Bender's Big Score Review Thread

[Reply #280 on:]

There are spoilers below, but I think this thread is past the need for spoiler tags a week after the release? If not please tell me and I will edit spoiler tags in.

SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT

I really liked this movie. It was great to have Futurama back, and this movie had a great plot, was funny, but also had a heart to it like the best Futurama episodes so.

I understand some people being annoyed at old episode events being re-written, but my understanding of the time travel is that it is paradox free, meaning the future stays the same even though events may change. This is how there can be duplicates of people as, like with Fry, he arrived in the year 2000, spent an hour there, went back in time, then froze himself to the future, but he also encountered himself arriving and the encounter meant he didn't go back in time. The paradox free nature of the time travel due to the doom element of the equation means this new fry that never should be around is doomed to die to balance the equation. The nature of the time travel also means that while this new Fry now becomes a part of history, events aren't actually changed by this involvement from the future.

The original events as shown in the episodes actually happened in the original timeline of events, but now a new timeline of events involving the doomed Fry is now the existing timeline, which is actually the greatest thing that could have happened for the friends and family of Fry in the year 2000. In the episodes we saw the sadness in the characters in his family, especially his brother, and his dog. Now he was able to have the close relationship with his brother as they both grew older, which is what would have lead his brother to name his son after him, and instead of Seymour spending his life waiting for Fry, he got to spend his life with his best friend.

Additionally, all the other problems with time travel as regards sequence of events and so forth are actually explained by the time travel being paradox free so the future is protected, and in fact certain elements like Lars involvement in the plot being constant and not changing history, are all explained by how he had to pre-exist in the timeline so the timeline wouldn't be changed. Paradox free time travel is probably the smartest idea in sci-fi as regards time-travel as it solves all problems by it's nature. Of course it has the potential to tear apart the universe due to the paradox's created, such as the bender's not coming up when they should but all coming up in one go at the end, therefore each Bender became a paradox as he didn't leave the cave at the right point, therefore hundreds of doomed benders at a singular point screwed the universe up a tad!

On the Lars character, first watch I shared some views on Leela being a plot device and not a character, but on re-watching I focused on the Lars-Leela relationship and found it unfolded well, and there were so many hints to it being Fry, and I disagree with anyone that says Fry was being the man for Leela, Fry loved Leela but he grew up and became a man, then he waited for Leela because he knew that without his immaturaty Leela would fall for him.

I don't think this movie goes against Devil's Hands, as in the context of the Futurama universe that episode happened 2 years or more earlier, and I imagine that while a part of Fry really attracts Leela, his immaturity stops her from being able to develop a deeper relationship with him. What this story showed is that when Fry matures he and Leela really are destined for each other, and Fry is constantly growing more and more mature with each episode.

All in all I found this to be a fantastic first movie, and I can't wait for more Futurama!

[Reply #281 on:]

a lot of people are upset but I think that we haven't got ther whole story on the two year thing.  I think that as we go through the next three we will get bits and pieces till the whole thing ties together

[Reply #282 on:]

I thought one of the funnier things were the Yetti beating a fast retreat the moment the found out Leela was a woman left at the alter.

[Reply #283 on:]

My Favorite Amy line was
 
I think they said something about, assualting the interlopers (BOOM!!!)

[Reply #284 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nixorbo:
The little part that I like more than I think I should is:

"I kicked Fry out two hours ago.  This is my new boyfriend, umm, what was your name again?"
"Constantine."
"Really?  ::Snort::  That's stupid."

Okay good, I thought that was just me   

Also

"I thought you were pleased, your tail is wagging!"

[Reply #285 on:]

Great post, sshspooky! I thought you really summed up the film well. I've only been able to watch it once all the way through myself so far, but all these long, boring hours at work leave me with time to contemplate such important, crucial things in life such as the intricate plot elements of "Bender's Big Score" 

SOME SPOILERS BELOW

 

Originally posted by sshspooky:
On the Lars character, first watch I shared some views on Leela being a plot device and not a character, but on re-watching I focused on the Lars-Leela relationship and found it unfolded well, and there were so many hints to it being Fry, and I disagree with anyone that says Fry was being the man for Leela, Fry loved Leela but he grew up and became a man, then he waited for Leela because he knew that without his immaturaty Leela would fall for him.

