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List Price: $29.99 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 7210
Released: June 24, 2008 |
| Our Price: $4.75 |
| Used Price: $1.81 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
The thrilling conclusion to Futurama: Benders Big Score.
Bender and the planet express crew must contend with a massive cosmic team that sends the world into panic.
Description of Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs:
In Futurama's latest and most tentacle-packed epic, space itself rips open, revealing a gateway to another universe. But what lies beyond? Horror? Love? Or maybe both, if it happens to contain a repulsive, planet-sized monster with romantic intentions! Nothing less than the fate of human and robot-kind is at stake as the Futurama crew takes on The Beast with a Billion Backs.
The Beast with a Billion Backs will be presented in widescreen format with English Dolby Surround 5.1, along with French and Spanish subtitles. Bonus features include:
The second of four direct-to-DVD adventures featuring the Futurama crew, The Beast with a Billion Backs picks up where its predecessor, Bender's Big Score, left off while balancing multiple love stories and the arrival of a sexually voracious alien from another universe. Unlike Bender, the various story lines converge well here--the tentacled, Lovecraftian creature Yivo (voiced by David Cross), which wants to mate with the entire population of the universe at once, makes Fry (Billy West) its de facto leader (Pope, actually), which in turn plays havoc with his relationship with new girlfriend Colleen (Brittany Murphy). And Yivo's scheme causes the people of Earth to evacuate the planet, leaving it in the hands of robots--which is, of course, excellent news for Futurama's resident mechanical malcontent, Bender (John DiMaggio). Beast is probably best understood and enjoyed by longtime fans of the series, who will recognize and appreciate the countless "surprise guests" (Robot Satan, the Harlem Globetrotters, Bender's hero Calculon, the head of Stephen Hawking), though the feature is certainly well-written and performed by its voice cast, and should provide plenty laughs for first-timers with flexible attention spans. Parents, however, should note that the humor can be fairly suggestive at times, and should exercise caution in regard to younger viewers.
Extras include a very funny commentary track with creators Matt Groening and David X Cohen, stars West, DiMaggio and Maurice LaMarche, and key members of the production team. Deleted scenes and a making-of featurette with the voice cast are entertaining, but the real features of value are Futurama: The Lost Adventure, which is culled from the Futurama game for Playstation 2, as well as a lengthy preview of the next direct-to-DVD movie, Bender's Game. Suffice it to say that the Lord of the Rings weighs heavily on the storyline. -- Paul Gaita
Beyond Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs on DVD
Full selection of Family Guy DVDs | 
Check out The Simpsons on DVD | 
See the new animated classic American Dad! |
Stills from Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs (Click for larger image) Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs Reviews:
Got What I Wanted . . . 
2009-11-13 - . . . but this has to be the worst Futurama episode ever. (Especially the ending.) Just saying.
Good news, Futurama lovers! 
2009-08-09 - Ah, Futurama. How we missed you. When Futurama was cancelled, everyone died a little on the inside. When they announced it would return, everyone cheered. When they announced that first would come several made-for-DVD movies...well, let's just say us fans were apprehensive.
The success of Bender's Big Score changed that. Seeing that a Futurama movie could not only live up to the quality of the show-but even possibly surpass it-was, as the Professor would say, wonderful news. Beast with a Billion Backs instantly rose to the top of my most anticipated lists for this summer, and I have to say it delivered.
Unlike Big Score, Billion Backs is more new material and less reliance on nostalgia. Where Big Score got their laughs from bringing back characters and tying together refrences in zany ways, Billion Backs has little to do with the show itself. The story takes place directly after Big Score, after the rift in the universe tears space asunder. The earth is panicking, and scientists are gathered to find a solution. After much debate (and Death Ball), the Planet Express crew is sent to man an expedition to the rift when they discover that nothing mechanical can pass through.
Hurt, Bender returns home and sulks while humanity and the other organic lifeforms plan ways to destroy whatever universe lies on the other side. During his sulking, Bender meets up with the League of Robots, an all-robot group originally designed to destroy humanity, but which has since lots its purpose.
Meanwhile, Fry stows away on a military spaceship (bet you can guess who the captain in charge of the mission is!) and flings himself into the other universe, trying to escape from it all. What Fry ends up finding (and bringing back with him) will forever change the course of our galaxy's history.
CONTENT: 4/5
The story in Beast with a Billion Backs isn't the greatest we've ever seen from the series, but it definitely belongs with the other strong episodes and Big Score. The interaction between the various characters goes to a level deeper than the show did, and we see new aspects of people we thought we already fully understood.
David Cross provides the voice for the titular beast, and does an amazing job making it one of the more memorable cameos in the history of Futurama. If you're a fan of the series, this is definitely a must-watch story arc which is sure to bring a smile to your face with the witty writing we're so used too.
VIDEO: 3.5/5
The movie's animation is about par with the series, but nothing about it really blows you away any more than the episodes on DVD or Big Score. Colors and the design of some of the elements is nice, but I feel like BwaBB takes less chances with the art direction than past Futurama works, and relies heavily instead on the earth and other familiar locales. The only truly new and original locale (which you'll see near the end of the movie) isn't exactly original in its design.
For you videophiles, though, the transfer is nice and smooth with no noticeable fading, is in native widescreen, and although there are a few grainy moments overall the blacks stay dark and consistent.
AUDIO: 4/5
The audio might not be as technically impressive as other movies, but the voice acting remains superb, and shows why Futurama was one of the most popular (and most respected) cartoons of all time. David Cross's work in this is tremendous, and only makes me want to have him become a regular contributor to the show once it's back on the air. Toss in 11 cast commentary tracks, and you're all set.
REPLAY: 5/5
Like the show, the replay value for Beast with a Billion Backs is off the charts for those who enjoy the show. Jokes remain funny and stand up well to repeated viewings.
EXTRAS: 4.5/5
You have to hand it to the Futurama crew, because they certainly know how to stock their products. Other than the aforementioned 11+ commentary tracks, Beast with a Billion Backs features deleted scenes, a short piece on David Cross's participation, a history of Deathball, a look at the next Futurama movie (the fantasy-based Bender's Game), and best of all, the entire 30 minute episode one could have watched by playing through the Futurama videogame. I never enjoyed the game enough to play through to view the story, but now you can watch it in its sorta-3D goodness uninterrupted.
OVERALL: 4/5
Beast with a Billion Backs isn't the best thing Futurama has ever produced, but it's certainly not in the bottom half. It's a very solid production for fans used to the show, and is a must-own for any fans.
Futurama: Beast with a Billion Backs 
2009-07-05 - I love this movie, but there is a big scratch shortly after the credits. You have to skip the scene and then backtrack to just after the scratch to watch. Lame.
True review
2009-06-10 - Hillarious movie, awsome worth buying!!! If you love futurama you'll love this movie, I wasn't hesitant at first got it and it is just as hillarious as the tv series and same feel, but it goes on much longer so you get to enjoy the same episode way longer, worth watching!!! Thanks for reading, Just want to give an honest oponion that is not from a twelve year old!
A little weird but definitely fun
2009-05-21 - After seeing Bender's Big Score (which I didn't hate), I was a little worried about this new Futurama movie. As it turns out, however, if you don't mind the concept of essentially being mated with by a giant multi-armed monster the size of a planet who sticks his "genticles" (yes, it is a combination of two words and is as bad as it sounds), then this movie is fun. If that aspect of the plot is too weird, there's a really fun side plot with Bender and the other robots. Yes, it comes into play toward the end of the movie, but other than that is completely unrelated (classic futurama). The deleted scenes are great too, including the alternate opening.
