DVD: The Beast with a Billion Backs
Submitted by Mel Green on Mon, 2008-08-11 12:09.
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DVD Reviewed by Mel Green
Starring: Billy West, Katey Sagal
The inimitable cast of Futurama returns in the second feature-length animated film, The Beast with a Billion Backs. Once again the outstanding dry humour surfaces, with throwbacks, spoofs and parodies of famous science fiction elements, as well as pop-culture; but this second film begins to show the strain of 3-4 episodes being melded together.
Without the usual breaks the TV show afforded, some of the segments run a bit ill-paced toward the conclusion, and no doubt the film would be more enjoyable as the separate episodes that run individually on TV. It's still the genius of Futurama, but it's several of the less impressive adventures.
An electromagnetic alternate universe reveals itself to the frightened people of earth as a space rip anomaly in the sky. Professor Hubert Farnsworth racks his brain for a solution to the possibly hazardous situation, but is contested by his longtime rival Doctor Ogden Wernstrom, who is constantly intent on one-upping him. When Philip Fry (Billy West), a bumbling Planet Express employee is sent into space to implement Ogden's plans, a planet-sized tentacle armed monster named Yivo (David Cross) emerges, intent on taking over the world.
Leela (Katey Sagal), Farnsworth, Amy, Zoidberg, Hermes and their cohorts must unite to battle the enormous beast, which has sent down his many tentacles to turn the people of Earth into mindless zombie puppets. Fry becomes the tentacle pope of the world and is fixed on forcing everyone to join him as a victim to the enslaving mind-controlling appendages.
Meanwhile, the unsympathetic and crass robot Bender becomes infatuated with television star Calculon, and decides to stalk him. Unearthing the League of Robots, a secretive group of powerful droids teamed to protect the less fortunate robots of the world, Bender eventually joins them only to become jealous of Calculon's leadership.
Brittany Murphy (Sin City, 8 Mile) joins the voice cast as Fry's girlfriend Colleen, a spunky young woman who believes she can satisfy her five boyfriends, much to the dismay of the conventional Fry. A hilarious Deathball tournament is used to settle arguments, the constant scatterbrained machinations of chauvinistic starship captain Zapp Brannigan return, Kif Kroker and Amy Wong take their relationship to the next level, Pazuzu makes an appearance, Nixon's head leads the citizens of Earth, and a Pirates of the Caribbean finale convinces everyone that love is downright awful - and that there is no great love without jealousy.
But for all of the nonstop jokes, cameos, and general buffoonery, The Beast With a Billion Backs seems poorly timed during most of its duration. It's ironic that most criticisms of TV-to-movie adaptations are that the feature merely feels like several episodes stitched together. For the second Futurama film, it literally is several episodes stitched together, and is probably much more entertaining being viewed in its pieces. The Beast With a Billion Backs won't disappoint long-time fans of the show, but it also doesn't add as much excitement for Futurama's reinstatement as the first feature did.