I don't think this movie goes against Devil's Hands, as in the context of the Futurama universe that episode happened 2 years or more earlier, and I imagine that while a part of Fry really attracts Leela, his immaturity stops her from being able to develop a deeper relationship with him. What this story showed is that when Fry matures he and Leela really are destined for each other, and Fry is constantly growing more and more mature with each episode.

It's funny, I really like the Fry/Leela pairing, but the idea of Lars/Leela really annoyed me at first. What I DID notice about Lars, however (despite the fact that he and Leela were all gooey over each other), was that he and Fry shared not only the same voice actor (which I thought was cute, but not particularly important, considering how many of the series' voice Billy West does), but that he and Fry shared the same-shaped nose. So while my inner shipper was happy at that stupid little detail, the rest of me thought, "No, that's too good to be true!"

But, again, I agree with you, shhspooky: Leela will probably never truly accept Fry as a life partner in a serious context until he matures a bit. The fact that Lars is Fry eighteen years from the "current" Fry of the main timeline is a depressing thought, however!

Of course, if the series' continuity is to be taken seriously, Fry is now at least 32 or 33 - so hopefully the maturity "Lars" had gained through his life is catching up on Fry a little bit! He did give up the idea of being with Leela when he saw how happy she was with Lars, after all!

But perhaps the biggest "awwwww!" my little shippy heart had was over the colouring of Leelu the Narwhal's mate. AWWWWW! 
As for my review of the film itself: I must say, I really loved it! I'd heard a bit of negative buzz about it, and was feeling apprehensive, but I really, really enjoyed it! And didn't it go like the wind?! My God, I love all that trippy time travel stuff - and it all unfolded so quickly! 

I'm looking foward to the following three movies - and anything else the Futurama team comed up with!

And am I the only one who's dying to know about whether all the events that occured to the "Lars" Fry back in the Twentieth Century actually remained in the timeline, or if they all came undone with the rift in the universe and Lars' death and so forth?

[Reply #286 on:]

As far as all the time travel screw ups are concerned I alread posted a long drawn out theory on how it works in the Re-Check section. It was way to long to re-post here so if you wana see it go there.

I loved the Bender destroying ONY. I can't believe I forgot about that. BBS also has what is in my opinion Elzar's greatest moment.

Elzar: "Don't get excited kids this thing has heart shaped nostrils." (Turns spice weasel around) "Wanna see it make a star?"
Leela/Lars: "NO!!"

[Reply #287 on:]

 

Originally posted by Frisco17:
Elzar: "Don't get excited kids this thing has heart shaped nostrils." (Turns spice weasel around) "Wanna see it make a star?"
Leela/Lars: "NO!!"

I love that part so funny.

[Reply #288 on:]

Aw, that's not Elzar's greatest moment. My favorite Elzar bit is probably his little dialogue with Bender about teaching him to cook in "30% Iron Chef".

In BBS I loved the Constantine bit too. But when Bender burst in on him and Michelle I was yelling, "Shoot her!!"

Also liked the part with Amy's long hair and when Bender informed us of how much more confusing things were going to get.

[Reply #289 on:]

I really like when Elzar says that he is going to make cutie muffin gumbo when Bender runs out on the check with the orphanarium kids.

[Reply #290 on:]

It's so great to see Futurama back! It almost brought a tear to my eye.           

For my review, I'm going to keep it short and mostly spoiler-free.

IT'S GREAT, CLASSIC FUTURAMA!

It was also nice to see so many old secondary characters again, even if it was in the background for a few.
More catchy songs, a good plot with alot of time-traveling, a hugh space battle (A god send for me) and we finaly get to see Hanukkah zombie too.         

