It looks like, once again, I’m late to the patty. Those humble few who follow the comments section on this website will know that I required to be alerted by members of the cognoscenti as to the impending feature-film version of Loren Bouchard’s cartoon series for FOX; the heads-up was required, because I have to admit that I’d never heard of Bob’s Burgers. I seem to be in a minority, since many critics seem able to discuss in detail the differences between the tv show and the movie; as a newbie, I have to say that Bob’s Burgers goes down rather easily as a corrective to the worst impulses of The Simpsons or Family Guy, but also as a frolic in its own right.
The family unit at the centre of the story are the Belchers; a mom and pop fast-food operation, they’re living the same hard-scrabble life as the rest of us, struggling to make the payments on their mortgage. Bob (H John Benjamin) and Linda Belcher (Dan Mintz) plan to get out with a mobile stand and sell sell sell to make up the deficit, but their plan is stymied by a large sink-hole that opens up in front of their establishment. Can the Belcher’s kids save the family? Finding a skeleton in the sink-hole turns out to be the first step towards a happy resolution….
Those new to Bob’s Burgers will appreciate the comic talents in the voice cast; Kristen Schaal’s rasp is perfectly suited to bunny-eared scamp Louise, Aziz Ansari, Jenny Slate and Stephanie Beatriz all contribute bits, and Kevin Kline and Zack Galifanakis pillory the upper-classes by voicing the cruel landlords Calvin and Felix Fischoeder. There’s also a few rather jolly songs to lure in audiences, and the whole package is bright, cheerful and inoffensive.
Set against Top Gun: Maverick as counter-programming at the box-office, Bob’s Burgers should please those who dig a timbale of sight-gags and hip social commentary; it certainly picks up some of the heavily lifting that The Simpsons seems to only tackle intermittently. Bob’s Burgers works as a gentle initiation for those not previously familiar with the Belchers; a light meal, perhaps, but one that shouldn’t provoke the kind of wind-breaking that’s featured here.
Thanks to Disney/20th Century Studios for big screen access to this film.
#BobsBurgersMovie, only in cinemas 27 May.
when I saw the trailer mistakenly I thought this was aimed at kids and wondered if someone was going a step too far. Now I stand corrected and the Belchers may be worth a punt on my Monday outing.
It’s a fun little animation, in a Simpson’s vibe.
Will certainly see if I can fit it in.
Nope.
Sigh. Alex has been beside himself for weeks, frothing with excitement about this, and Nope is all you can say?
Yep. Will you be reviewing a proper movie sometime today?
What a patty-pooper! All kind of good things on the way, still picking my day for Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers which is a real cinematic tour de force…
I don’t ever pat poops.
There’s ongoing wordplay involving party and patty, but your dismissive attitude to my review and this film probably won’t allow you to participate. Chip and Dale next, dedicated to you…
I have just checked out the trailer. Looks way better than Burger Bobba or whatever it’s called, but still. Nope. Bring on the real people.
Chip and Dale will have to do…Paul Rudd’s in it, live action Paul Rudd too…
Well I for one am looking forward to your review of the Chippendales movie, with none other than People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive starring in it. Though saying it was “all hands to the pump” for that one was maybe a bit TMI.
The Chippendales are in it! Your old alma mater?
Emphasis on old. I hung up my g-string and bow-tie many years ago. How about yourself?
Still grinding, but with diminishing results. Back in the old days, when you toured as Sexy Alexi, these were the days…
I basically invented the windmill. The kids these days should be paying me royalties . . .
You got royalties from the Magic Mike film, right?
Full Monty too. A lot of people don’t know that that story was originally going to be set in Ontario, not Yorkshire. But the film board here wouldn’t give them any funding for production.
I didn’t know you were involved in that one. Big part?
I was going to be the star. But then they shipped the production off to England and had to cheat the final shot. Oh well. In the original script it was going to be the Full Alex. But it never happened so no pics.
You still have the moves?
I suspect I will watch this at about the same time I decide to watch the Simpsons. While I enjoyed Futurama, nothing else in that style does.
Make sure you take your cimvastatin after watching this movie, as I bet your cholesterol will go through the roof…
I has smoked salmon on toast for dinner last night, and porridge and strawberries for my breakfast. facT!
Catching up with The Simpsons would seem like a lifetime’s work. There’s been some great gags and episodes, but it’s not essential viewing in my house. It’s nice to see something slightly less frantic like this…
Wait a second . . . it’s the story of a fast-food franchise run by a family called Belcher! Stop it, you’re killing me! I mean, I’m already laughing! Take my money!
Wasn’t a big fan of The Simpsons movie. Seems like animation, especially of this kind, has a lot of trouble translating onto the big screen. But with this kind of wit I don’t know if it even matters. Sounds like it’s a perfect Royale with Cheese. Can’t really go wrong. Little disappointed you didn’t go out and watch the entire series box set to get up to speed first, but I’ll take what I can get.
Must be a full colon between Top Gun and Maverick.
ha ha, colon! Good one!
I happened to know a lovely real life family by the name of Belcher, nothing funny about that name at all!
But this is cute enough. Sorry not to have watched the entire Emmy-award winning series, but my time has been taken up by preperateion for the Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers movie, as you can imagine, it’s all hands to the pump with that one. Bob’s Burgers is certainly agreeable,a nd there are plenty of flashes of wit; it’s a shame live action movies can’t seem to capture the same acerbic yet warm zeitgeist.