User Reviews

This movie isn't really as bad as everyone seems to be saying. My only problem is it feels rather segmented/disjointed, as if it's 3 separate movies (probably due to the fact that it's basically 3 episodes strung together). Other than that, the jokes, especially in the 1st half hour are fast-paced and hilarious. I laughed way more than I did during Bender's Big Score, which only managed to get a couple chuckles and nostalgic smiles out of me. Really, the only reason there's any problem at all is that they're forcing themselves to write 90 minute episodes, where they really shine in the 30 minute block. If you're a fan of the series, you should (in theory) be quite happy with this.

The problem with "Beast With A Billion Backs" isn't the writing, the storyline, the gags, or the inside references. Those are all just fine. Not great, but a decided improvement over the convoluted and fanservice-heavy "Bender's Big Score."

The greater problem -- one that all four DVD movies will face -- is that Futurama's fantastic worlds and crazy plots just plain work better in 22-minute episodes than as 90-minute stories. It's hard to keep up the energy and the gags for that long, while also involving all the characters and hitting all the notes Futurama fans want to hear.

"Billion Backs" had its share of slow spots, and gags that should have never escaped the Deleted Scenes part of the DVD. (The "schkler" and "schklee" thing was painful.)

The Yivo storyline could have been done in one focused episode (a la "The Day The Earth Stood Stupid"). The Bender/Calculon story would have been an okay B-story for a 22-minute episode, but it was weak for a feature-length movie. The other subplots weren't any deeper than you'd see in a single episode.

I realize that the movie will be broadcast as individual episodes. They should have made them that way in the first place, and cut out the dull stuff.

If you don't believe me, watch the "lost episode" bonus feature on the DVD. It's a compilation of cut-scenes from the Futurama video game, made into an "episode" of about 30 minutes. While it's nothing special, its fast pace and simple plot work a lot better than the padded-out, hit-and-miss main feature.

Having said all that, "Billion Backs" is a fun story that should appeal to all Futurama fans. There are some great gags, some beloved characters we missed in the first DVD movie, a Futurama-quality plot, and a fun homage to 1950s-style monster horror flicks.

Network: None; Direct to DVD movie; Genre: Animated Comedy, Sci-Fi; Content Rating: Unrated (contains animated violence, gore, scatological humor and suggested sex); Available: only on DVD; Perspective: contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);

The surprises of "Futurama's" 2nd direct-to-DVD feature-length movie adventure start right from the beginning, when it picks up mere days after the events of "Bender's Big Score" turning what appeared to be a throw away gag at the end of that movie into the catalyst for this one.

Like an average episode of Fox's red-headed stepchild of a masterpiece, "The Beast With A Billion Backs" starts out as one thing and goes some pretty outlandish and unpredictable places. Places sick, twisted and wildly imaginative. Places only "Futurama" with all of it's delirious cynical sacrilege can go. To describe the unfolding plot in detail would do a disservice to it, but suffice to say it involves a new love (guest star Brittney Murphy) for Fry (Billy West) - welcome after the labored Fry/Leela (always reliable Katey Sagal) story - Bender's (John DiMaggio) quest to prove the existence of The League of Robots, the marriage & death of a major character and a rip in the universe that unleashes the title monster.

But here's the answer to the real question: for my money, yes, "Billion" is better than "Big Score". A lot better. The giddy excitement to be back that bubbled out of "Score" and made that movie passable has now settled down into the business of actual storytelling and laugh generating. This time, instead of simply parading out favorite characters to have their random moment, the likes of Calculon, the Robot Devil, Zapp Brannigan and Richard Nixon all appear in service of the story. A story, such as it is, so crazy it will send eyes rolling to the back of the head of anyone but the most hardcore "Futurama" fan.

