TV Review – “Futurama Vol. 1”

Here’s some lighter fare than most of the Halloween
reviews.

Cast and Crew

This series was the creation of Matt Groening, best
known for The
Simpsons
.

Complete information is
available from this IMDB
page
.


Buy from: Amazon.com
(which currently has it on sale for just $14.99)
or Amazon.ca

Past TV reviews can be found here.

Original Airdate


This season aired in 1999.

Synopsis

Fry, a delivery boy, gets accidentally frozen in the
year 1999, and
wakes up in the year 3000. He is soon recruited by
one of his
desendants to work as a delivery boy on a space ship
crewed by a one
eyed alien, unscrupulous robot, crablike doctor, and
others.

High Point

“Fry and the Slurm Factory”

Low Point

“I, Roommate”

The Review

The unoriginal basis is used to set up some
very original
parodies, so it doesn’t feel like a point against it.
They have some
unusual perspectives on modern society, too. I give
it 5 out of 6.

The animation is the most natural blend of
hand-drawn and
computer generated material I’ve ever seen. I give
it 6 out of 6.

The stories are primarily one-shot episodes
that have little
threads of continuity and recurring guest characters
to reward long
time viewers. In terms of plot and construction, I
think it’s a
superior product to The Simpsons, relying
less on specific
pop culture references, and more on genuinely funny
material. I give
it 5 out of 6.

The voice acting is pretty pedestrian.
There is little
emotional variation in any of the dialogue, and what
there is jumps
from one extreme to another. I give it 3 out of 6.

The emotional response is mild. I found
myself smiling
constantly, but laughing out loud only rarely. I
give it 4 out of 6.

The production wasn’t too bad. There is
some loose editing,
but that’s common in animation, where individual
frames become quite
expensive. I give it 4 out of 6.

Overall, it’s an amusing set, and one that’s
well worth the
current sale price, although I’m not sure I’d have
been happy picking
it up at the regular price. I give it 4 out of 6.

In total, Futurama Vol. 1 recieves 31 out of
42.

4 replies on “TV Review – “Futurama Vol. 1””

  1. shawdows of things to come
    I’d just like to mention that it’s worth it to have a second look at the pilot
    episode, specifically, at the shadows under the desk when Fry falls into the
    freezer.

  2. Crablike?

    crablike doctor

    Really I always thought of Dr. Zoidberg as more of a lobster :)

  3. What hooked me…
    Basically, Bender. His attitude makes for a ton of laughs.

    The whole suicide booth scene where Bender and Frye meet is just perfect. The first season rocked. I just got season 4 for my birthday and am watching that. This show should have stuck around a lot longer.

    • Re: What hooked me…

      Basically, Bender. His attitude makes for a ton of laughs.

      The whole suicide booth scene where Bender and Frye meet is just perfect. The first season rocked. I just got season 4 for my birthday and am watching that. This show should have stuck around a lot longer.

      Oh yes. I have seasons three and four, and am intending to get one and two as soon as I think I can get away with it.

      Bender is definitely one of the best characters, but I can’t really point at any of them and say that I didn’t like them. Zap Brannigan, Amy, Kif… Zoidberg is perhaps the only one who ever irritated me, but he did have some good bits that made up for his bad bits.

      Nibbler was good – the whole thing with the Niblonians is fantastic. And I remember very clearly the packet of instant pool water – ‘leaves included’. Pour into the pool, add one drop of water, and wham! Pool full of water. Fabulous.

      Oh, and the army of Lucy Lius of course.

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