[Reply #291 on:]

Best part:

Show spoiler

Use of the word "recapitate" 

[Reply #292 on:]

Must have been quite a shock for Leela to learn that "the only man I'll ever love" is basically a slightly older and wiser version of Fry.  Seems that should be an eye-opener for her concerning their relationship.  And near the end of the movie, Fry was displaying Lars-like wisdom and selflessness.  He came to the same conclusion that Lars did concerning love, which I guess you could say is the moral for the whole story: If you truly love someone, their happiness is more important to you than your own. 

[Reply #293 on:]

 

Originally posted by km73:
In BBS I loved the Constantine bit too. But when Bender burst in on him and Michelle I was yelling, "Shoot her!!"

Also liked the part with Amy's long hair...

Damn that Michelle! I was so glad when part of her hair/head was snapped off when she was frozen! 

And that part with Amy's hair was hilarious! Poor Amy...spending those two long years growing it only to have it rendered exactly as it was before! 

[Reply #294 on:]

Loved it!

If there's still a need to warn of spoilers... SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT

When viewing it for the first time, I wasn't quite as enthused - sure, my interest was pretty piqued and I was really concentrating on it, but I just wasn't as into it as I could have been. It did have a slow start (though I LOVED the extended theme/opening credits), but when it got to about the fourth part, I was completely into it. And on subsequent rewatches I loved watching the thing as a whole, though the end is still the best part.

It was a little low on laughs, and there were certainly a fair amount of groaners in there (and not on the level of Spanish Fry, which I actually thought was pretty hilarious for usage of crude humour), and I did find most of the humour in the callbacks, but it was certainly funny in its own right. What really kept me interested was the plot. It was fairly complex and repeat viewings certainly did help me make better sense of it. Though I do feel a little stupid for not figuring out Lars was Fry until just a few moments before it was revealed, though I'm blaming that partially on messed up sound at the time.

On that note, I'm not someone who's really a fan of the Fry/Leela pairing, but I do love episodes that do a good job with it (such as Parasites Lost, or Devil's Hands), and this one did a superb job with it. I actually found myself annoyed at Lars along with Fry, though normally that wouldn't have been the case. (And I don't feel like this one screwed with the ending to Devil's Hands, either - there's no real indication they got together at the end of that one.)

As far as screwing with past episodes goes, I can accept that - mostly with Jurassic Bark and Luck of the Fryrish, my two favourites - as they were dealt with in very nice ways (and helped explain a bit in Bark's case), but I think the endings to both of those are going to feel a little cheapened to me. Sure, I'll still cry at the end of Jurassic Bark, but the full magnitude probably won't hit me again like it did before, and I just won't feel it as much. I still love it, and it works for me to think of a new parallel universe coming off of it so that the original episode's events still happened and the new episodes also happened... just in an altered timeline. Though I must admit I really, REALLY loved seeing Seymour and Fry together again - one of the most heartwarming bits for me.

As far as plot still goes... I liked Hermes' little story. It's really great to see him in a bit of the spotlight again, I suppose, is my main reason. And I don't think it was entirely pointless. It gave good reason for Leela and Lars to meet up, to split up, and to help win the battle at the end (though I suppose it still could've been done if he had his whole body at the time? Not too sure how that would work).

But yeah... the plot was fantastic (and the confusing bits were really well-done in that whole timeframe of the various Frys and Benders in the cryogenic lab in 2000). Everything was well-explained and tied in very nicely (ESPECIALLY the two separate Fry revelations contrasted side-by-side in maturing... there has got to be a better way to word that but I don't feel like it).

There is one thing that is kind of bugging me a fair amount, though, and I'm sorry if this has already been touched on - I don't feel like running through all these eight pages. It's how a time duplicate is doomed. Like, yeah, it makes sense for things like Hermes' replacement body - it's not every day you expect to be decapitated and only have your body get seriously harmed otherwise - but what about with full, other lives? There doesn't seem to be a specific time when it will happen. Nudar's time duplicate didn't even last a full day, whereas Fry's/Lars lasted for over 1000 years. And technically we're all doomed anyway, time duplicate or not. So while it works for correcting paradoxes... apparently these paradoxes can go on for as long as they like. I mean, I have to wonder if a time duplicate could live out a full life and die of natural causes - it really seems Lars was on that path to me until he offed himself because he knew he was going to go anyway. But really, the original Fry would as well, and so forth... so... that's just one part that's bugging me a little. Apparently I can't explain it too well.

