I'm a big fan of the series and have to admit that my anticipation for the movie has been growing since it's announcement. Whilst I'd be the first to admit that it's not much more than an ambitious episode of the show, for me that was more than enough.
With the bank about to foreclose on their cooking equipment, the last thing that Bob (H Jon Benjamin) and Linda Belcher (John Roberts) need is a giant sinkhole to open right outside the door to the restaurant and stop any customers from getting in. Their misery is compounded when a body is found in the hole and it becomes an active crime scene. Meanwhile all three Belcher children are undergoing a crisis of confidence. Tina (Dan Mintz) is unable to take the next step and ask Jimmy Jnr (Benjamin again) to be her summer boyfriend. Gene (Eugene Mirman) is not as confident that his band are ready for their gig as they might be and Tina (Kristen Schall) is debating whether it's time to finally lose the bunny ears that have been her trademark since preschool.
Animation-wise, like "The Simpsons movie" before it, it sticks close to the style of the show, but add in a few expensive looking 3D CGI scenes for buildings and vehicles. Over the years, the show has become increasingly musical, so it's not surprising that there are several excellent songs in this run. I do think that they were a step up on the songs in the series too, proper catchy numbers.
I would say I thought that the second half of the film was stronger than the first, not that the first half was bad, but it has a lot of work to do to set up the various strands of the story that all come together in the second half. That worked for me though, and the moments I remember laughing at were all generally in that second half.
Do you need to see it on the silver screen? Perhaps not, but when it hits Disney Plus in a couple of months, it's essential viewing.
