple now. The writers just don't touch the subject that much because making every episode focus on the romantic relationship of both of them would get boring. In "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playings", Fry wasn't trying to win Leela's love, he was just trying to impress his girlfriend.


Your pretty far off with this.

At no point in the series is Leele ever shown as being Fry's girlfriend. Even the end of the final episode is rather open-ended: we're only given the impression that things are going to work out between them. But we're never shown anything conclusive.

In The Why of Fry Leela is incredibly insensitve towards Fry throughout the episode and throws her date with the mayor's aide in Fry's face constantly. At the end of the episode, after dumping the guy, Leela only says that she's glad to see Fry and gives him a peck on the cheek. However, Nibbler's statement that Leela is "the other" gives us hope.

Leela is not Fry's girlfriend throughout The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings. Fry is still trying to use the holo-phoner to impress Leela enough so that she'll date him. Even when she starts to come around later in the episode it's still awkward for both of them. It isn't until the very end when everyone else has bailed on Fry's opera and Leela is the only person in the audience asking him to continue that we get the impression that there's a chance these two are going to live happily ever after.

I wouldnt even say at this point that Fry and Leela are even an item yet.

[judyindisguise]

Are you really expecting people to answer "because no one liked the characters"? Because that's not the reason.

IMO it's just as plausible as saying the show wasn't allowed to find its audience, or that people didn't know when new episodes aired, or some such, and that's why the show was canned. I watched nearly every Futurama episode that aired on Fox (I'm an educated dissenter). I knew when and what time they were on. I didn't watch the last few episodes because by then I'd lost interest in the show, and for me, there was indeed a character issue. I didn't like any of them much, and thought that, overall, the show was only sporadically funny. FWIW.

[The Myst]

Judy, what you're asking from this is a complete different show. If you don't like the show, that's fine, but you're not saying that, you're instead blaming your disinterest on the creators and their vision for the show. It seems to me you're trying to rewrite the show to what you envision, not the vision of the creators. Because the vision of the creators is the personalities of the characters we got all through the series. If you don't like the show and characters, fine, but you're expecting some sort of radical change from what the creators envisioned and what the fans liked about it.

And for the record, just because you think these new personalities for the characters would be better doesn't mean anybody else agrees. Your vision of Futurama could've ended up a huge flop because I know I for one prefer the creator's vision to yours.

[judyindisguise]

Judy, what you're asking from this is a complete different show. If you don't like the show, that's fine, but you're not saying that, you're instead blaming your disinterest on the creators and their vision for the show. It seems to me you're trying to rewrite the show to what you envision, not the vision of the creators. Because the vision of the creators is the personalities of the characters we got all through the series. If you don't like the show and characters, fine, but you're expecting some sort of radical change from what the creators envisioned and what the fans liked about it.

And for the record, just because you think these new personalities for the characters would be better doesn't mean anybody else agrees. Your vision of Futurama could've ended up a huge flop because I know I for one prefer the creator's vision to yours.

Well, for the record, I'm well aware of the fact that nobody is required to agree with me about anything. I merely talked about one character, and that his personality didn't make sense to me, and also why I tuned away from Futurama before it ended its initial run on Fox. As did many other people, for whatever reason. I simply gave mine. Now, how about those Mets? :D

[TheMecca]

IMO it's just as plausible as saying the show wasn't allowed to find its audience, or that people didn't know when new episodes aired, or some such, and that's why the show was canned. I watched nearly every Futurama episode that aired on Fox (I'm an educated dissenter). I knew when and what time they were on. I didn't watch the last few episodes because by then I'd lost interest in the show, and for me, there was indeed a character issue. I didn't like any of them much, and thought that, overall, the show was only sporadically funny. FWIW.
Okay, you didn't like the characters, that's fair.
It's not fair to say that the show failed because of the characters, because it has a huge fanbase of people (including myself) who like the characters the way they are. It failed because Fox put it on at a time that was easy to preempt, and they didn't try to advertise it at all (except before "The Sting" aired for the first time).