But, uh, yeah - great return for Futurama! The quality didn't decline at all. The animation was fantastic, the story was gripping and intriguing, the emotion was perfectly there and it was fairly funny - Futurama really fits this format, with widescreen and longer episode times, perfectly. If only it still had an orchestra, but you know, this was wonderful regardless.

[Reply #295 on:]

I think we've finally reached the point where spoilers aren't necissary. Which makes all our lives easier.

One thing I can't believe I didn't mention was the Chanukah Zombie's Jewish TIE Fighter. I absolutly loved that joke because CZ was voiced by Mark Hamill.

[Reply #296 on:]

 

Originally posted by Frisco17:
One thing I can't believe I didn't mention was
the Chanukah Zombie's Jewish TIE Fighter. I absolutly loved that joke because CZ was voiced by Mark Hamill.

...I have no idea how I missed that connection, but you're right: it was awesome.

[Reply #297 on:]

Just saw it earlier today for the first time, I was quite impressed, I liked the story, as well as most of the jokes, dialogue, and the callbacks, I felt that the 2 songs were pretty weak and seemed a little forced(not nearly as good as the songs used on the series).  Aside from that I can't think of anything that I didn't like about it.  I think they did a really good job with the duplicate body/time travel scenario, I'll probably give it a 8/10

[Reply #298 on:]

A couple things I felt like mentioning:

Show spoiler

At the start of the movie I was wondering why they chose a bald ugly guy for Leela's love interest. 
Glad it worked out, but what bothers me is that it seems a lot of people figured out it was Fry. I didn't until the very end, and I'm glad cause that would have ruined it for me... but both my 12 year old brother and his slightly younger friend (who I showed the movie to on seperate occasions) figured it out earlier on.  :hmpf:That makes me feel stupid, I really never at all considered it.

Also; did they introduce that Charles de Gaulle character JUST for the song at the end? I find that hilarious. 

[Reply #299 on:]

I actually didn't get it til the reveal, or at least seconds before.  When he first came in, I heard the voice and said "oh, it's another West voice."  I mean, he does distinct voices but it's always clearly him, so you know, I wrote it off from that point.

According to the commentary, that's exactly why they put de gaulle in.  Which rules. 

[Reply #300 on:]

Don't feel too bad I didn't figure it out until the line "I have to do what will make you happy, not what will make me happy." which is when I remembered Lars' reaction when he found out that all time duplicates die.

De Gaulle being there solely for the song is awesome. The fact that in reality he was kind of a jackass makes it even funnier.

[Reply #301 on:]

 

Originally posted by iceiwynd:

There is one thing that is kind of bugging me a fair amount ... It's how a time duplicate is doomed ... There doesn't seem to be a specific time when it will happen. Nudar's time duplicate didn't even last a full day, whereas Fry's/Lars lasted for over 1000 years. And technically we're all doomed anyway, time duplicate or not. So while it works for correcting paradoxes... apparently these paradoxes can go on for as long as they like. I mean, I have to wonder if a time duplicate could live out a full life and die of natural causes...

I actually wondered about this as well, and eventually i came up with a theory. If i'm missing something completely obvious that debunks it, then someone please let me know.

My guess is that the inevitable doom kicks in only when the duplicate catches up to the time code that initiated its becoming a duplicate. So when Hermes' body was brought to him just a moment after Bender left to get it, that's when the clock started. But before that when it was waiting underground with Bender, the body was safe.

I'VE ALREADY MADE MY POINT BY NOW, SO THE FOLLOWING TEXT AMOUNTS TO LITTLE MORE THAN FRIVILOUS EXPLORATION AND EXPOSITION. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED...

