Fan-favorite minor characters like the Robot Mafia, Scruffy, L’rrrr, and the Hypnotoad all have really funny supporting roles. The saga of the Waterfall family comes to a close. A recurring cast member dies horribly and hilariously. We finally get to meet the guy in the “9” shirt that’s appeared in the background for years. There’s a moment at the end that I won’t spoil, but it’s something every Futurama fan has wanted to see for a long time. And yes, there’s a crowd shot that includes every single cast member. If they had a line over the course of the series, and aren’t currently dead or exiled to another reality, they’re in the bleachers for the climactic scene. It’s gorgeous.
Half-Ass DVD Review: “Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder”
The story opens with Leo Wong turning Mars into a replica of Las Vegas. This incurs the wrath of a gang of eco-feminists and leaves Fry with the ability to read minds and a distinct advantage in the
All-Mars Poker Invitational. Meanwhile, Bender has an affair with the Don-Bot’s wife, which results in a Robot Mafia ambush. Leo continues his environmental devastation, turning an entire arm of the Milky Way into a giant miniature golf course. Fry learns ancient secrets from the Legion of Mad Fellows, and discovers he’s the only person who can save the universe (because he’s his own grandfather). Meanwhile, Bender gets a job working for the Head of President Nixon, Professor Farnsworth is forced to close Planet Express, and Leela devotes herself to preserving the Martian Muck Leech. And that doesn’t even get into the space battles, Fry’s new mustache, or Amy Wong’s shameful past. Oh, Snoop Dogg plays himself, too. Well, he plays his head in a jar. And Snoop Dogg’s head in a jar? Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
![The problem with miniature golf is it's too damn miniature!](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3388/3279301482_c35615b3a1_o.jpg)
I’ll just say right off that Wild Green Yonder might be the best of the movies, although I think the masterpiece that is Bender’s Big Score just barely edges it out. Regardless, it makes for an excellent end to the franchise, while leaving the story open so that future movies or a run of new episodes on Comedy Central are still possible. But if this is where Futurama ends, then they’re going out on a high note. It hits all the right emotional notes, without taking away from the humor or the miniature golf-themed spaceship pursuit. Fry’s desperate need to explain himself to Leela is almost painful, even when he’s wearing a different tinfoil hat in every scene. And seeing that Leela actually shares at least some small portion of Fry’s feelings does not distract one bit from the way the eco-feminists try to shoehorn gender into every word that they possibly can. (“Wo-mandate”, “Femegaphone”, “Mands”)
The DVD includes a lively commentary track that makes it clear that no matter who you are, you’re missing some of the math and science jokes and not even realizing it. It’s also clear what a labor of love the movie was. Futurama is a passion project for everybody, writers, animators, voice cast, everybody. In its own way, the commentary is very inspirational, while still leaving space for John DiMaggio (voice of Bender) to make a lot of ass jokes.
Other bonus features include deleted scenes, 3-D animatic models, “How to Draw Futurama in 10 Difficult Steps”, a featurette on “How We Make Futurama So Great”, and “Zapp Brannigan’s Guide to Making Love At a Woman”. Yes, “at”. The special features are either funny, informative, or both. I mean, I’m making good use of some of Brannigan’s tips…
As for me, I’d hate to think that this is the end of Futurama. It’s been a part of my life for almost ten years, and I really want the Planet Express crew to have adventures for years to come. All those years of letter-writing campaigns to FOX every time the series came up for renewal, the multiple copies of the DVD box sets I’ve given to friends, watching marathons while stuck with a broken leg, crying helplessly at the end of Jurassic Bark every damn time I watch that episode, even the little rush that comes when somebody else drops a Futurama reference and I suddenly think more highly of them – Futurama has been a big part of the last decade for me. No, I don’t want Futurama to end, but if it must, Into the Wild Green Yonder is a finale that the creative team can truly be proud of.
All glory to the Hypnotoad!