"Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder" is an amusing, but immensely uneven film. It does house a few decent jokes, but it’s not quite as joke-filled as "The Simpson’s Movie" or even selected episodes of "Futurama."
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009, Blu-ray)
Directors: Peter Avanzino
Producers: Various
Writers: Matt Groening creator & Matt Groening developer & David X. Cohen developer Michael Rowe writer
Features: * Commentary * PiP Video Commentary * Featurettes * Game * Deleted Material * Outtakes
Characters:
Billy West ... Various
Katey Sagal ... Various
John Di Maggio ... Various
Tress MacNeille ... Various
Maurice LaMarche ... Various
Phil LaMarr ... Various
Lauren Tom ... Various
David Herman ... Various
Kath Soucie ... Various
Frank Welker ... Various
Genre: Comedy
Review:
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder Blu-ray Review
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MINI-REVIEW:
Between the surefire hits that appeal to everyone and the definite flops that are unanimously rejected, there are shows that you either connect to, or you don’t. While I’ve always enjoyed the quick-witted antics of the Simpson’s clan, the misfit band of space pioneers of Matt Groening’s other show, "Futurama," never really did anything for me. I’ve probably watched a good season’s worth of episodes and only found a scant offering of decent laughs between the 20-some shows--odd considering my penchant for witty social satire and rich sci-fi lore.
This made watching "Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder" a bit harder for me. I went into the feature with high hopes though. "The Simpson’s Movie" had recharged my forgotten love of that franchise and perhaps this straight-to-video release would spark some sort of similar connection. Alas, it missed the mark by a short margin.
I’m sure fans will find themselves enjoying the film’s irreverent nature, but newcomers are not likely to feel the same way. The tonal shifts are simply too drastic and too confusing for anyone who hasn’t regularly watched the show in the past.
Still, there are a few decent laughs to be had in the film’s short running time. The social commentary is delightfully witty and the characters are a lot of fun, even though they don’t seem quite as genuine or relatable as the characters on "The Simpson’s."
Admittedly, I’m not the audience for this film. I’d guess that if you like the show, you’ll probably, at least, enjoy the feature film. For those new to the series--well, you might want to investigate some of the episodes of the show (now on The Cartoon Network) first.
Film Report Card:
Entertainment Value: B
Film Value: C
Final Grade:
C+
HD REVIEW:
Video:
"Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder" is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen using the AVC MPEG-4 codec on a dual-layered BD50 disc. To say this direct-to-digital transfer is stunning is an understatement. While I’ve long held "Persepolis" as the finest 2-D animated Blu-ray entry, this title gives that disc a good run for its money, even topping the last "Futurama" BD release, "Bender’s Game". The presentation is sharp, vibrant and genuinely engaging to look at, riddled with crisp, solid colors that pop off the screen. There’s not a spot of dust or grain on the print. Image detail and depth is rock-solid considering the animation style. As it stands, thus far on the format, this is one of the finest color 2-D animation films I’ve seen yet. We’ll see what Disney does once they start unveiling their own classics.
Audio:
Audio choices are English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Dolby Digital 5.1 with Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish subtitles and English captions for the hearing impaired. Considering this is a straight-to-video release, sound design is rather excellent. This track is remarkably aggressive, loaded with wonderfully placed discrete surround effects and vigorous bass. My only problem: center dialogue is tuned a bit too low, often drowned out by surround effects. Dialogue also sounds a touch murky -- not quite as clean as other, bigger animated films. There’s much to love about this mix, and it’s sure to please most fans, but it misses out on the flawless rating by a narrow margin.
Extras:
This brimming single-disc release comes in a standard blue plastic case. This is quite a loaded special edition with features presented in high definition and standard definition.
Starting off this fully-loaded special edition is a lively commentary from creator Matt Groening, executive producer David X. Cohen, voice actors John DiMaggio and Maurice LaMarche, co-writers Patric Verrone and Mike Rowe, producer Lee Supercinski and director Peter Avanzino. This track provides enough insight and trivia to keep fans happy. It’s never dull or dry, but it is a bit overloaded with too many guests.
Next up, there’s a rather informative, engaging look at the animatic stage of production. If you’re in to looking at animatics, and the process that goes into making them, this featurette will definitely appeal to you. If not, indulge in the disc’s somewhat fluffier featurettes, starting with “Matt Groening and David X. Cohen in Space!” It’s a silly little featurette about their zero-G experience at a privately owned corporation that simulates the weightless feeling during space flight.
“Docudramarama: How We Make Futurama So Good” briefly explores the "Futurama" production house, while “Louder! Louder!: The Acting Technique of Penn Jillette” takes a look one of the film’s many voice actors.
“Golden Stinkers: A Treasury of Deleted Scenes” details five short deleted or alternate scenes rightfully cut from the final film. They include: “Dolomite Hill,” "Matcluck,” "Paint?!" "Morbo Solo" and "Mind Reading.”
“How To Draw Futurama In 10 Very Difficult Steps” is a pretty straight-forward featurette letting fans in on the secrets of drawing their favorite characters. “3D Models with Animator Discussion” is similar to features found of previous releases. Basically, fans can take a look at 3-D pre-visuals while various members of the production team discuss how these 3-D models will translate to the final composite.
Finishing out this fascinating disc is a rather amusing PSA from Bender entitled “Bender's Movie Theater Etiquette.” It’s a pretty self-explanatory featurette, but well worth a look. Finally, be sure to check out the amusing PSA “Zapp Brannigan's Guide to Making Love at a Woman” which features tips on how to woo the ladies.
HD Content:
There’s also a BonusView version of the same commentary. Basically, this is the same commentary track as above, repurposed with video interviews.
Packaging:
The disc is packed in the usual "Elite" Blu-ray case. Design is classy and in keeping with Fox’s other titles.
Final Thoughts:
"Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder" is an amusing, but immensely uneven film. It does house a few decent jokes, but it’s not quite as joke-filled as "The Simpson’s Movie" or even selected episodes of "Futurama." But, the film’s social commentary is both relevant and inventive. The Blu-ray is quite great, boasting a solid transfer and a well designed audio mix. The extras are also absorbing and enlightening. Fans should be pleased.
Blu-ray Report Card:
Video: A
Audio: B+
Extras: B+
HD Content: C
Packaging: A-
Recommendation: Fans should give this a rent.
On Blu-ray: February 24, 2009.
CLICK HERE TO READ MY REVIEW of the DVD over at IGN!!
Here's the film's theatrical trailer:
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