Futurama is definitely an acquired taste, as its inherent weirdness lends itself to niche audiences. Embraced long after it’s initial cancellation, it developed a cult following on the Cartoon Channel’s “Adult Swim” to the point where new, direct-to-DVD films were made. The latest is Bender’s Game.
A madcap caper featuring gags from all levels of uber-geekdom, somehow managing to incorporate Lord of the Rings and Dungeons and Dragons into an epic fantasy spoof of hilarious proportions, even riffing on the famous twist of Empire Strikes Back.
Going at warp speed, the film tries to follow the Airplane style of non-stop gags loosely following a plot involving Dark Matter that eventually devolves into a spoof of Peter Jackson’s Oscar winning trilogy. With the bulk of the voice cast returning for another go around, it makes for a weird but funny turn into fantasy.
The film’s only real downside is that it’s designed for fans of the show, period. It is designed to appeal to anyone who isn’t already a fan, as anyone who isn’t won’t get any of the humor it has en masse.
It’s still hilarious, but the humor is in the fandom as opposed to generally speaking.
Presented in a widescreen format with a Dolby Digital presentation, it makes the most of the format. This is a transfer with a great color selection, being animated and all, and the film’s sound comes through wonderfully as well.
There’s a Commentary Track with Matt Groening, David X Cohen, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Michael Rowe, Claudia Katz and Dwayne Carey-Hill
A Storyboard Animatic is included, letting you see how the film was story-boarded before being completely animated.
A mildly amusing children’s game like feature, Futurama Genetics Lab, is included and lets you combine characters into new ones.
D&D&F is a feature based on the creators of the film and their love of D&D, showing how they inserted some references into the series. It’s interesting to hear a group of devoted fans discuss the game and how they incorporated it into the series.
How to Draw Futurama in 83 Easy Steps is a quick feature on how to draw each member of the cast.
3D Models with Animator Discussion is a look at the film’s ships and how they were animated with the men who drew them.
A Deleted Scene and some Bloopers are included, and it’s pretty standard fare for any film released on DVD.
Bender, the film’s robot, gives an Anti-Piracy Warning that mocks the Anti-Piracy ad that plays before plenty of DVDs.
A Sneak Peek at the next Futurama film, Into the Wild Green Yonder, is included with the film.
For geeks, by geeks, Futurama is something you either love or you don’t get at all for its sci-fi geekiness. There’s no middle ground. For those who still hold a torch for the series, this is a welcome addition to the canon that is Matt Groening’s lesser show.
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20th Century Fox presents Futurama: Bender’s Game. Directed by Dwayne Carey-Hill. Starring the voices of Billy West, Katey Segal, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche. Written by Eric Horsted. Running time: 90 minutes. Not Rated. Released on DVD: November 4, 2008. Available at Amazon.
