The Futurama Series

Futurama: Bender's Big Score (December 7/07)

I think we all know the drill by now: four years ago, Futurama was taken off the air, but thanks to the precedent set by Family Guy’s cancellation and resurrection, Futurama has been given another chance in the form of four straight-to-DVD movies. And I’m happy to say that the intervening four years have done nothing to tarnish Futurama’s luster.Bender’s Big Score features all the sharp humor, nifty sci-fi twists and genuine characterization that we’ve come to expect from the series. The film, involving a group of alien con-artists who manage to scam their way into ownership of Planet Express and the secret of time travel, does a pretty good job of straddling the line between accessibility and pleasing long-time fans. Though there’s plenty of in-jokes and references, there’s nothing here that would completely baffle Futurama neophytes. And unlike the recent Family Guy movie, this actually does feel a bit more epic and movie-like, and not just like four episodes loosely connected by an overarching plot. Here’s hoping that these DVDs do well enough to warrant a full-fledged return of Futurama to TV.