Futurama

Looking for the a comedy cartoon with perfectly timed humor and characters that you actually want to meet and/or grope? Then Futurama is for you.

Whether you're looking for Science, Fiction, or Science Fiction, you're in for a treat as Fry, Leela, Bender, the Professor, Amy, Hermes, and to a much lesser extent Dr. Zoidberg travel through time and space to deliver/battle/mate with creatures/aliens/humanoid alien creatures from the past/future.

Let's just say that if I had the choice between living and watching Futurama repeatedly for an eternity in purgatory, you would never see me again.

10/10, 5/5, 1/1, *****/*****

Futurama is the second series by Matt Groening. Now when I was watching The Simpsons one idea was that why we can't see this guy more, why he is only behind a widely known TV series while poking some other people. But with Futurama I say he is (OK, was) unleashed.

Futurama deals with moron pizza delivery boy Fry being accidentally frozen and wake up 1000 years after into a whole new world. Strangely this is not the story of the Fry's adaptation, because he is not. He is still the same stupid guy back in 20th century.. Maybe a little improvement but that's all.. Then we meet Leela, who is the only cyclops alien in the whole galaxy (as far as she knows), orphan, different from others. Last but not least the main cast includes Bending Unit Bender which is a robot. Nice thing about him is that the general idea of a robot is that they are always serving and helping and supporting, but Bender does not. He lies, cheats, steals...

Then the supporting cast has the cute and horny Chinese (or Japanese?) Amy, Fry's great^20 nephew professor Farnsworth with crazy inventions but an unstable mind, doctor Zoidberg that mastered on human medical but not a human itself, Jamaican manager who is a qualified limbo master and denying machine...

I like Futurama because it creates an unexpected, yet tempting future and combines it with cunning references and a strange comedy style. It's range of poking is 'wider'..

Futurama can turn any depressed mood to a happy mood if just the watcher accepts the fact that show does not require a deep concentration for the whole concept, but likes to catch it slowly by using trivial extras and nicely planted sci-fi references.

This show was one of the best. Ever. It's a pity that it was canceled an I pity the fool who canceled it. Such things should continue till the end of time.. Thanks to the makers of DVD, they partially do.

Futurama is mandatory for all sci-fi and comedy lovers, and highly recommended for everyone else.

Reviews of Volume 3 and 4

Volume 3: 10/10

Futurama was even funnier than The Simpsons in its heyday (which, to my eyes, was seasons 8-10), and much of what made the series so great was perfectly exemplified by the DVD collection volume 3. There's an equal mix of cool sci-fi tales, brilliantly creative humor, and the addition of genuine heart that made this show unbeatable.

Favorite Episodes: Time Keeps on Slipping, Amazon Women in the Mood, Parasites Lost, The Luck of the Fryfish, That's Lobstertainment

Volume 4: 10/10

Probably my favorite volume, this last collection of episodes has all the humor, heart, and beautiful animation of the previous seasons. As the show wound to a close, the series satisfyingly touched on many emotional levels that most shows, animated or otherwise, wouldn't even dare approach with a ten-foot pole (most exemplified by Jurassic Bark). Special mention must definitely go out to the final episode, The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings, which is one of the series' best episodes (the only flaw being the lack of screen time given to Farnsworth), full of big laughs (Dan Castallaneta's guest role as the Robot Devil is priceless) and a strong emotional climax, capping off with a touching final scene that provides a sense of closure between the love and burgeoning romance of heroes Fry and Leela, while still keeping an open door for future possibilities. Fry, Leela, Bender, Farnsworth, Zapp, Kif, Calculon, Chicken Lawyer, Robot Devil, Morbo; I'm gonna miss you all. No doubt, it's been a great four seasons.

Favorite episodes: The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings, The Farnsworth Parabox, Where No Fan Has Gone Before, Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch

I loved Futurama when it was TV and I always find myself watching it on my DVD player ( I have all 4 series ). I think the thing that carries it above other cartoons ( and it's not like I don't like the Simpsons or Family Guy ) is the wonderful mix of characters. Dimwitted Phillip J. Fry, who has trouble constructing a coherent sentence and whenever he attempts to say something profound it invariably ends up flying back in his face. Turanga Leela, a outcast amongst outcasts, who when not brushing off Fry is captaining the ship between planets while wondering about her own origins. Bender, a wisecracking, gambling chain-smoking robot that is on the crew of the ship for no apparent reason apart from bumming around. Dr Zoidberg, a penniless joke of a medical practionioner that has no friends and seems to ignite hostility for just being him. Hermes Conrad, a Rastafarian bureaucrat who when not limboing for his nation is filing and shredding with an obsessive fever. Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, whose wonderous inventions are perhaps only eclipsed by his seemingly growing amorality towards almost all living things. Amy Wong, the daughter of the rich Wong family and as such finds herself slightly naive about things that are deeper than hair gel and nail polish. Add to this the military hijinks of Zapp Brannigan and his long-suffering lieutenant Kif Croker as well as thespian robot Calculon, Warlord alien Lur and President Nixon as well as others and I think you have a group of characters that all have their own quirks and flaws to add to a very funny show.

I only hope that they have enough sense to put it back on again.

I disagree with those who hate Futurama with a passion. On the contrary, I find the show so completely funny and original. Let me explain what I mean:

The plot of having a crude, broke pizza delivery-kid wander into a cryogenics lab and fall into a freezer shell for a thousand years is so creative...I'll expand further; He befriends a very well voiced "cyclops" mutant named Leela (Katey Sagal), a trash talking robot named Bender, his great, great,great (etc.) nephew Prof. Farnsworth, an alien-crab that sounds remarkably Jewish, Dr. Zoidberg, the list of imaginative characters and plot situations just doesn't stop! The humor is just awesome. I have never sat through Futurama once without laughing until I cried about something. I find it incredible that one could hold such disdain for the comedy. It really is so entertaining. But to each his own, I say.

Fry: Wait you're the only friend I have... Bender: You really want a robot for a friend? Fry: Yeah ever since I was six. Bender: Well, ok but I don't want people thinking we're robosexuals, so if anyone asks, you're my debugger.

Leela: Hey, he stole my ring! Bender: Sorry. Well, that solves the mystery of the missing ring. This calls for a drink.

Farnsworth: Let me show you around. That's my lab table and this is my work-stool. And over there is my intergalactic spaceship. And here's where I keep assorted lengths of wire. Fry: Whoa! A real live spaceship! Farnsworth: I designed it myself, let me show you some of the different lengths of wire I used.

Just a sampling of the amusing lines in the show. Thanks all!