Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder – Blu-ray Review

Could this be it for our heroes at Planet Express? The last of four feature-length films that marked the triumphant return of 'Futurama', all good things must come to an end, and if this is, indeed, the last of 'Futurama', at least they went 'Into the Wild Green Yonder' with their heads held high.

I'm tempted to call 'Into the Wild Green Yonder' the best of the four features as it has more consistent pacing and a better insular plot than the past three, 'Bender's Big Score', 'The Beast with a Billion Backs' and 'Bender's Game'.

Still slightly suffering from an episodic approach where a lot of characters are crammed in and then dropped with little rhyme or reason, there's overall little to complain about if you're a 'Futurama' fan. Heck, when the series was canceled after a paltry four seasons, I figured my four volumes of 'Futurama' on the DVD shelf would pretty much be it and then came surprise news of what was rumored to be sixteen new episodes which eventually became partitioned out as four separate features. And who knows? If these features sold really well, continuous DVD/Blu-Ray feature releases might be a lucrative venture for Fox and would certainly satisfy the cult fanbase. Continuing 'Futurama's' pattern of offering up a convoluted web of plotlines with historical and pop references with just a dash of preaching, the targets here are corporate malfeasance and overzealous feminists and environmentalists.Of course, 'Futurama' has always been about good-hearted jabs i.e. 'The Simpsons' rather than a punch in the gut via 'South Park' and 'The Family Guy'. This will always make Groening’s work more accessible, well-rounded, and frankly, better in the long run.On this go-around, we pull in on Leo Wong (Billy West), entrepreneur extraordinaire who decides that Mars could use a bigger, badder 'Sin City' and proceeds on construction of just a place which upsets a group feminist environmentalists whom Leela decides to join when an endangered leech takes a liking to her. All the while, Bender (John Di Maggio) is up to no good with the wife of Donbot, the don of the robot mafia and Fry develops some mind-reading abilities.Wong takes it up a notch when deciding that his Sin City on Mars won't quite sate his appetite for widespread destruction so he decides to build an interstellar miniature golf course which would wipe out a whole galaxy in the process - a galaxy that might contain any number of species. With Leela and feminists pals now being chased by the law, consisting of one Zap Brannigan, and Fry inadvertently finding himself working for Wong, will Fry and Leela be able to put aside their differences to admit their true feelings for each other? And will Bender continue to be the baddestass robot in the galaxy?At the point of this pic's release, I imagine everyone knows if their a fan of the show or not. If you've found 'Futurama' a little too non-descript or mostly miss in the past, then 'Into the Wild Green Yonder' won't be making any converts and if you're new to the series, then I can only suggest starting with Volume 1 and deciding from there. The filmmakers make a reasonable effort in introducing characters in case this might be a viewer's first visit but this film is ultimately, and rightly so, made for the fans.

Bender has been the star of the show for the past three features as he's generally the funniest character and a fan favorite but he gets delegated to a supporting role here (albeit with a subplot all his own so as not to irk fans) with Fry and Leela getting top billing. Some fans might be slightly disappointed in the lack of screen time given to other fav's like Farnsworth and Dr. Zoidberg but with the realization this might be the last of 'Futurama', I think the character focus was right on; after all, Bender may have always been the funniest, but the heart of the show was always with Fry and Leela. The film is presented with a 1.78:1 1080p AVC encode and the results are expectedly fantastic and a perfect example of 2D hand-drawn animation getting an obvious high-def boost. Colors are bright, vivid and detailed which makes for an even more enjoyable viewing experience. A DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also provided. As usual, Fox provides an ample amount of special features. First up is a commentary that can be viewed as either video (a Picture-in-Picture for enabled Blu-ray players) or audio. With all major cast and crew participants, this commentary is a blast and must watch/hear for 'Futurama' enthusiasts. 'Storyboard Animatic' is a storyboard for Part 1 of the feature. 'Docudramarama' is a brief making of featurette. 'Louder, Louder! - The Acting Technique of Penn Jillette' is a quick look at the cameo of Penn Jillette. 'Golden Stinkers' is an appropriate name for deleted scenes. 'Matt Groening and David X. Cohen in Space!' is the two dudes paying good money to float around in space and make us jealous. 'How to Draw Futurama in 10 very difficult steps' is exactly what it sounds. '3-D Models', 'Bender's Movie Theater Etiquette' and 'Zapp Brannigan's Guide to Making Love at a Woman' finish things off with a few surprise Easter Eggs and some cool postcards included in the package. This is obviously a no-brainer for fans with a purchase recommend for die-hards and probably more of a rental for the casual 'Futurama' folk. I personally loves me some 'Futurama' and am only too proud to add this BD next to my four seasons and three features of 'Futurama'. With great video, audio and special features, Fox has certainly done their best in providing a great package for fans so here's hoping this won't be the last of our favorite interstellar cargo ship crew.