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Author Topic: "Bender's Big Score" Major/Minor Changes  (Read 1540 times)
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Frida Waterfall

Professor
*
« on: 02-23-2008 16:22 »

I've got issues with "Bender's Big Score", mostly how the plot was underwritten and destroyed some material from the original run. I was originally going to mention this in my review (which is still in production), but then I thought that it shouldn't be in a review because it doesn't review the movie. So, this is a thread to post major or minor changes that could be done to "Bender's Big Score" that would have made it better.


I read most (probably all) of the original script for "Bender's Big Score". I think I could say that the original script was better than the final script. One thing I noticed in the original script was that the plot took place in 3005/3006 instead of 3007/3008. For the sake of the character's ages, what happened between "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" and this movie, and another upcoming reason, it would have been better for this next run of the series to start out only a few months after when it left off.

The movie failed at consistencies. Not only were there few and far instances where previous episodes were acknowledged, most callbacks were either very obvious, disappointing, or ruined their own basis. An "obvious" capsule would be when Fry tells the professor that they have traveled back in time to Roswell. A "disappointing" reference was when it was revealed the Bender was the one who destroyed New York, considering how the Nobel Peace Prize Awards ceremony took place in Sweden and how much evidence there were behind aliens destroying the city. The major "Luck of the Fryrish" consistencies became inconsistencies later. The only callback that I was impressed with was how the writers had the brief moment with the drunk cryogenicist in the phone booth.

The major inconsistencies made with "Luck of the Fryrish" could have been easily avoided with some writing changes. It starts when Fry goes back in time.
1. Fry goes back exactly 1,000 years to 2007 (or 2005 which was stated above which would work better).
2. Midday, Fry returns home. He claims to his family that he was a part of the witness protection program or something similar during his absence. This is where he meets up with Yancy, now married, and by this point he should already have Philip J. Fry, II.
3. Fry learns more about what happened during his absence. Michelle has already frozen herself. Fry goes back to Panucci's where he reunites with Seymour, who's delighted to see his master again after 5 or 7 years.
4a. On that same day, Fry does something (like forget to grab something and whatnot) and uses the timecode to go back a few minutes to stop his mistake.
5a. Going back in time, he creates his duplicate (Lars).
4b. Fry freezes himself to go back to the future again (over boredom or whatnot). He unfreezes after he leaves the first time.
5b. Fry uses the timesphere and travels back to the time that he left the past, but he messes up and he meets himself before he decided to travel back to the future (Lars).
6. Fry and Lars argue as most identicals do. Fry has no problem with his time traveling habits, but Lars puts his foot down after traveling to the past alone. Fry decides to go back to the future, Lars stays behind.
7. Lars lives the next few years of his life in the year 2005 or 2007. Like in the movie, he still reminisces about Leela.
8. Lars gets a job at the aquarium as the caretaker for Leelu.
9. In 2012, the aquarium releases Leelu back into the wild. Lars decides to go on the expedition to find Leelu in the arctic.
10. When or after Lars leaves, Bender shoots off his gun and fast-fossilizes Seymour.
11. After Lars returns from the expedition but before he meets up with anybody he knows after the expedition, he unknowingly gets shot at by Bender, who misses. He physically becomes Lars. Bender believes that he killed Lars.
12. Lars heads to the cryogenic lab. Bender chases after him. Lars and Bender meet. Bender enters self-destruct mode, upon making the decision whether or not to kill his best friend. Lars pushes him into a tube.
13. Lars freezes himself.
14. The Fry's are left to assume that he must have died on his trip.

During this, you have to take into account where Bender is at that time.
1. Bender uses the time sphere and travels back to 2000, where he believes Fry would be.
2. Bender tries to wait for Fry. Like in the movie, Bender creates a duplicate of himself while he runs into the bathroom.
3. Instead, the real Bender waits but gets bored and gives up. He waits it out in the limestone cavern.
4. The Bender that malfunctions goes on the giant hunt for Fry, but doesn't meet the real Fry (Lars) until sometime after 2012.

Of course, this fix could be altered and polished some more, but at least this basic outline would take care of the inconsistencies/emotions of "Bender's Big Score. In fact, most of the inconsistencies would be settled if you just had the entire plot that takes place in 2000 take place in 2005/2007, as long as you have Bender shoot and kill Seymour in 2012 for a solid reason.
SpaceCase

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #1 on: 02-23-2008 21:09 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by Frida Waterfall:
... I read most (probably all) of the original script for "Bender's Big Score"...
I have no disagreement with you about BBS. I think it was flawed at best: Since getting the DVD, I've watched it only once - I've not even listened to the commentary.

