by Kris Katz
Brief spoiler-free entertainment reviews

Monday, December 10, 2007

Futurama: Bender's Big Score (2007)

When I finally came around to actually liking this series it was about four episodes from being canceled. Since then, I've become a pretty loyal follower of this sci-fi satire thanks to reruns on [adult swim], and while I can say that this isn't their finest hour (snu-snu!), this little piece of straight-to-DVD cinema has more than enough warm-fuzzies to be labeled a triumphant return. Essentially it's ninety minutes of new material wrapped around copious amounts of TV-friendly nudity and staggering piles of fan service, gleefully shoved into a jumbo-sized, microwavable tray of reused plot devices and familiar faces. It's certainly not perfect—if you were never particular toward the show this won't change your mind, and the way that this is four to-be-aired new episodes of the program crammed back-to-back does make it feel more than a little drawn out. Still, it's just nice to have this world back, and speaking as a fan I loved how just about every side character from the series made an appearance, from Al Gore (voiced by Al Gore), to Hedonism-bot, to Zapp Brannigan. While it may not be much beyond what was winning Emmys on Fox years ago, if you've ever had any love of the series then there's a great chance the year 3007 can still make you laugh.

7 out of 10.

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