|
Futurama: Bender's Game | 
 enlarge | Director: Dwayne Carey-hill
Actors: Billy West, Katey Sagal, John Di Maggio, Tress Macneille, Maurice Lamarche
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $12.95
You Save: $17.04 (57%)
New (46) Used (8) from $12.95
Rating:  36 reviews
Sales Rank: 85
Format: Ac-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 88 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5
MPN: 2254187
UPC: 024543541875
EAN: 0024543541875
ASIN: B001DZOC78
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: November 4, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New & Factory-Sealed / 1st Class SH / A+ Condition / Please Read ALL Our Wonderful Feedback!
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 11/04/2008 Run time: 90 minutes Rating: Nr
Amazon.com
At once a merciless skewering of all things fanboy and an extremely satisfying addition to the Futurama franchise, Bender's Game is among the best of the animated series' feature length adventures. The game in question is Dungeons and Dragons, and Bender wants in--only robots aren't programmed with the necessary imagination. Naturally, Bender's plans to develop one go completely awry and land him in an android asylum. The role-playing plotline later re-emerges--in typically convoluted Futurama fashion--via a subplot involving Professor Farnsworth's conversion of dark matter into spaceship fuel, which created a key to a very D&D-influenced universe where our hapless heroes eventually find themselves. The alternate world storyline allows for much lampooning of fantasy tropes, with Lord of the Rings receiving the lion's share of the tweaks. Seeing as how the writers have already devoted much of the movie's running time to parodying Star Wars and Star Trek (and their Lego offshoots), one might think that Bender's Game might suffer from pop-culture overload, but surprisingly, it all feels fresh and frequently funny, and the writers are wise to ground the story in their eccentric characters rather than pinballing them through an endless string of gags. The result is probably the strongest of the direct-to-DVD Futurama releases to date, and one that newcomers to the show's cracked universe can appreciate as much as longtime fans.As with previous Futurama DVD releases, the extras come fast and furious on Bender's Game: commentary by members of the cast and production team (including Matt Groening) is both informative and funny, while interviews with the writers and producers discuss, among other topics, the influence of Dungeons and Dragons on the series and the 3D models used in the feature. Aspiring animators might appreciate "How To Draw Futurama in 83 Easy Steps and the storyboard animatic for the first part of the story, while the "Genetics Lab" feature allows for some amusing Dr. Moreau-style cross-breeding of the characters. Recording session bloopers and a deleted scene offer their own laughs, but the most enjoyable extra must be the preview for the next Futurama feature, Into the Wild Green Yonder, which suggests a shocking development for one of the show's regulars. -- Paul Gaita
Beyond Futurama: Bender's Game 
The Simpsons
| 
Family Guy
| 
King of the Hill
|
Stills from Futurama: Bender's Game (Click for larger image)
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 31 more reviews...
3rd Time's the Charm November 21, 2008
Jenny (United States)
Well, the first 2 movies were pretty bad. Movie 1 decided to throw all cannon out the window and make previous episode connections meaningless. Movie 2 was a very long drawn out episode that left me confused and empty on the laughter.
However, this 3rd movie felt more like the show. The caracters were familiar in their personalities again and answered a few questions I had from the series. I don't play D & D, but I got the cultural references just fine. Let's just hope that the 4th movie only improves what the 3rd one has tried to fix.
Not up to their usual 5-Star rating November 20, 2008
J D
I own all the episodes and movies. I will not do a long review since most people I feel like pithy ones. As a fan of Futurama I must say this is the least memorable of all the things they have done in my opinion. The movies are getting less entertaining as they come out. I hope this trend reverses on the next release.
 Needs more Dark Energy! November 18, 2008
A. McGuire (Leeds, England)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As a long-term Futurama fan, who rejoiced when the films started to appear, and who has enjoyed the previous two while thinking they hadn't yet got back to the inventive genius of the series, it pains me to say it, but this is nowhere near as entertaining. The film's premise of a Lord of the Rings + Dungeons and Dragons type adventure promises much, and starts from a bizarre enough origin - the Dark Matter fuel market is in crisis. But in the series, this would have developed by means of weird but compelling logic. Here, though there is a series of sharp transitions and enough pointed allusions, the effect is one of randomness; it's as if the authors have thrown in every idea they could think of, without asking how it all holds together.
And, worst of all to say, every previous Futurama has provided plenty of laughs; this one didn't provoke so much as a single giggle.
I could admire all the invention and the skill; but that's a long way from being engaged and entertained.
 What Happened!? November 17, 2008
Tomb_Stone (NYC)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I am A huge Futurama fan. Have every episode and love how smart and well timed the comedy can be. As much as I want to love this installment, I can't. Benders big Game is A Big let down. The comedy is so low-brow and the story and dialog is poorly written in comparison to everything that has been done up till now.
-"Benders big score" felt like Futurama well seasoned.
-"The Beast with a billion Backs" felt like a really long episode.
-"Benders game", has too many holes, not enough why?, The jokes all lean toward potty humor (that's not just because one of the castles is design after a toilet), and some jokes are dragged out till you wanna say, "and we are still talking about this, because.....?"
It feels like the writers have taken lessons from family guy and later bad episodes of the Simpsons. The comedy isn't smart, too much sensless humor, an advertisment for a knife commercial that feels like it lasts for 5 minutes (I laughed in the first 30 seconds then it became annoying), they had rosie the robot from the Jetsons in the robot insane asylum), an apearence form the tele-tubies in a fantasy scene, a side story (in support of a larger concept, leelas rage) shock collar gag on leela that ends up going no where, and on top of that and then some we have a very long build up of wasted story time until we finally get to the meat, in this case, benders fake fantasy world, which has limitless possibility, and wasn't taken advantage of the way many fans would hope.
on a side note: if the time is taken to watch the commentary, (bluray lets your see them talk) I was in aw that they basically don't pay attention to the story or whats happening on the screen, and spend the time making jokes to entertain themselves, unless there is too much gross on the screen then they all cringe.... I said it before, "what happened!?"