When the multi-tentacle beast (voiced by David Cross) shows up it affords the show opportunities to dig deep into some of their favorite red meat sacred cows - dating and religion - in addition to the monster movie mayhem. This movie and it's metaphors may not appeal to the young fan who stumbled on "Futurama" on free TV, but I loved every insane second of it. If you go in expecting anything less than absolute lunacy you will be totally lost with "Billion". It's probably a blessing in disguise that this movie was never pitched for the big screen. Direct to DVD gives Matt Groening, David X. Cohen and crew the chance to pitch the movie straight to the fans. They go absolutely wild, bouncing around the feature, indulging and expanding in some of their most twisted desires. Like the best "Futurama" episodes, "Billion" is unpredictable, alive with imagination and far too original for mainstream consumption.

The jokes are back with that same nonsensical, but sharp and on-story wit we've come to expect from this show. "Futurama" was never the funniest thing around, but "Billion" has a high ratio of landed jokes and real laugh-out-loud moments. But best of all, director Peter Avanzino (of some of the show's best episodes: "X-Mas Story", "Parasites Lost" and "Fear of a Bot Planet") ropes this madness into a strong, cohesive story that fills feature length without feeling like 4 episodes cobbled together and makes sense in it's own wonderfully weird way.

Let me repeat that: "The Beast With A Billion Backs" feels like a real movie instead of 4 episodes. Few TV shows can nail this and "Futurama" gets it right on the 2nd try. "Billion" doesn't have a big movie ending and that ending comes about 20 minutes longer than it feels like it should, but it does work.

Here is an epic adventure for the Planet Express crew worthy of a movie format. Now we've got a struggle for the fate of the universe, multiple story lines balanced to give every character something to do and the show's sense of humor, disgusting pension for gross-out gags, combustible originality and razor sharp satirical wit back on it's game. I love it. This is, in just about every aspect, the "Futurama" movie I've been waiting for.

* * * * / 4

The Beast with a Billion Backs, the very title is an adult joke that kids won't understand which pretty much sums Futurama as a show up.

It follows on from the events of Benders Big Score (2007) and see's Earth under attack from a multi-tentacled entity whose intentions are anything but PG. Not quite Japanese anime level but still pretty questionable stuff.

Failing to hit the emotional heights of the previous movie it is thankfully loaded with a few more jokes. Sadly I still don't find it all that funny, it's like the Simpsons just without the charm.

I'm yet to binge Futurama and still have a couple more feature films to view, but can confidently say that though I don't dislike it the adventures of the Planet Express do little for me.

The Good:

There are laughs to be had

The Bad:

Story is a tad uncomfortable for a light hearted show like this

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

I was told there would be sugar syrup!

When you have one eye winking and blinking are indistinguishable

Nixon was known for his class

The first Futurama movie felt like a collection of episodes strung together, "Benders Big Score" was enjoyable for fans, but like "the family guy movie", or "the Simpson's movie", it doesn't do anything the show didn't do, the same cannot be said for "The Beast With A Billion Backs", which while not as laugh a second as it could be(still multiple laughs per minute) is strengthened by being one of the strongest stories that Futurama has ever ran.

My favorite Futurama episode finds Bender floating in space alone, and a tiny microscopic colony grows onto his back, and begins worshiping him as their God, in trying to help improve their lives, he ultimately destroys them all, and then encounters a large energy being in the middle of space, who for all intense and purposes is the God...who doesn't seem to know who he is or what he is doing, but knows that God can't please everyone and if his job is done right no one "should" know he exists at all.. moments like that are the reason I watched Futurama in the first place, and its the kind of thinking that produced "The Beast With A Billion Backs", which is possibly the most unique, thought provoking, and amusing love story, I've ever seen in an animated film, or maybe ever.

It's a metaphysical love story, with inter-dimensional sea monsters and robotic demonic pirates, it's a story of infidelity and jealousy (not just with Fry, consider the subplot of Kif and Amy, compare Fry's first relationship with his last, Benders final monologue, etc). Is love personal or universal, can it be shared or must it be guarded, can any kind of perfect love exist within imperfect human conditions? Can/should God love everyone? Because it's Futurama you don't sit down, expecting to be challenged or even moved. "Sorry Bender...Robots don't go to heaven...", but that's just how it ends up.