Unheard of for me.

I lost count of how many times I've watched the series DVD's.

The differences between you and I seem to be that I couldn't do as good a job describing just what went wrong with BBS, let alone how one might've gone about fixing it, and, more importantly, I don't care anywhere near as much as you apparently do about it.

But I must ask:

Just where did you lay hands on said script?   :confused:
  ;)
Frida Waterfall

Professor
*
« Reply #2 on: 02-23-2008 22:14 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by SpaceCase:Just where did you lay hands on said script?    :confused:
   ;)

It was on the special features for "Bender's Big Score".

 
Quote
Originally posted by SpaceCase:
The differences between you and I seem to be that I couldn't do as good a job describing just what went wrong with BBS, let alone how one might've gone about fixing it, and, more importantly, I don't care anywhere near as much as you apparently do about it.

I really need to write that review of mine, don't I?

The entire movie was plain underwritten. No ifs, ands, or butts about that. It was a wannabe epic movie. It attempted to be an epic, but the plotlines got to be so seemingly pointless that it wasn't an epic. It wasn't the Futurama I waited four years for. And to know that all of those mistakes in the movie could have been easily avoided if more thought was put into the actual plot.
SpaceCase

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #3 on: 02-24-2008 01:25 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by Frida Waterfall:
It was on the special features for "Bender's Big Score".
>.<
D'oh!


That I missed this on the DVD might begin to tell how "underwhelmed" I was with BBS.
Quote
Originally posted by Frida Waterfall:
I really need to write that review of mine, don't I?
[*SC looks one way then the other*]
[*SC points at self*]
What? You're asking me?

Wrong person.  :nono:
Quote
Originally posted by Frida Waterfall:
The entire movie was plain underwritten. No ifs, ands, or butts about that.
And no arguments out of the likes of me.
It seemed to me BBS lacked... something. Something I can't put a name to; something... [FIELD UNDEFINED]
Quote
Originally posted by Frida Waterfall:
It was a wannabe epic movie. It attempted to be an epic, but the plotlines got to be so seemingly pointless that it wasn't an epic.
I might've said "tangled," but your point stands.
Quote
Originally posted by Frida Waterfall:
It wasn't the Futurama I waited four years for.
Amen.
You won't hear me calling BBS "bad," but it wasn't what I'd been waiting four years, three months, and nineteen days for either.
Quote
Originally posted by Frida Waterfall:
And to know that all of those mistakes in the movie could have been easily avoided if more thought was put into the actual plot.
I'd like to think that, knowing this, the writers did so as set-up for the following movies.
Wishful thinking?
Perhaps.

But we've been suprised before.  :hmpf:

For reprints of this tirade, please send $2.95, and a self-addressed-stamped-envelope to Farkle Press...  :rolleyes:
km73

Space Pope
****
« Reply #4 on: 02-24-2008 02:12 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by Frida Waterfall:
The entire movie was plain underwritten. No ifs, ands, or butts about that. It was a wannabe epic movie. It attempted to be an epic, but the plotlines got to be so seemingly pointless that it wasn't an epic.

I pretty much concur. I've said as much in the review thread, but to reiterate it just seemed like they were obviously trying too hard to make it an epic adventure movie. The best Futurama episodes combined humor, drama, science, sci-fi adventure, irony, artistry and an indefinable something that this movie just overall lacked. The intelligence level was lowered and too little thought went into the characterization. But to me the overall time-travel plot was probably one of the better elements of the film. I wouldn't change too much about that.

Things I wish would've been changed or that I would have liked to see done differently:
-Far better characterization--of Leela in particular.
-A little less lowbrow humor.
-The Nibblonians should not have been used and dispensed with so casually.
-A more subtle subplot than the narwhal one.
-Fry should not have told Amy how he feels about Leela.

They also probably should not have felt the need to create confusion about what did or didn't happen in the timelines of the past, but at least that gives viewers plenty of talking points.

 
Quote
The only callback that I was impressed with was how the writers had the brief moment with the drunk cryogenecist in the phone booth.

