Futurama - La bestia con un millón de espaldas

The first movie to come out from the TV show felt a little shaky and unsure of itself. This is much better, it feels stronger and more confident and doesn't suffer from the over heightened expectations of fans like myself that the first film did.

The plot is quite sophisticated for a cartoon but not for a Futurama, the characters are back in their tried and tested roles and it is a great way to spend 90 minutes.

As I have said before I don't think the cartoon format transfers that well to feature length. There are more laughs than in a normal episode but they are spread further apart making the film feel less funny than it actually is.

I am ecstatic that the series of feature lengths are continuing and treasure my copy.

You won't ever hear me claim that "Futurama" is a better series than "The Simpsons", but it was undeniably the work of geniuses, and I always regretted that it ended rather abruptly after four seasons already. At the same time, of course, one could also state the series stopped (or at least temporarily stopped) at its creative peak and while it was still funny, which isn't exactly what can be said for "The Simpsons". One thing's for sure, when the plug was pulled on "Futurama", the writers still had tons of great inspiration!

"The Beast with a Million Backs", as well as the other three straight-to-video full length movies, are of the same high intellectual and comical quality levels as the series. This means the plot is original and well-elaborated, the script exists of an endless spitfire of genuinely hilarious gags and situational humor, and - most importantly to me - the little references and tributes towards classical Sci-Fi/cult landmarks. There are obvious homages and subtle ones, and I probably also see a lot of little references to obscure films that weren't intentional, but it's what I love most about "Futurama".

The first Futurama movie felt like a collection of episodes strung together, "Benders Big Score" was enjoyable for fans, but like "the family guy movie", or "the Simpson's movie", it doesn't do anything the show didn't do, the same cannot be said for "The Beast With A Billion Backs", which while not as laugh a second as it could be(still multiple laughs per minute) is strengthened by being one of the strongest stories that Futurama has ever ran.

My favorite Futurama episode finds Bender floating in space alone, and a tiny microscopic colony grows onto his back, and begins worshiping him as their God, in trying to help improve their lives, he ultimately destroys them all, and then encounters a large energy being in the middle of space, who for all intense and purposes is the God...who doesn't seem to know who he is or what he is doing, but knows that God can't please everyone and if his job is done right no one "should" know he exists at all.. moments like that are the reason I watched Futurama in the first place, and its the kind of thinking that produced "The Beast With A Billion Backs", which is possibly the most unique, thought provoking, and amusing love story, I've ever seen in an animated film, or maybe ever.

It's a metaphysical love story, with inter-dimensional sea monsters and robotic demonic pirates, it's a story of infidelity and jealousy (not just with Fry, consider the subplot of Kif and Amy, compare Fry's first relationship with his last, Benders final monologue, etc). Is love personal or universal, can it be shared or must it be guarded, can any kind of perfect love exist within imperfect human conditions? Can/should God love everyone? Because it's Futurama you don't sit down, expecting to be challenged or even moved. "Sorry Bender...Robots don't go to heaven...", but that's just how it ends up.

So no this does not feel like "The Futurama" you've seen a thousand times before, it's best moments are still there, but it has a sense of direction, purpose, and story structure, that's its never had before, and is damned commendable. The best adult cartoon movie since "South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut", but as much for the story telling itself as the laughs.

It's the Cthulu Love story of our times!

The Beast with a Billion Backs, the very title is an adult joke that kids won't understand which pretty much sums Futurama as a show up.

It follows on from the events of Benders Big Score (2007) and see's Earth under attack from a multi-tentacled entity whose intentions are anything but PG. Not quite Japanese anime level but still pretty questionable stuff.

Failing to hit the emotional heights of the previous movie it is thankfully loaded with a few more jokes. Sadly I still don't find it all that funny, it's like the Simpsons just without the charm.

I'm yet to binge Futurama and still have a couple more feature films to view, but can confidently say that though I don't dislike it the adventures of the Planet Express do little for me.

The Good:

There are laughs to be had

The Bad:

Story is a tad uncomfortable for a light hearted show like this

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

I was told there would be sugar syrup!

When you have one eye winking and blinking are indistinguishable

Nixon was known for his class

i'm a colossal fan a futurama, but i was very disappointed with this effort.

snappy dialogue, clever writing and coherent (occassionally poignant) story lines set futurama apart from the field but the movie lacks these.

jokes are reused and predictable, the plot is overblown and indulgent, the casual manner in which major events happen is disjointed, and the resolution is just bad.

the film focuses on fitting in obscure characters from the series, having some new wacky future technology, and reinforcing the stereotypes that define the main cast, but to be honest i could forgive it completely if it was as funny as the episodes or even the other movie.