Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs
by Peter Avanzino
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Billy West, Brittany Murphy, Dan Castellaneta, David Cross, Phil LaMarrDirector: Peter Avanzino
Brand: FUTURAMA: BEAST WITH A BILLION BACKS (DVD MOV
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 89 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-06-24
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs
Movie Review: Beast verges on the heartless to make its point about mankind
Summary: 2 Stars
A viewer wrote "some Futurama is better than no Futurama." I dissent.
I own the entire series (after having been a faithful fan of the series). And a couple of episodes were genuine heartbreakers, but most were excellent. Some were just funny and that's the worst I intend to say about the series. But it _always_ had heart. That was the secret ingredient to Futurama's success: we "felt" for the characters, despite their obvious flaws--or perhaps because of them! Despite their dysfunction they never lost their humanity or their ability to acknowledge their flaws. And at episode's end they each had made some peace with those flaws. The characters _chose_ their outcomes and conclusions.
That said, "Beast" broke its boundaries! It does not equal "Bender's Big Score" which gave closure to a couple of the more unsettling (yes, the _heart-breaking_ ones; I'll never hear Connie Francis's "If it takes forever" the same way again; thank you, very much...) episodes.
Hey, guys, much as I love the series, "Beast" _destroys_ the spirit of the entire series. Be forewarned. "Beast's" plot is despicable and perverse; Bender evolves from his arrogant, dishonest self to a shallow, narcissistic and mean-spirited jealous sociopath who holds human choice in contempt.
Perhaps this film was meant to strike a blow for nihilists and cynics the universe over, but did it have to do it in such an angry manner (in a strange way, its ending reminded me of a humorous "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," the Jeff Goldblum/Donald Sutherland version)?
Can't say I admired the spirit behind "Beast." "Beast" is heartless. Futurama is a success. Has this success destroyed its writers' inner beauty and ability to have fun?
Conversely, I have to admit that "Beast" makes its point (in its warped way) about the _eternal_ conflict in the human soul between the human yearning for a loving, nurturing utopia (back to the womb?) and the endless struggle that life is. For we define ourselves as humans and individuals--and existence itself--by this struggle, by how we learn to deal with this daily struggle and, to a degree, how we "control" the outcome.
Life is, after all, a cosmic game. Do we "win" by cooperating with each other or by competing with each other to death? It's about human choice, whether you believe in "free will" or not. Bender, a robot--a man-made tool--I sensed, subverted the process-OR did he perpetuate it? Is the mean-spirited _destruction_ of the choices of others our _true human destiny_?
Rent this one. And be careful. It's point and viewpoint may make you cringe. 2 and half to 3 stars, max.
Summary of Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs
The thrilling conclusion to Futurama: Benders Big Score.Bender and the planet express crew must contend with a massive cosmic team that sends the world into panic.
In Futurama's latest and most tentacle-packed epic, space itself rips open, revealing a gateway to another universe. But what lies beyond? Horror? Love? Or maybe both, if it happens to contain a repulsive, planet-sized monster with romantic intentions! Nothing less than the fate of human and robot-kind is at stake as the Futurama crew takes on The Beast with a Billion Backs.
The Beast with a Billion Backs will be presented in widescreen format with English Dolby Surround 5.1, along with French and Spanish subtitles. Bonus features include:
The second of four direct-to-DVD adventures featuring the Futurama crew, The Beast with a Billion Backs picks up where its predecessor, Bender's Big Score, left off while balancing multiple love stories and the arrival of a sexually voracious alien from another universe. Unlike Bender, the various story lines converge well here--the tentacled, Lovecraftian creature Yivo (voiced by David Cross), which wants to mate with the entire population of the universe at once, makes Fry (Billy West) its de facto leader (Pope, actually), which in turn plays havoc with his relationship with new girlfriend Colleen (Brittany Murphy). And Yivo's scheme causes the people of Earth to evacuate the planet, leaving it in the hands of robots--which is, of course, excellent news for Futurama's resident mechanical malcontent, Bender (John DiMaggio). Beast is probably best understood and enjoyed by longtime fans of the series, who will recognize and appreciate the countless "surprise guests" (Robot Satan, the Harlem Globetrotters, Bender's hero Calculon, the head of Stephen Hawking), though the feature is certainly well-written and performed by its voice cast, and should provide plenty laughs for first-timers with flexible attention spans. Parents, however, should note that the humor can be fairly suggestive at times, and should exercise caution in regard to younger viewers.
Extras include a very funny commentary track with creators Matt Groening and David X Cohen, stars West, DiMaggio and Maurice LaMarche, and key members of the production team. Deleted scenes and a making-of featurette with the voice cast are entertaining, but the real features of value are Futurama: The Lost Adventure, which is culled from the Futurama game for Playstation 2, as well as a lengthy preview of the next direct-to-DVD movie, Bender's Game. Suffice it to say that the Lord of the Rings weighs heavily on the storyline. -- Paul Gaita
Beyond Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs on DVD
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