Yeah, I'd mentioned loving the drunk guy in the phone booth too. As I've said before, it was touches like that and the bit with Amy's hair that the movie could've used more of.
futz
Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #5 on: 02-24-2008 08:36 »
« Last Edit on: 02-24-2008 08:36 »

I thought it was much better than a lot of other 1/2 hour cartoons that have had movies or feature-length specials spun from them. Most of those that I've seen are usually have a 1/2 hour episode's plot merely stretched and fluffed to fill the expanded time.

I think the Futurama staff has already mentioned that writing something that is going to be viewed as one long movie and then 4 separate episodes was difficult, sort of uncharted territory. Wasn't there some talk of BBS being re-edited and some adding/deleting of scenes when it's broadcast as 4 episodes as well?
Ralph Snart

Agent Provocateur
Near Death Star Inhabitant
DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #6 on: 02-24-2008 11:18 »
« Last Edit on: 02-24-2008 11:18 »

I've said my piece about how awful this DVD was.  It has cast me as an anti-shipper (and after this abortion of an 'epic', I will always have that affiliation) and has caused me to get e-mails stating that I will be personally to blame if the series doesn't get renewed.

I was the first to give a detailed analysis of why I despised the DVD.  I got called down by two mods for being very negative about it. (I will say that Kryten chewed my ass for being personally insulting to another PEELer - Kryten and I later had a sleepover and watched The Bridges of Madison County and all was well    :) ).

Anyway, I feel that some people have stated that they liked the DVD in hopes that it was ring rust and the rest would be better.  Also being shit-fucking-crazy positive about it would somehow make FOX renew the series.  Well, the only thing FOX cares about is sales.  We can count on FOX not promoting the DVD's - hell, they haven't even given a release date for the next DVD.  BBS debuted at #15 on Amazon.com - I doubt if it was a runaway success.  If the casual fan wasn't entertained or was confused by all the time travel nonsense, then they are not going to buy the next DVD.

Anyway, as I was saying about the DVD - I did my own little survey.  I work for the largest hospital in the Northen Colorado area.  I donated all seasons of Futurama and 2 copies of BBS to the volunteer desk for people to sign out and watch in their rooms (it's tax-deductable and it got my name placed in the hospital newsletter - I need all the positive press I can get).  I added a scale of 1-5 ("1" being Poor, "5" being fantstic) to rate them after being watched.  BBS had 22 people rating it - the average was a "2".  I didn't place a area to give critiques.  For other information, the DVD sets rate this way:  Season 1 -"4", Season 2 - "4", Season 3 - "3" and Season 4 - "4".

Granted this isn't a Neilson Family survey, just my personal survey to see if just a select group found it lacking.  I feel very vindicated that average viewers found the DVD less entertaining than the series.

I will buy BWABB's but if it isn't better than BBS, then the only reason I will buy the other DVD's will be because my wife enjoys them.

Frida, I agree with you, if the script had been used as it was with a few tweeks, the entire premise would have been much better.  I have to wonder if this was a DVD built by a committee instead by a handful of writers who know what the heart and soul of Futurama was.

Anyway, I have shouted at the top of Longs Peak (the tallest mountain top in Northern Colorado) my opinion of BBS.  I have made my own survey.  I will let others carry the torch of how weak and unentertaining this DVD was.  I am tired of it and will not write another word about it.
Corvus

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #7 on: 02-24-2008 11:26 »

I've voiced my opinion regarding BBS and, perhaps not as severely as Ralph, got roasted for it.

I was severely disappointed by BBS, it felt like they tried to start some new version of Futurama.. not to mention all the inconsistencies and what not. I have no longer an interest in the other Futurama movies, BBS saw to that.

I could rant on and on what I didn't like about BBS but that would probably label me as a troll or something. Sufficient to say is, I'll stick with the old series and will ignore the new movies.
SonicPanther

Professor
*
« Reply #8 on: 02-24-2008 11:37 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by Corvus:
I've voiced my opinion regarding BBS and, perhaps not as severely as Ralph, got roasted for it.

By one person that everybody already finds annoying. I wouldn't count that for anything.


Wow, I seriously feel like some sort of "bad fan" for liking BBS, like I really should have some major problems with it. Somehow, I don't, even though I'm a die-hard fan. Is there one really big thing I'm missing here? One thing that should have been a big disappointment to me?
Ralph Snart

Agent Provocateur
Near Death Star Inhabitant
DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #9 on: 02-24-2008 11:56 »

@ SP:

If you really liked BBS then you have nothing to feel bad about or appologize for.

But some of us have the same right to feel less-than-thrilled about it.

