THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE:
AS SAMUEL L. JACKSON ONCE SAID, MMM…THIS IS A TASTY BURGER!
By Nico Beland
Movie Review: *** out of 4
20TH CENTURY STUDIOS
In the tradition of Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, and The Simpsons Movie, the Belcher family makes their cinematic debut in The Bob’s Burgers Movie. The film is based on the incredibly popular Fox animated series of the same name and marks the first feature film based on a Fox cartoon show since 2007’s The Simpsons Movie.
I’ve seen a large chunk of the show via reruns on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block and streaming episodes on Netflix. While I don’t think it’s quite on the same level as South Park or the early seasons of The Simpsons or Family Guy, it’s still a very funny, well-written, and extremely likable series with memorable characters, silly hijinks, and strong family morals.
Now, we have this movie which seemed like an eternity since it was announced (And not just because of the pandemic!) and that the creators were really trying to get this movie off the ground. I also find it interesting that they chose Bob’s Burgers to follow The Simpsons Movie up with, I always thought Family Guy or Futurama would have gotten the movie treatment way before the Belchers, and yet here we are.
Even though I don’t watch the show nearly as often as something like South Park, I was very delighted by this film and found it just as funny and entertaining as the series it was based on. Fans of the show will love it and unlike a film like My Little Equesticles: The Movie, you don’t have to be a fan of the source material to enjoy this tasty, animated burger of a movie…see what I did there, Bob’s Burgers fans?
The film follows husband and wife burger shop owners, Bob (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin-Family Guy, The Venture Bros., Archer) and Linda (voiced by John Roberts) struggling to keep their business afloat after the bank warns them about repossessing their restaurant in one week if they fail to drum up money to pay off their loan. To make things even more complicated, a ruptured water main suddenly creates a giant sinkhole blocking the entrance to Bob’s Burgers.
While Bob, Linda, and their friend/#1 customer Teddy (voiced by Larry Murphy-The Venture Bros., Ugly Americans, Delocated) try to find an alternative way to resume business despite the sinkhole, Bob and Linda’s children Louise (voiced by Kristen Schaal-Toy Story franchise, Gravity Falls, Bill & Ted Face the Music), Tina (voiced by Dan Mintz-Adventure Time), and Gene (voiced by Eugene Mirman-Flight of the Conchords, Delocated, Apple & Onion) set off to solve the mystery behind the sinkhole that could potentially save the restaurant.
The film also features the voices of Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover trilogy, Puss in Boots, The Campaign) as Felix Fischoeder, Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Road to El Dorado) as Calvin Fischoeder, David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models, Wanderlust) as Grover Fischoeder, Sam Seder (Who’s the Caboose?, Sex and the City, Pilot Season) as Hugo, Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation, Epic, Master of None) as Darryl, David Herman (MADtv, Office Space, Futurama) as Mr. Fond, Gary Cole (Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Family Guy, Kim Possible) as Sgt. Bosco, Brian Huskey (Childrens Hospital, Veep, Another Period) as Regular-Sized Rudy, Jenny Slate (Parks and Recreation, Zootopia, The Secret Life of Pets 1 and 2) as Tammy, Ron Lynch (Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, Home Movies, The Sarah Silverman Program) as Ron, and Stephanie Beatriz (Short Term 12, In the Heights, Encanto) as Chloe Barbash.
Overall, The Bob’s Burgers Movie has all the laughs and charm of its television counterpart except stretched out to feature length and even those not familiar with the show will likely be entertained by it. Like South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, the film is also a musical and while the songs aren’t quite as strong as the music from South Park’s movie, there’s a lot of foot-tapping, catchy songs and equally fun musical numbers.
Even though this movie has Bob’s name in the title, it’s actually Louise’s movie as a good chunk of the film revolves around her trying to prove to everyone that she isn’t “Mommy’s little baby” which leads to her, Gene, and Tina trying to solve the mystery behind the sinkhole, and we get a bit of a backstory behind that rabbit-ear hat she always wears. She’s always been one of my favorite characters of the show, so I’m happy the film gave her a lot of time in the spotlight.
I also like how Tina has a bit of a side-plot where all she’s trying to do is ask this boy at school that she really likes to be her “Summer Boyfriend” and it’s actually a very sweet, wholesome subplot and by the end the whole audience just went “Awwww”. It’s similar to the Lisa Simpson and Colin subplot from The Simpsons Movie except I think these two are the cuter couple even if the boy is a little bit dim-witted.
The writing is as witty as ever and the majority of jokes stick the landing, it really does feel like you’re watching the show as a movie, and I mean that in the best way. It works both as a movie for those already familiar with the show and as a decent starting point for newcomers.
I will admit, the plot itself is very cookie-cutter, especially when it comes to theatrical movies based on animated shows. You do start to piece together the mystery Louise, Gene, and Tina are trying to solve and catch on to who the mastermind is going to be.
It also turns into another one of those “Race to save the neighborhood before it’s destroyed” films which we’ve seen many times before especially in big-screen adaptations of popular cartoons. However, the writing is so funny, and the characters are so likable, you don’t really care that the plot isn’t super original.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie delivers a delightful and delicious burger of a film with a lot of laughs and a surprising amount of heart. Whether you’re a fan of the show, newcomer, or just looking for a fun animated romp for the family (Though it is rated PG-13), this ain’t a bad trip to the burger shop.
From the blog www.moviewatchinpsychopath.blogspot.com
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