So no this does not feel like "The Futurama" you've seen a thousand times before, it's best moments are still there, but it has a sense of direction, purpose, and story structure, that's its never had before, and is damned commendable. The best adult cartoon movie since "South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut", but as much for the story telling itself as the laughs.

It's the Cthulu Love story of our times!

You won't ever hear me claim that "Futurama" is a better series than "The Simpsons", but it was undeniably the work of geniuses, and I always regretted that it ended rather abruptly after four seasons already. At the same time, of course, one could also state the series stopped (or at least temporarily stopped) at its creative peak and while it was still funny, which isn't exactly what can be said for "The Simpsons". One thing's for sure, when the plug was pulled on "Futurama", the writers still had tons of great inspiration!

"The Beast with a Million Backs", as well as the other three straight-to-video full length movies, are of the same high intellectual and comical quality levels as the series. This means the plot is original and well-elaborated, the script exists of an endless spitfire of genuinely hilarious gags and situational humor, and - most importantly to me - the little references and tributes towards classical Sci-Fi/cult landmarks. There are obvious homages and subtle ones, and I probably also see a lot of little references to obscure films that weren't intentional, but it's what I love most about "Futurama".

The first movie to come out from the TV show felt a little shaky and unsure of itself. This is much better, it feels stronger and more confident and doesn't suffer from the over heightened expectations of fans like myself that the first film did.

The plot is quite sophisticated for a cartoon but not for a Futurama, the characters are back in their tried and tested roles and it is a great way to spend 90 minutes.

As I have said before I don't think the cartoon format transfers that well to feature length. There are more laughs than in a normal episode but they are spread further apart making the film feel less funny than it actually is.

I am ecstatic that the series of feature lengths are continuing and treasure my copy.

I know there are people saying that it doesn't live to the standards of Futurama the episodes, but granted you would have to figure since the stories have to go for a lot longer. To me this hit the spot as far as the TV series goes.

What people forget is what made Futurama so funny was the subtle humor, it wasn't so, insert-punchline-here humor, it was noticeable, like you have to see the humor in it, that makes it funny. The characters isn't exactly the way it was in the show, but it is really close, fry isn't as dim witted, and that was pretty much the only character difference I could tell that was so different.

If you want a real disappointment of not living to standards, see Benders Big Score, that was more of Futurama gone drama, the only funny part was the intro, after that it kept a real serious tone, which isn't the Futurama I remember, and when you still watch the old episodes as much as me (3-4 a day) you know how Futurama plays out, and how it should go.

Overall: In my books better than BBS, plays out just great, and it is really funny, and if you remember a lot of the old episodes, it will be more entertaining

Upon the very first viewing of this movie, Futurama fans ought to be willing to pony up the 25 bucks a pop for the next 2 installments in this series without even thinking twice. Even more so than the Simpsons theatrical feature, this should stand as Matt Groening's best usage of the full-length format to tell a story that is at once compelling and completely hilarious.

Bender steals the show, we all knew it would happen, but the real highlight here is the film's conclusion, which breaches the small-screen feel of the Futurama series to enter the realm of great space epics, with a final outcome that would rival any of Douglas Adams' wildest dreams. Critics of this film should realize that an animated movie isn't going to bring you ultimate happiness, but rather you should enjoy the simple message this film presents, and think twice about the story's moral questions about life, the universe and everything...

Fantastic movie, and some of the best jokes we've ever seen from Philip J. Fry and crew. Can't wait for the next one...

Unfortunately, this movie does not live up to the standards of the perfect track record of the Fox series. It does have several good moments, its trademark goofy sci-fi inventions, and all the voice actors from the show, but it left me unsatisfied. It looks like the cardinal rule of any phenomenal TV show is true-- if it's canceled, keep it that way. I'm afraid Futurama's gone the route of ol' Family Guy, whose first 50 episodes (all prior to cancellation) were superb. After those, an okay movie, followed by a terrible wheelbarrow of rehashed jokes and overused side characters heaped together with family guy merch out the wazoo. Futurama is still my favorite show, but this movie is not representative of the show.

i'm a colossal fan a futurama, but i was very disappointed with this effort.

snappy dialogue, clever writing and coherent (occassionally poignant) story lines set futurama apart from the field but the movie lacks these.

jokes are reused and predictable, the plot is overblown and indulgent, the casual manner in which major events happen is disjointed, and the resolution is just bad.

the film focuses on fitting in obscure characters from the series, having some new wacky future technology, and reinforcing the stereotypes that define the main cast, but to be honest i could forgive it completely if it was as funny as the episodes or even the other movie.

