I am a Bob’s Burgers junky.
And while Tina Belcher is my favorite, Louise may actually be my spirit animal while I am actually Gene in real life.
They are the trinity that make up me.
So when I was asked to review the new Bob’s Burgers Movie I flipped at the chance.
I love it so much.
What I love most about this quirky show, other than what I stated in my opening sentence, is that it is about a family of five that live above their small Burger counter restaurant and just how wholesome it is.
In this age of sarcastic and overly cynical shows that try too hard to be flippant, critical this show is truly a refreshing change of pace. It doesn’t need to be jaded about everything. It somehow handles the trials and tribulations about family, growing up and parenting without being mean or nasty about it.
Soon to be heading into its 13 season, the creator, Loren Bouchard and series developer, Jim Dauterive have not felt the need to make The Belcher Family cynical or overly critical about each other. In fact, Bob and Linda are overly supportive of their children and even each other, even when they don’t agree with each other’s points of view or life decisions. The kids though not always on the same page are there for one another when it counts and in the end they are stronger than they were at the start of the show.
I also enjoy that each member of the family and even a lot of the side characters and recurring ones each have their moment in every episode. At no point have I ever felt like any of the main characters get slighted by the writers nor do I feel like at any point in the show is a charter forced into the scene because they need their 15 seconds in the episode.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie is no exception. This film is fun, charming and just a good old fashion good time for all.
The film begins one night 6 years ago on Wonder Wharf Pier where something terrible happens. It then cuts to the present day giving us the usual tropes of the show’s opening as well as introducing all the main players just in case you have never seen an episode.
If you have not seen an episode then:
a) what the heck is wrong with you
and
b) stop reading this review right now and go binge watch all 12 seasons for god sake! They are all on Hulu!
Whew crisis averted… Now where was I?
Ah right, the plot summary…
We discover that Bob and Linda need to get an extension on their loan to pay off their equipment. When a ruptured water main throws one of many monkey wrenches into The Belcher’s proverbial works it also uncovers a harrowing mystery that may hold the future fate of their family’s business in question. It will also put one of the town’s most prominent citizens’ lives in danger as well. Can the kids solve the mystery that the sinkhole has revealed before it is too late?
I very much enjoyed this big screen entry to The Bob’s Burgers oeuvre.
It was very much a bigger adventure that they couldn’t properly tackle in a 22-30 minute episode.
This feature film presentation of what is basically a more convoluted and intricate episode of the show, one that kept me smiling and laughing the entire time. I enjoyed all the great music and musical numbers (of course there were musical numbers. You’d know that if you watched the show. Wait, why are you still reading this? Go and watch the show! Don’t make me tell you again!) and seeing all my favorite characters bigger than life. I would say that my only criticism of it is that, sure, the story was more complicated and larger in scale but at times it did feel like it could have been handled in a series of smaller stories broken up on the show proper.
At times it felt like they had a bunch of leftover good bits they didn’t know what to do with in the show so they were all stitched together with the main throughline of the sinkhole and the mystery solving.
On that tone of note, I will also once again point out that this film was absolutely made for already existing fans of the show more than it is to bring in new viewers, it seems. There are so many great throwbacks to earlier episode’s tropes and moments. It is an easter egg smorgasbord. From Tina’s sexy zombie obsession, Gene’s musical love, and Louise’s anger issues to Linda’s tendency to burst into song and Bob’s slightly psychotic breakdowns talking to his food. It is chock full of love and respect.
Extras include audio commentary, featurettes, animated short, animatics, and deleted scenes.
Honestly if that is my only issue then I am going to count this as a win because so many times the feature film venture of a tv show doesn’t always go as well as the creators had hoped it would.
This film is an extremely fun time. If you are a Bob’s Burgers fan like I am, you will enjoy the heck out of this and will not be sorry you checked it out.
I know I wasn’t.
* * * * *
Produced by Janelle Momary-Neely, Loren Bouchard, Nora Smith
Screenplay by Loren Bouchard, Nora Smith
Based on Bob’s Burgers by Loren Bouchard
Directed by Loren Bouchard Bernard Derriman
Starring H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy,
John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Zach Galifianakis, Kevin Kline