So when Fry used the time code twice, his earliest version who was already frozen was saved from becoming a duplicate because the most recent version just hid in the tube for 1007 years and did NOT cause the earliest version to stray from the path that eventually led it back in time. And so the most recent version just resumed normal life immediately after the earliest version lived up to 3007 and went back in time like it was supposed to, which basically makes them one person, neither being the other's duplicate.

All this, however, did leave the second most recent Fry caught in the middle as a duplicate, since the most recent Fry DID interfere with the second most recen't Fry's path to the next time code. But it's my opinion that the middle Fry only became doomed when he caught up to 3007, giving him a whole 1007 years of wiggle room in which to live and learn and love.

Similarly, Nudar prevented his earliest self from going back in time by tonguing it in the hallway after a night of committing two sins at once, making it a doomed duplicate as soon as it caught up to the time code that it never caused. I feel that it was only from that point on that it was doomed. Case in point being that it was killed AFTER the more recent Nudar's use of the time code, and not before. Although it wouldn't make much story sense to kill it any earlier, nor to destroy Hermes' body before Bender givess it to him, nor to kill Lars before he starts dating Leela.

Holy fuck. I need a nap.

(You read it... You can't UN-read it!)

[Reply #302 on:]

*head asplode*

[Reply #303 on:]

 

Originally posted by i_c_weiner:
Velour Fog --- Holy Ghost

Yes!

[Reply #304 on:]

You don't need to thank me. You were born that way. Well, you could thank me a little...


In general to the new posters, you should all read the PEELer's FAQ. Learn it. Live it. Love it. Also, remember spoiler tags. You can do so by putting [spoiler ] before what is a spoiler and then [/spoiler ], without the spaces.

[Reply #305 on:]

 

Originally posted by Wet Blanket:

Anyway, of all that BBS has left me to mull over, there’s just one thought I can’t seem to get past.

When Fry resumed his life in New York City in the year 2000, did he make any effort to prevent 9/11?

Yes, yes, groan and grimace at the ridiculous expectation that an animated sitcom could even begin to seriously address the gritty details of September 11th, but as unrealistic as the thought may be, it’s is still something we’ll all have in the back of our minds whenever we hear a story about time travel. Especially one that drops its main character into Manhattan at T minus 21 months.

So, what’s the consensus? Did proto-Lars save the day? Did he not? Was there just no 9/11 in the Futurama universe? Regardless, this doesn’t actually affect the movie for me. It’s just food for thought.

I loved the movie, and how Futurama is never afraid to add a totally new page to its increasingly convoluted mythology.

Hey, maybe The Bender-nator stopped the terrorists!

(Or does ‘Termin-bender’ sound better?)

The most I think Fry would have done on 9/11 is make sure none of his family was in Manhattan. Seriously though, why would a COMEDY referance 9/11?

[Reply #306 on:]

 

Originally posted by VelourFog:

 Yes!

Damned.  She's alive.

She's been gone so long I thought she had moved to England and married some rich Brit.

[Reply #307 on:]

 

Originally posted by Vanguard20:
 
why would a COMEDY referance 9/11?

Like i kind of said in my original post, i wouldn't really expect it to. I was just wondering what may have been going on in the 'undocumented' years. And i seem to agreee with the consensus that accurate 9/11 information probably wouldn't have survived to the year 3000.

Assuming this, i'm sure he at least slapped his forehead that day and thought, 'As a man from the future, i probably should have been able to do something about this. Oh well!'

[Reply #308 on:]

Who else spotted the Citizen Kane reference?

[Reply #309 on:]

I finally bought the DVD from Blockbuster last night and the check out boy was like practically freaking out over how good the movie was. It was pretty cute, and I could marry him one day when he turns 18 (or gets parental permission). Then I went straight home and watched the movie and half the commentary.