Well, after seeing the new movie, I was actually pleasantly surprised. The voice acting was as good as ever, and the animation was just like the rest of the series.

Now, I'm a huge fan of the series, and frankly, the writing doesn't quite measure up to any of the good episodes. But honestly, I was expecting to be extremely disappointed. The trailer made it look a lot more revolting and shock humor based than it really was. Though it was indeed more disgusting than the series, there was more subtle humor than expected.

Definitely worth at least one watch for a Futurama fan. For non-fans, I recommend checking out the television series first.

Well, when the Futurama project went off-line, like many others i mourned the death of one of my closest friends, pure great comedy. Hope was rekindled when "Bender's Big Score" came out and promised us the same kind of program we were already used to,just longer and better. And I for one, was not disappointed. Nor was i disappointed with "The Beast With A Billion Backs". If you are a Futurama fan this title will be a great addition to the all-familiar five seasons you've already seen. No spoilers here, all i can tell you is that great comedy, thrilling action and interesting twists are abound. You will have the chance to get re-acquainted with your favourite characters, laugh your butt off, maybe even cry if you're a bit on the sensitive side. After seeing this movie all i can do is wait for the next feature presentation, so Mr.Matt Groening better not disappoint us, as he has not done so, this far. Enjoy this movie, because great comedy is on your way!

I found it pretty amusing and rather bold but then Futurama thrives on surprises. It's definitely the most disgusting Futurama episode/movie with lots of gross-out moments but I mean that in a complimentary way. I would also say that it's also the most romantic and epic but then again in a very unconventional humorous way. One of the best most darkly humored moments was Bender's secret at the end which I won't spoil for you. :) The voice acting was its usual great and the animation was fine especially with all those tentacles. I liked the extras especially the 30 minutes featurette showing the story cinematics from the Futurama video game.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Sorry to defecate on your parade, but the latest Futurama flick was awful.

Awfully funny that is!

The Beast with a Billion Backs was consistently funny from start to finish. From Zoidberg puking, Brannigan bumbling, and Kiff sighing, to Kiff's father's left testicle, the Harlem Globetrotter planet, the legendary Pazuzu, Amy's fantastic bod, and yes, even a little bit of the old fashioned Snoo-Snoo, The Beast with a Billion Backs had me instantly hooked from its Mickey Mouse inspired beginning.

With a bizarre and extremely silly plot involving a horny universe and circuit jealousy, it's almost impossible to be bored with this flick. I shake my head at all the poindexters out there who claim they're Futurama fans but declare that this film is a failure.

It's chock full of that Futuramary goodness that we all know and love. So, get a life, suck balls, and relax with a nice, scalding hot, coffee enema.

I enjoyed this film but it was not as good as the first one in the series: Futurama: Bender's Big Score (2007) which was more engaging. I feel that The Beast with a Billion Backs went on some unnecessary detours which distracted from the main point of the storyline. The big rift in spacetime was hyped up, then disappeared in favour of some minor B-plots, then finally returned to half an hour later. The B-plots were only tangentially related and felt like episode-length content stretched out to feature length. None of it was necessarily bad, but it could have been more focused on a single storyline instead of jumping around so much.

First of all, I am a die-hard Futurama fan. I've watched the whole series numerous times, and I keep replaying them again when I have time. I'm saying this because now I will rant about how disappointed I am in the recent two movies(especially this one), and before people try to flame me, hear my reasons.