[Aquadementia]

Yeah...I think I know what you mean. But arguably Futurama's most compelling storyline is Fry's unrequited love for Leela. I guess the writers just couldn't overlook it. IMO Fry's desire for his one-eyed wonder woman (sorry) does make him more human. And humanity is not something the cast of that show is drenched with. They are no way as appealing as the Simpsons gang.
Yes, the Fry/Leela romance does make for good episodes.
Even though I am a big fan of sci-fi and comedy, I think it is the emotional depth in Futurama that puts it way out ahead in my book. There are episodes of Futurama that are moving in a way that no episode of the Simpsons even comes close to.
I hope for two things (besides the Fry/Leela bit, for the reasons stated above): a toned-down Bender (not tamed, just toned down a mite) I kind of agree on Bender. He is evil, and that's why we love him, but in some episodes like the one where he becomes Pharaoh, I don't know why Fry and Leela didn't recycle him.

and for god's sake a personality for Dr. Zoidberg. The way he was handled during the show's original run just baffles me. His voice gives the impression of a dry, laconic Yiddish fatalist, but his dialogue gives the impression of a blithering idiot. I think if the dialogue matched the voice Zoidberg could be a much-needed addition to the cast, since nobody in it really seems to have much common sense. A more sarcastic voice of reason (to counterbalance Leela's earnestness) would be very refreshing IMO.
You've been taking a lot of flack in this thread and I don't really want to add to it by pretending to have the definitive line of truth about this, but in my view on Zoidberg is he has lots of personality. He's as schmoe that desperately wants to be popular and successful, and he's incompetent and annoys everyone. Plus he's so pathetically down and out, that whenever he has an advantage over anyone he's quick as a whip to lord it over them.
Plus he's a freaky fish monster from outer space.

I don't know about wanting him to be the smart one of the group just because he's vaguely yiddish.
Hermes Conrad and Leela the most conventional of the group. I just don't see getting much bang out of a wise Zoidberg. He also has the part of being the alien, and delivers a good deal of other worldly wisdom and misunderstanding of Earthican ways that is almost always amusing.

Of course Nibbler is smarter then the whole lot of them, and he's in a diaper.
In my opinion, it's not that the characters are all that stupid, it's just that their universe, and the cowboy one next door, is rather loony.


Why do people keep saying "unrequited"?! Godgodgodgodgodgod. Fry's love for Leela became mutual at the end of "The Why of Fry". They're a couple now. The writers just don't touch the subject that much because making every episode focus on the romantic relationship of both of them would get boring. In "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playings", Fry wasn't trying to win Leela's love, he was just trying to impress his girlfriend.I have to agree with DarthGonzo on this. We did kind of see them dating when they reverted to teenagers, but Leela was more just trying to have fun. Their relationship in "The Farnsworth Parabox" didn't look like boyfriend/girlfriend.
I think in "The Why of Fry" she was starting to come around to the idea that he wasn't such a bad choice, but there was still a long way to go.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

The ends of Why of Fry and Farnsworth Parabox show her coming around, but at the time of Devil Hands he was still trying to impress her. But as we see, she is starting to show feelings for him as well.

They're certainly not a couple though, at least not yet.

[The Myst]

I kind of agree on Bender. He is evil, and that's why we love him, but in some episodes like the one where he becomes Pharaoh, I don't know why Fry and Leela didn't recycle him.

Was Bender enslaving them and forcing them into hard labor any worse than when Zoidberg and his people did it in "A Taste Of Freedom"?

[judyindisguise]

Yes, the Fry/Leela romance does make for good episodes.
Even though I am a big fan of sci-fi and comedy, I think it is the emotional depth in Futurama that puts it way out ahead in my book. There are episodes of Futurama that are moving in a way that no episode of the Simpsons even comes close to.
I kind of agree on Bender. He is evil, and that's why we love him, but in some episodes like the one where he becomes Pharaoh, I don't know why Fry and Leela didn't recycle him.


