As expected I bought the DVDs of these latest “episodes” the day they were released, I just procrastinated too long on Bender’s Game and put it aside until Into the Wild Green Yonder appeared at the end of February. I’m glad I did, the press was rather negative about Game so I wanted to give it more time to distance myself from the pretentious, clueless reviewers who skewered it. On the upside, rumors abound on the Internet about Fox possibly bringing the show back for a sixth (or fifth?) season. If they gave Seth McFarlane’s crap another chance I feel Futurama deserves another go under the condition that the network doesn’t make it the first casualty of some boring, meaningless NFC game running longer than scheduled.
On to the main stories and why I think the DVDs are a better experience than Comedy Central’s showings.
Game picks up sometime after The Beast with a Billion Backs (probably) but it isn’t relevant to the plot this time. The two main story arcs pertain to the current Dark Matter (starship fuel) shortage and Bender’s growing obsession with D&D (robots become dangerously unhinged if they develop imaginations). Both converge half way into the movie as Fry and Leela being pulled into a parallel reality of Bender’s creation where they encounter Fantasy counterparts of the principle cast. From there it’s parody of Lord of the Rings with a sprinkling of D&D and Star Wars jokes. Leela’s temper is a key subplot and Mom’s dumbest son Igner has a pivotal role near the end.
Of all the tributes that appeared when Gary Gygax died, this movies was probably one of the best and most heartfelt since co-developer David X Cohen is a well-known fan. It was a shame they couldn’t incorporate anything new with him in it or an original contribution from the current publisher Wizards of the Coast.
This outing is thin on guests (only George Takei and Rich Little) but minor regulars Frank Welker (Nibbler) and Kath Soucie (Cubert) return along with another jab at the Twilight Zone. The additional features were decent: all the D&D references over the series, David X Cohen’s dodecahedron collection (one of the perfect solids according to the Ancient Greeks, aka a d12 in D&D), the artists demonstrating how to draw several characters and a gene splicer showing what two characters would look like if they were fused together (Hypnobender, Moberg, etc.). The commentary is adequate yet it is distracting to hear John DiMaggio interrupting to announce the results of a d20 he keeps rolling in the background; I probably should listen to it again because I liked his anecdote about a knife informercial. Beatles fans will love the Yellow Submarine prank in the opening credits.
My only complaint on this DVD are the act breaks being very jarring, as if Comedy Central’s editors needed more obvious marks to do their job.
Overall Game is quite funny despite having a higher proportion of uber-nerd jokes but I think the average person can follow along since The Lord of the Rings novels/films are a part most Westerners’ shared cultural experience. Something many of the negative critics overlooked.
Green is the closing chapter (until Fox decides otherwise) in the DVD quartet so I think the writers gave it a more conclusive (series) ending on purpose. Rather similar to what they did on the last episode aired through Fox; the “See You on Another Network!” jab.
Again, it’s unknown how much time has passed after Game but somewhere in deep space, a weird burst of green energy triggers life to develop in an unknown solar system. The movie then quickly jumps to the Planet Express crew visiting Mars Vegas shortly before the Wongs demolish it to make way for a new, improved version. The Wongs’ construction plans are quickly obstructed by Frida Waterfall and her Eco protestors (yes, the Waterfall family is back with Phil Hendrie providing the voices). Leela, sympathetic to Frida’s cause, joins the fight to stop the Wongs from “paving” over Mars and other large stretches of the galaxy. Meanwhile, Fry gains telepathy from an accident involving Frida during the introductory protest. Fry tries to use these abilities for his own personal gain but gets pulled into a secret organization obsessed with the green energy. Bender has a minor, separate story involving the robot mafia during the first half and then participates in the Leela-Fry plots. The big, epic ending was rather satisfying yet sad since it gives the show a “conclusion” should Fox decide to let it die again.
Besides Phil Hendrie, the guest voices are Penn Jilette (his head), Snoop Dogg as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Seth McFarlane. The feature of Matt Groening and David X Cohen going into space is really their day at Zero G (a company which does charter Vomit Comet flights); it’s pretty cool until you see the price tag per person. The artists return to demonstrate how to draw more characters, namely everyone’s favorite…the Hypnotoad. Lastly, the short on how Futurama is made ran too long and wasn’t terribly interesting.
I was really pleased with Green. The trailer for it was confusing and it seemed like it wouldn’t be funny nor compelling. Thus, I’d end up spending nearly 20 bucks just to be a completist.
Both Game and Green deliver on what the majority of the show’s fans wanted. The direct-to-DVD strategy works pretty well because it compromises less for a network or cable channel catering to a general audience. I can only hope Fox gives Groening and Cohen the opportunity on another quartet. As for the casual watcher, the dissected showings on Comedy Central should be adequate.
