DVD Spotlight

By Joe Galm

The third and, sadly, final installment of Futurama’s recently released trilogy is quite easily the weakest of the three and possibly of any Planet Express adventure to boot. This isn’t to say the film is inherently weak but it certainly falls short of this diehard’s expectations. Still, the straight-to-DVD release will likely be a hit as fans of the television show won't want to wait until it makes its way to the tube.

Picking up from where the last movie left off, Bender’s Game showcases two parallel stories existing within the same world that eventually overcome reality and mesh together. Sound complicated? Well, it really isn’t. There’s an interesting bit about bending unit robot Bender developing an imagination through playing the nerd/cult phenomenon Dungeons & Dragons. Probably more interesting is the story about to collide with it, which involves super-mogul Mom and her quest to monopolize the universe’s fuel source. Eventually the film’s narrative cannot hold both stories and they combine into a fantastical realm. Obviously, the latter plotline clearly has modern day implications, allowing for commentary on oil dependency and the development of new fuel sources but the filmmakers left both opportunities squandered. While Futurama has never been a show that overtly concerned itself with politics it often used sharp, witty quips to satisfy the satirical needs of its viewers and Game is certainly lacking in said department.

The otherworldly twist is a bit gimmicky and not nearly as fleshed out what we have seen from the original series, which borders on being unacceptable provided that Game boasts a runtime that’s four times longer than a traditional episode. Episodes such as “The Farnsworth Paradox”, “Roswell that Ends Well”, and “The Sting” all have similar narrative deviations that are much better realized. Still, this movie does have a handful of laughs and quirky in-jokes, enough of them for me to recommend a viewing at least. I just wouldn’t be in a huge rush to buy it immediately and, as a long-time fan, it pains me to say that.