Bender's Big Score Review Thread

[Reply #560 on:]

This post is reserved for Frida Waterfall's long-delayed review whenever it is written.

However, one must take into consideration that one like Frida may not make a post on a thread on on-topic that is not about the topic. So, in order for this pointless post to be permitted, she has included a short, one-sentence summary of her review which is still a work in progress.

It sucked.
Well, it had potential to be a great Futurama epic with the time-travel plot, but because it did not use time-travel to its full advantage, nor did it hinder the emotion it could have with the use of time-travel, and the fact that it didn't have precise key protoganists, it failed miserably.

[Reply #561 on:]

Really Frida? I thought it was really good! 

I've seen the movie AT LEAST 10 times...maybe more. I just keep finding it a really entertaining movie. The whole "paradox free time travel" always confuses me a little, but overall I laughed a lot, I smiled at Lars and Leela's love, and I felt a drop of hope as

Show spoiler

Leela found out Lars was Fry because I knew someday they could be together

Overall, 9 out of 10 for me!

[Reply #562 on:]

 

Originally posted by Frisco17:
 And you got the impression that the Narwhal had anything to do with sex where?

Wasn't it obvious from the way they were looking at each other? and the way they touched horns etc. You gotta be pretty naive to think there was no shenanigans going on there

[Reply #563 on:]

Regardless of any "shenanigans" or not, the main problem I had with the narwhal subplot was simply how it bludgeoned you over the head with its complete lack of subtlety. As I'm sure I've said before, normally Futurama finds more creative/less obvious ways of making points.

[Reply #564 on:]

Yeah, that's really the only complaint I have about BBS. The fact that the Leela/Leelu conection is about as subtle as a drunken rhino.

[Reply #565 on:]

Was it supposed to be subtle? I don't see Fry going for (well, subconciously anyway) a Leela substitute that wasn't rather blatant in its similarities.

[Reply #566 on:]

That's true. It probably never even occured to him that they were similar at all except for the fact that he couldn't be with either one.

[Reply #567 on:]

I will agree that this movie isn't the best thing the series has done, but overall it was still very good. It started off weak, but gradually got better as it went on. Very quickly, in fact. I still stand by it being the best of the DVD movies, too.

8.5/10

[Reply #568 on:]

Bender's Big Score is really good.  I think I like TBWABB a tiny bit more, but not by much.  I really like the time code plot, and it's always nice to see Nibbler. 8/10

[Reply #569 on:]

By far the best of the four movies; Not only does it feel like something I'd see in the theaters, but It's also the most Futurama-esque of the  movies. I will admit that it does start off a bit slowly, but it definitely got better further into the movie. I like both of the songs a whole lot, and Nudar is one of my very favorite characters/villains in the series. The space war at the end was amazing, as well. I'd give it a 9.5/10!

[Reply #570 on:]

I rewatched this recently for an Xmas-themed marathon, and I must say, it's easily one of the best things the show's ever done. There are a few issues with the general pacing/structure which can largely be attributed to the way they had to split it for broadcast, and a few minor annoyances here and there with the loose time travel rules, but other than that, this is Futurama firing on all cylinders - lots of laughs and a super clever sci-fi plot, with a big emotional punch at the end. It's also the most well-written of the four DVD movies - every little plot point (even the sub-plot involving Hermes' decapitation) pays off in some way, and in some ways, it largely feels like a love letter to the fans, given the sheer number of callbacks and self-references subtly laced throughout.

I think I'd have to agree with MRM's 9.5/10.

[Reply #571 on:]

I have to agree. All my gripes with this film are usually blown out of proportion, and I forget all the things I love about it.

Yeah, the time travel rules are a bit iffy and it leads to contradictions in the show's timeline. That doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things when practically everything else is so stellar. It uses all the characters to great effect and captures the general spirit of the show perfectly, in my opinion.


60891246/10. Or something.

[Reply #572 on:]

I'd have been happy with something along the lines of this as a cinema-released Futurama movie... Obviously, with the necessary alterations to make it more of a feature film than a four-parter doubling as a DVD movie, but in terms of the general stuff, this personifies Futurama perfectly (and shits all over the other 3 DVD movies).

[Reply #573 on:]

(and shits all over the other 3 DVD movies).

True. TBWABB's plot is too ridiculous, ITWGY's plot is too dull, and BG's plot is too... terrible.