I thought that the movie will be back to the roots of sci-fi comedy that the series were. I was wrong. It seems like 4 years were too much time for the staff to keep the same spirit. I don't know if it's because they want to broaden their audience, seeing as this is on DVD and has to sell, but I feel like the movies have turned from sci-fi comedy to a chick flick. The first movie emphasized of Fry and Leela's (doomed) relationship, and I thought this one will be different, but this time around the sappy love stories are about Fry and his new girlfriend, Amy and Kiff, and to top it all, a planet-sized alien that loves all of mankind. I have nothing against sappy as long as it's in norm, but this movie is mostly about it. The jokes are there in the first 30 minutes maybe, then there is nothing but love story with occasional short gags.

Note to authors: don't write 10 minute romance filled scenes, and try to put in 5-second jokes about Calculon's willie, gonorrhea, or nipple stimulation for relief. It's not working. They did not keep me from getting annoyed. I never laughed out loud during the movie as I did with the series.

Now that I am done ranting, I will say what I liked and didn't like about the movie. This one was good, it had less in-jokes than the first one, but it had them more overall. The story was good enough, they tried to intertwine a few different side stories into the main plot, and it sort of worked. When we exclude all the sap from the story, it's a good movie, that has scenes almost as great as the first one did(nothing can top the space battle against the solid-gold deathstars, though), nice soundtrack and good gags.

The movie's weaknesses, although minor if we exclude the sap, the under-utilizing of some characters. Zoidberg, for example, keeps being used as a prop, although they can make great jokes with him when they try. Same problem as Kenny in South Park. Other weakness, is that as in the first movie, the tempo really slowed down in some parts and the scenario is somewhere between mediocre and good.

For conclusion, as a big fan of the series, I tried to force myself to love it. I really did, but I couldn't. It was good overall, but that's it. If they make the next two movies as they should - sci-fi comedies - I will be really pleased. Right now they keep feeding me romantic movies with sci-fi setting, and that's not doing it for me. If I want to watch a sappy romantic movie, I will rent a chick flick.

Finally I would give it a score of 6 overall, which is low for Futurama. I hope this doesn't turn into standard and the next two movies be much better.

Well, its a good film. It was entertaining, the story was worthy of an 1hr 30mins film. If you don't like futurama or you are not much of a fan, this film isn't for you. If you are a futurama fan you will not be disappointed by this film.

All the same old gang are there, getting up to the same old nonsense, but even 1hr into the film I wasn't bored. Usually with films like this one I get bored easily and often think that it is a 'half hour show'. In this instance, though, I have been proved wrong.

Although I will not rush out to watch this film again, it was entertaining and funny so its a well deserved 6/10.

I set out watching this movie with the rather low expectations a person should have for a straight to DVD feature and found I was not disappointed, in my expectations that is.

Being a long time series fan as I am, I was somewhat turned about by the previous straight to DVD feature churned out under the Futurama nomenclature and I had expected the lazy writing and derivative humour would soon be replaced by the clever and witty stylings many fans have come to expect from Futurama. Sadly, this has not been the case.

This latest release shows, if anything, an even greater tendency towards the lackadaisical writing form so insipidly stereotypical in nearly all animated comedy. For me, the originality is what had set Futurama apart from the competition. Technical 'in jokes', while still present, have taken back seat to nonsensical pop culture references and non sequitur ala Family Guy. Character comedy is reduced to half hearted one liners and abstract physical comedy. While this may appeal to the new, younger generation of viewer, it leaves the old series fan like myself out in the rain.

While the voice acting is generally good, Billy West is excellent as always, it suffers from generally poor script and writing that in areas completely eschews the character's previously constructed idiom(s) for the sake of making a certain joke work (also generally poorly).

While viewing the feature I found myself mostly bemused. While it does have moments when the brilliance of the original series shines through the tedious intellectually unstimulating doldrums, these are, by far, few and far between.

If you are a long time fan of the series and enjoyed it for more than the novel setting and Bender's byplay then you may well find yourself more irritated than amused with this feature. I'd slate this for a one night rental, as it is really not worth more than one viewing.

However, I once again hope the creators of the series will rediscover their stride in the next feature.. here's hoping.