I really liked it and I echo whomever it was that said they were glad it wasn't all about Bender in Egypt, which is totally what I thought from the stupid promo art. I agree with JEff that holographs/grams/thingys are sucky nowadays. I think it must have something to do with the depth of the ridges they use, but I'm no scientist... Which brings me to the Math extras. Is it just me, or is the sound not on track with the video? I had to turn it off.

The movie was great. The plot was great. The time travel confusion and pissing people off was great too. The "We hate Fox" gag at the beginning went on a little too long, but it was probably very therapeutic for the writers and I'm sure most fans appreciated it. Why do we have to wait so long for another movie if they are churning them out as quickly as the commentary would have me believe?

[Reply #310 on:]

 

Originally posted by Wet Blanket:
 Like i kind of said in my original post, i wouldn't really expect it to. I was just wondering what may have been going on in the 'undocumented' years. And i seem to agreee with the consensus that accurate 9/11 information probably wouldn't have survived to the year 3000.

We dont know the full story now, six years after the fact. Let alone a thousand years from now.

[Reply #311 on:]

 

Originally posted by Ralph Snart:
 Damned.  She's alive.

She's been gone so long I thought she had moved to England and married some rich Brit.

I wish! I only know poor to middle class Brits though. 

PS- I also didn't really dig the music.  I like the classic Futurama Theme, why go ruin something?

[Reply #312 on:]

Holy fucking shit it's VelourFog.

Sorry, but you've been gone like, longer than I have.

[Reply #313 on:]

 

Originally posted by Vanguard20:
 We dont know the full story now, six years after the fact. Let alone a thousand years from now.

Agreed!

I, too, found it interesting that 9/11 wasn't mentioned - or even alluded to - especially considering that Fry lives in NYC. Yet I wasn't surprised 9/11 wasn't mentioned.

There's also the possibility that the September 11th attacks never occured in the 2001 that Fry lived through - Futurama is its own little universe, after all, with its own continuity and so forth. Indeed, the 2000 USA presidential elections were referenced, as are many of the celebrities and events and so forth of our times, but perhaps 9/11 never happened to the city that Fry returned to?

[Reply #314 on:]

 

Originally posted by VelourFog:
PS- I also didn't really dig the music.  I like the classic Futurama Theme, why go ruin something?

All the parts of the original theme were in there, they just added extra parts. I thought it was really good. I loved the Bond style silhouette thing. You got Fry just kinda standing there, Leela's sexy gun pose, Amy dancing, Hermes with the stamp, the Professor looking the wrong way and my personal favorite, Bender on the horse. It just fits his own image of himself so well it was hilarious.

[Reply #315 on:]

not the animation, the MUSIC. I would have liked the original theme SONG.

O'rama: It's cool. I'd be thrilled to see me too.

[Reply #316 on:]

It's already been said - the 'music' is synth-shit from the videogame.  Which is great for a videogame, but this is a theratrical-length movie.

The DVD's music was really uninspiring after watching "X-Mas Story" a few nights ago.  It's amazing how such a little(?) thing like the background music can make a mediocre episode come to life.

But at least we have three more DVD's to look towards.

[Reply #317 on:]

Yeah, I mean I understand where it came from. I'm just agreeing that I was not a fan of it. After all this time, I  want to hear that beautiful classic theme, damn it!

(ps - the songs sucked too, but singing like that usually makes me uncomfortable)

[Reply #318 on:]

I usually like random bursting into song, but I have to admit, the songs in this film were significantly below par for Futurama, and felt a bit forced.  The best part was Kwanzaabot's part in the weapon-making song, of course.

Now, I didn't mind the BGM so much.  lacked the panache of Devil's Hands's soundtrack, but it wasn't bad.

[Reply #319 on:]

'ceptin that dang elf chorus keeps popping into my mind. It's either Dwayne Carey-Hill or Ken Keeler that says he couldn't get the right kind of sound for banjo and tuba for the song where there all on the street at Christmas. Made me wonder if he was aware of ragtime music, sort of surprising.

I didn't notice until the my 3 watching but there is quite a bit of orchestrated music in BBS, like the opening owl sequence.