[Reply #574 on:]

The Beast With a Billion Backs had some promise in its plot, but went on too many crazy tangents to be fully enjoyable (though it is, at least, very funny). Bender's Game was just crap - even putting aside my general disdain for fantasy as a genre, the fact that a good 40-50% of the whole thing was just fucking pointless? Well, that's just plain dissatisfying. Into the Wild Green Yonder also had the potential to be better than it is, though it's at least a worthy #2 to Bender's Big Score.

I always wondered why on earth they chose the title Bender's Big Score, though. Bender's plot is hardly the focal point of the movie/four-parter. Marketing, I guess? Bender being the show's most popular/well-known character and all... Plus, I always thought the title was too similar to Bender's Game. I used to get the two mixed up prior to their release.

[Reply #575 on:]

It's possible that the title is referring to either the idea that Bender is 'scoring' by going into the past and stealing artifacts that are very valuable, or that in the last few moments, Bender 'scored' by saving Earth from the scammers.

[Reply #576 on:]

Meanwhile, I just rewatched it since you're all talking about it. I'm gonna have to stand by my old rating of an 8.5/10.

I really liked it, but some moments felt really awkward. And I didn't really like the Nude Alien Scammers at all. They're mediocre characters at best, and glad that we won't be seeing them ever again. Also, the space battle really wasn't that great. It was pretty good, but it just didn't really engage you into liking it, you know what I mean?

But hey, I still like the film though, lots! Everything else was pretty great!

[Reply #577 on:]

It's possible that the title is referring to either the idea that Bender is 'scoring' by going into the past and stealing artifacts that are very valuable, or that in the last few moments, Bender 'scored' by saving Earth from the scammers.

I got that part, but it's still a very bizarre choice for the title.

[Reply #578 on:]

Yeah, title isn't so good. When I saw the DVD first time, the title and cover didn't seem so interesting, but a bit silly.

Also, the space battle really wasn't that great. It was pretty good, but it just didn't really engage you into liking it, you know what I mean?

No? I mean I can't think anything wrong with it.

[Reply #579 on:]

I actually loved the battle; especially the Globetrotter's ship. Also, the way Hermes grunts to the music always amused me for some reason.

[Reply #580 on:]

I liked the scene, but it didn't feel engaging, and that's pretty much where it was aiming at. Hence why I found it just okay...

[Reply #581 on:]

This is the thing that got me hooked on Futurama. It still doesn't get old.

60891246/10. Or something.

^^^ This

[Reply #582 on:]

I actually loved the battle; especially the Globetrotter's ship.

That made me laugh so hard first time I saw it. It's not even that funny; it's just ridiculous.

[Reply #583 on:]

60891246/10. Or something.

^^^ This

I was actually just making fun of the 10-point scale. My actual score would be something like an 8/10.

Also, hi there Danny. I don't see you around here much anymore.

[Reply #584 on:]

Also, hi there Danny. I don't see you around here much anymore.

I mostly lurk now. But I post when I want/must/have to.

[Reply #585 on:]

What, you think you're better than PEELS's incessant spam and arguments now? Well sore ree, your majesty.

[Reply #586 on:]

Earlier today, I was randomly musing about how BBS kind of completely fucks up the emotional impact to the ending of "Jurassic Bark," but regardless of it ruining the "feels" aspect, the ending still makes sense. Just imagine it's Seymour waiting for Lars-Fry to get home from work everyday (Lars-Fry mentions working in a casino at some point and also he's on the narwhal boat for two years).

[Reply #587 on:]

How do you explain The Luck of the Fryrish then? Is Yancy an amnesia-driven crazy guy?

[Reply #588 on:]

Good point! There is also the issue of why Yancy called his son Fry, despite Fry not going missing in the new timeline; I think I brought it up on PEEL many, many years ago.

[Reply #589 on:]

the new timeline

Hold up. I thought the main gimmick of the time code is the all the time travel shit was contained to a single timeline, which is why we see Bender destroying New York and Bender from the end of the movie returning to give Fry the tattoo.

...Yet there's a few instances where this obviously isn't the case, like when Bender travel's back 19 seconds to use the toilet. And the fact that at some point prior to the movie Hermes should have been decapitated and had his body stolen. And uh... nothing to do with the part where Nudar travels back and brings his past self forward to his death makes a lick of sense.

My head hurts.

[Reply #590 on:]

I'm still sort of confused. Who becomes the doomed copy? Did the original Nudar die, I.E the one who actually used the time code, or the one who didn't? Doesn't seem fair that someone can just travel back and be like "So, yeah, you're a doomed copy... Good luck with that". But when Fry travelled back to get the hour-ago pizza, he's the one who was doomed. I don't remember it, but I'm pretty sure the Bender that travelled back 19 seconds was the one that exploded later on, right?