Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs

The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008), the 2nd Futurama feature film, centers around the rift in the universe created by Bender's misadventures through time in Bender's Big Score (2007). After Fry flees yet another relationship in his vain search for love, he decides to throw himself through the interdimensional rift in desperation. Hitching a ride on Zap Brannigan's warship, which has been sent by President Nixon to destroy the perceived threat of another universe, Fry tumbles through the rift and communes with the other side. Turns out, the other side consists of a planet-sized tentacled being named Yivo who has watched our universe in loneliness for billions of years. After encountering Fry, Yivo seizes upon the opportunity presented by the rift. The tentacle monster begins a forced and systematic conversion of Fry's universe to the unitarian and harmonious nature of Yivo's world. Meanwhile, Bender, as a non-living being, is unable to pass through the rift or receive the conversion of Yivo. Slighted, Bender becomes the leader of the secret League of Robots and vows to kill all humans before they can transcend to Yivo's dimension.

As much as it pains me to say this, for the first time in its existence, "Futurama" has failed to be spectacularly awesome. This movie is way too scattered. All of our favorite main characters are too disconnected, robbing the film of its proper laugh source: the interactions of the ensemble cast, particularly our proverbial three amigos, Bender, Fry, and Leela. I suppose I can understand the producers' desire to do something a little different, but they've simply gone about it in the wrong way. Compared to the hilarious and heartfelt time-traveling epic that was Bender's Big Score, Beast with a Billion Backs falls flat, never delivering on any of the great themes the show was built on.

And there just weren't many laughs either. We're subjected to a main storyline featuring Amy and Kif which quickly grows stale and boring, and Bender is completely isolated from the rest of the main cast for the vast majority of the movie, making him virtually useless in the absence of humans to interact with and rip on. On top of this, the potential comic gold of David Cross is completely wasted on the rather disappointingly ho-hum tentacle monster Yivo. I suppose it's not all bad, though. The film does feature appearances by perennial favorites such as the Shatner-parodying Zap Brannigan, and Calculon, the over-acting robot soap star. But it's not quite enough. Hate to say it, but this one was a disappointment, fans.

Storyline & plot: 3/10
Cinematography & effects: 6/10
Music & mood: 5/10
Performances: 6/10

The Reverend says: 5/10