It's just perception and opinion.
Frida Waterfall

Professor
*
« Reply #10 on: 02-24-2008 12:48 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by SpaceCase:
I'd like to think that, knowing this, the writers did so as set-up for the following movies.
Wishful thinking?
Perhaps.

But we've been suprised before.   :hmpf:

Are you sure about that? I'd feel better about "Bender's Big Score" ('cause then I can ignore it).
Vanguard20

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #11 on: 02-24-2008 15:40 »

The movie could have done without the l-brow jokes but apart from that it was acceptable. The only reason people didnt like it was because it ruined Devil's Hands. I gotta admit, if I was a one eyed mutant chick, I wouldnt be jerking around the one guy who seems to truely love me.

Just saying.
SpaceCase

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #12 on: 02-24-2008 16:45 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by Frida Waterfall:
Are you sure about that?
Sure about what? That is, I don't quite know what part of my post you refer to.
Quote
Originally posted by Frida Waterfall:
I'd feel better about "Bender's Big Score" ('cause then I can ignore it).
I think I understand you.
Sadly, BBS is still canon - unless events in subsequent movies... uh, "invalidate" it - as, for example only, in TKOS.
BBS used a fair amount of time-travel. The after-effects of which were shown to be a disaster-in-the-making (and set-up for BwaBB) in the final moments of BBS.
Time-travel gone wrong.
If ever there was a canonical set-up for a HUGE 'reset', that has to be it.

Putting Nibbler's shadow in the premier ep:
Sneaking Leela's parents into the second season prmier:
Plus other hints and gags so numerous they blur together...
I wouldn't put it past them to use a poor BBS as set-up.

Still, it seems like using a blernsball bat where one needs a toothpick...
Quote
Originally posted by Vanguard20:
The movie could have done without the l-brow jokes but apart from that it was acceptable. The only reason people didnt like it was because it ruined Devil's Hands.
Oh my, no!
There are any number of reasons not to like it.
Quote
Originally posted by Vanguard20:
I gotta admit, if I was a one eyed mutant chick, I wouldnt be jerking around the one guy who seems to truely love me.
See?
Y'just found another reason.
  ;)
Otis P Jivefunk

DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #13 on: 02-24-2008 17:21 »

I loved the movie when I first saw it and on first re-watch, but more recently and the more I think about it the less timeless I think it is. I still love the series today and can watch any ep and enjoy it, but the movie seems to not be so kind on repeat viewings now. It's still a good movie but time hasn't been kind to it and it's only 3 months later which is worrying...
Xanfor

DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #14 on: 03-06-2008 12:29 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by Vanguard20:

The movie could have done without the l-brow jokes but apart from that it was acceptable. The only reason people didnt like it was because it ruined Devil's Hands.

Just saying.

That was the least of its problems.

See also: Ralph's Post
Anarchy_Balsac
Bending Unit
***
« Reply #15 on: 03-08-2008 00:55 »

BBS has problems, but I would argue the inconsistencies aren't one of them. Take for example the scene where Bender goes back 19 seconds, logically speaking, he should have met himself from 19 seconds in the future the first time, so should Fry have met himself from 1 hour in the future the first time. These "inconsistencies" can be speculated as a reason that the time code can rip open the universe(killing off duplicates being another). Yeah, there was "evidence" of alien invasions, but not that they were necessarily the ones controlling the ships seen in the pilot(the callback in the propaganda video of "I dated a robot" is easily written off as the characters' speculation). The only inconsistency I see with Luck of the Fryrish was Phillip 2's hair. Of course he may have been using hair die to pretend to be his uncle(entirely possible however silly). The parts where they said he was "missing" are easily explained by Fry spending all his time at either the aquarium or his apartment.

These may seem stretched and they are, but hey, it's not like it would be the first time we fans had to stretch things to explain inconsistencies or oddities. Like how they were "fighting" Melllvar the whole episode in Where No Fan Has Gone Before yet we don't see him, see the ship shake from being hit, or hear any mention of it until the end. Or how we only saw Nibbler's shadow in Space Pilot 3000, when logically speaking, we should have seen both Nibbler's and Fry's shadows. Or how Nibbler somehow got in the trash can, even though it is shown he never did so in The Why of Fry.

Anyway, my biggest problem with BBS is they sort of made Fry and Leela shallow characters who only care about getting with one another(though Leela still denies it). They were like that in the past, but there was more to them than that. The previews of BWABB seem to indicate this may have just been temporary to BBS for emphasis though.
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