You've been taking a lot of flack in this thread and I don't really want to add to it by pretending to have the definitive line of truth about this, but in my view on Zoidberg is he has lots of personality. He's as schmoe that desperately wants to be popular and successful, and he's incompetent and annoys everyone. Plus he's so pathetically down and out, that whenever he has an advantage over anyone he's quick as a whip to lord it over them.
Plus he's a freaky fish monster from outer space.

I don't know about wanting him to be the smart one of the group just because he's vaguely yiddish.
Hermes Conrad and Leela the most conventional of the group. I just don't see getting much bang out of a wise Zoidberg. He also has the part of being the alien, and delivers a good deal of other worldly wisdom and misunderstanding of Earthican ways that is almost always amusing.

Of course Nibbler is smarter then the whole lot of them, and he's in a diaper.
In my opinion, it's not that the characters are all that stupid, it's just that their universe, and the cowboy one next door, is rather loony.


I have to agree with DarthGonzo on this. We did kind of see them dating when they reverted to teenagers, but Leela was more just trying to have fun. Their relationship in "The Farnsworth Parabox" didn't look like boyfriend/girlfriend.
I think in "The Why of Fry" she was starting to come around to the idea that he wasn't such a bad choice, but there was still a long way to go.

I don't mind flack, as long as it doesn't get personal. But I'll never understand why the creators of Futurama gave Zoidberg a Borscht Belt accent yet left most of the Borscht out of his personality. But whatever.

[Aquadementia]

Was Bender enslaving them and forcing them into hard labor any worse than when Zoidberg and his people did it in "A Taste Of Freedom"?
Yes.
Bender was far worse.

But I'll never understand why the creators of Futurama gave Zoidberg a Borscht Belt accent yet left most of the Borscht out of his personality. But whatever.
I don't know how far that should be taken., but they did go as far as making his Fantasy Planet fantasy to be a grandmother.
Sure, he's incompetent as a doctor, but being a doctor was something his impossible to please mother pushed on him. That seems right in character.
He's also quite a woefull person, and the "my life is full of woe" self deprecating comedy is vary Borscht Belt.

The main thing though, is if you look at the way he's written, he's the one that's most likely to make an appeal to someones humanity.

[judyindisguise]

Yes.
Bender was far worse.


I don't know how far that should be taken., but they did go as far as making his Fantasy Planet fantasy to be a grandmother.
Sure, he's incompetent as a doctor, but being a doctor was something his impossible to please mother pushed on him. That seems right in character.
He's also quite a woefull person, and the "my life is full of woe" self deprecating comedy is vary Borscht Belt.

The main thing though, is if you look at the way he's written, he's the one that's most likely to make an appeal to someones humanity.

Ah HAH. Finally...someone else who speaks Borscht! :anime: Well the woeful aspect of Borscht is why I thought Zoidberg should have a dry, fatalist sense of humor. But I suppose there are different ways of expressing Borscht in comedy. You have, on the one hand, the gentle Sam Levinson ("Hot soup says 'Welcome home!' Frozen food says 'come back later'"), and on the other hand you have Rodney "I-get-no-respect-no-respect-at-all" Dangerfield. I suppose Zoidberg is from the Dangerfield school. But I still think that if that is the case, a little more Borscht in Zoidberg couldn't hurt. He still in my view lacks personality.

[The Myst]

Yes.
Bender was far worse.

How? The only difference was that Zoidberg came to his senses.

[Bruce Wayne Jr.]

"Continuity porn"? Oh, I'm all over this! :D

Although it's disappointing to hear that Zapp's appearance will be brief. You ask me, he and Mom could carry a movie themselves.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Well, they're making 4 Movies, so I figure one of them at least will heavily feature Zapp and Kif.