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Animation
Review: ‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’ Serves Up a Combo-Sized Helping of Everyone’s Favorite Fast Food Loving Family
May 23, 2022Ben MK
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The Flintstones may have been America's first primetime animated family, but they certainly weren't the last. Now, over three decades after The Simpsons took its first step to becoming the longest running sitcom on television, and eleven years after Bob's Burgers joined the ranks of it and other Fox shows like Family Guy and Futurama, everyone's favorite fast food loving family is making the leap to the silver screen. But does The Bob's Burgers Movie justify its feature-length running time? Or is it merely a glorified episode of the beloved show — one that audiences would be better off watching at home? Directed by the show's creator, Loren Bouchard, and producer Bernard Derriman, the Belchers' big screen debut finds family patriarch Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) and song-loving wife Linda (John Roberts) racing against time to save their struggling restaurant, whose fate hinges on the bank's willingness to extend their business loan. However, when Bob's plan to entice their loan officer with a tasty, burger-themed bribe backfires and they're only given seven days to pay off their debt, Bob and Linda must come up with an alternative plan — one that depends on them bringing in as many customers as they can. Unfortunately for them, a sinkhole suddenly opens up directly in front of their restaurant, making it all but impossible for hungry patrons to enter their premises. And to make matters worse, the unexpected discovery of skeletal remains at the bottom of the gaping crevasse threatens to amplify their woes, as their front doorstep becomes the scene of a six-year-old homicide investigation. Meanwhile, the Belcher kids are busy dealing with their own problems and going on a few misadventures along the way. Eighth-grader Tina (Dan Mintz) is trying to work up the courage to ask her crush, Jimmy Junior (also Benjamin), to be her summer boyfriend; Tina's nine-year-old sister, Louise (Kristen Schaal), is trying to prove to her fellow classmates that she's not the baby everyone thinks she is; and middle child, Gene (Eugene Mirman), is beginning to second guess his musical talent and his ability to lead his band, the Itty Bitty Ditty Committee. But when Louise realizes just how hard her parents are battling to keep their livelihood afloat, she takes matters into her own tiny hands, enlisting the help of her siblings to set out and solve the murder mystery. What follows will see the eccentric five-some joined by such familiar characters as their eye patch-wearing landlord, Calvin Fischoeder (Kevin Kline), and under-appreciated cop Sgt. Bosco (Gary Cole), as handyman Teddy (Larry Murphy) hatches a harebrained scheme to turn Bob's Burgers mobile and take it to the streets, while Louise, Tina and Gene attempt to outsmart both the local police and an over-ambitious killer-on-the-loose. Still, as any true Bob's Burgers fan knows, it's the many cheesy puns and occasional quirky melody that makes the show so special. And, in that respect, The Bob's Burgers Movie certainly lives up to expectations, delivering plenty of chuckle-worthy moments and offbeat musical numbers to appease longtime viewers of the series. It all makes for an amusing animated adventure that proves you don't always have to rely on an epic scope, ridiculous gimmicks or celebrity cameos in order to attract audiences. As far as whether the result is worth the trip to the multiplex, however, the answer may come down to one's preference for dine-in versus take-out. The Bob's Burgers Movie releases May 27th, 2022 from 20th Century Studios. The film has an MPAA rating of PG-13 for rude/suggestive material and language. Its runtime is 1 hr. 42 min. |
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