Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008)

(On DVD, December 2009) This second made-for DVD movie featuring the Futurama crew doesn’t seem quite as successful as Bender’s Big Score, but it does manage to hit a few high points along the way.  Much of the film’s most amusing sequences seem to revolve around the rivalry between scientists, which also gives a chance to the writers to include a bit of nerd humor.  Much of the problems with the film seem to revolve around a structure that doesn’t quite seem what to do with 90 minutes’ worth of running time: The story goes from one setup to another, adding rather than building.  This being said, some of the thematic material makes sense: The resonances between polyamory, robot exclusion and the all-encompassing beast at the heart of the plot work to its advantages, but the sauce is thin by the end of the story.  Still, Futurama can usually depend on laughs even when its premise falters, and this second film does deliver its share.  Fans will be happy. The DVD contains a somewhat interesting audio commentary (great for catching a few more of those obscure jokes), as well as a “lost” Futurama script made for a 3D game that’s more conceptually interesting than enjoyable to watch.