I can't give this movie five stars just because I wanted to love it, and one or two decent laughs doesn't mean five stars either.
-For Futurama fans and non- fans alike the last thought would be, Rent this before you buy it!
Futurama: Bender's Game Review November 15, 2008
Sir Twilight King (London, UK)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The main cast of Futurama: The Professor (Billy West), Hermes (Phil LaMarr), Leela (Katey Sagal), Bender (John DiMaggio), Amy (Lauren Tom), Zoigberg (Billy West), Nibbler (Frank Welker), Fry (Billy West) as well as Mom (Tress MacNeille) and her three bumbling sons return in this 80-minute special. Futurama: Bender's Game is unlike Futurama: Bender's Big Score and Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs due to this instalment not having a movie feel at all to it. Futurama: Bender's Game is designed to be aired in four-parts when it premières on television and it feels like a four-part episodic.
In the beginning of the film you are first introduced to a Futurama version on "Yellow Submarine". I believe this is just symbolic of how crazy the upcoming scenes get. Whilst driving about in the Planet Express Ship, Leela, Fry and Bender run out of fuel and luckily Nibbler had one ball of dark matter, which was enough to get the ship to a petrol station. The same guy Sal (John DiMaggio) that always seems to be at one of these stations makes fun of the crew's ship. Sal states even though his ship is beat up, he won the Space Destruction Derby five times. Due to Leela's unrelenting anger issues, she decides to enter the derby and later returns the ship severely damaged.
Later, Dwight Conrad (Hermes Son voiced by Phil LaMarr) and Cubert Farnsworth (the Professor's son voiced by Kath Soucie) are playing a game of "Dungeons and Dragons". Bender thinking that it is a form of gambling, wants to join in, only to find out that it is nothing like that. Dwight and Conrad tell Bender that it is the kind of game that you have to use your imagination and anything will be possible. Bender is finally able to use his imagination, but causes him to go mad, believing everything that happens in real life is happening in "Cornwood" (fictitious Dungeons and Dragons land).
The Professor annoyed with Leela's anger issues, has a shock collar put around Leela's neck, so anytime she has any thoughts or act of violence, thoughts of sexual perversion and/or lies, she will be electrically shocked. Mom appears in an interview with Morbo discussing the "problems" of dark matter and that she hopes to take care of them soon. The Professor perturbed at the interview explains how he created dark matter as a usable energy source. He further explains that Mom has the positive crystal and he has a negative crystal that he cannot find. He says that if the two crystals come together, that it will make dark matter useless. Mom tries to avoid the destruction of dark matter by sending her sons as "Owl Exterminators" to retrieve the crystal.
The Professor sees past the boys ruse and finds out that his anti-matter crystal was being used as a die in the Dungeons and Dragons game. Bender having completely gone mad is submitted to the HAL Institute which cannot help his problem. The crew heads over to Mom's base to destroy her crystal. While, the professor is able to get the two crystals to come in close contact, which causes the dark matter to glow, it somehow amplifies Bender's imagination to send everyone to Cornwood.
From this point on the crew are each changed into a Dungeons and Dragon character or a "Lord of the Rings" character. Cornwood is essentially Lord of the Rings with Dungeons and Dragons theme to it. The rest of Futurama: Bender's Game tries to wrap up the convoluted story as much as possible. Overall Futurama: Bender's Game is very silly. This is a good thing as they brought back much of the Futurama humour and have many jokes about things you may have forgotten from the 1990's. I felt that this adventure is a big step in the right direction from Futurama: The Beast with A Billion Backs as this was actually funny. Futurama fans should enjoy this as long as they just relax and enjoy it as it is without preconceived notions and realise it is very silly.
4/5
Picture:
Futurama: Bender's Game is presented in the 1.78:1 (16:9) format. The picture was crystal clear throughout and I could not find any skipping, frozen frames or blur in the picture.
5/5
Sound:
The sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The sound was very well done throughout, but since they decided to make this like the television series, you do not get much in terms of cinematic sound. The voice actors voices were always clearly audible in the centre speaker during the talking scenes, which for some films can sometimes be problematic.
4/5
Special Features:
The special features are rather dull. There are not too many special features and even when you think you find something good such as a deleted scene, it is just a story board with sound. The team that assembled this DVD got rather lazy as far as extra features go.
3/5
Review Round-Up
Movie: 4
Picture: 5
Sound: 4
Special Features: 3
Overall: 4
Final Thoughts:
The first thing I would like to say to Futurama fans is: DO NOT watch this as if it is a film nor should you have ideas floating around in your head about how great/awful it will be. You need to just sit back and watch it as if you are watching the show and enjoy the silliness of this adventure. I found the part when the crew ran into Zoidberg in "The Cave of Hopelessness" and what happens to him reminiscent of Maria in the video game "Silent Hill 2". If you played the game, it may give you a chuckle, if not, you will enjoy it all the same. Whilst, I wish that Futurama: Bender's Game was produced as a film rather than a four-part TV series, it made me chuckle several times. I recommend this DVD/Bluray to fans of Futurama as it is a very silly one that makes up for the disaster that was Futurama: The Beast with A Billion Backs and I definitely recommend this to casual Futurama fans.
|
|
|
Copyright 2008 DVDonsale.com | |
