REVIEW: ‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’ is a hilarious must-see for fans of the long-running TV show
May 27, 2022, 5:39 PM | Updated: 5:40 pm
(L-R): Bob Belcher (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin), Linda Belcher (voiced by John Roberts), Louise Belcher (voiced by Kristen Schaal), Gene Belcher (voiced by Eugene Mirman), and Tina Belcher (voiced by Dan Mintz) in 20th Century Studios' THE BOB'S BURGERS MOVIE. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
(voiced by Dan Mintz)
SALT LAKE CITY — Memorial Day weekend has brought a much-anticipated sequel that hardcore fans have been waiting on for what feels like years.
Many will dress up as their favorite characters and excitedly quote their favorite lines from previous entries in the franchise to each other while waiting for it to finally appear on screen.
However, we are not referring to the movie about fighter pilots. Or the show with the laser guns and laser swords. Or even the show about weird supernatural things happening in 1980’s Indiana.
It’s actually The Bob’s Burgers Movie, based on the award-winning TV show “Bob’s Burgers”–a quirky animated comedy about a family that owns a struggling burger restaurant in an unnamed beach town somewhere in the USA.
THE STORY
The Bob’s Burgers Movie describes itself as “an animated musical comedy-mystery-adventure.”
When a ruptured water main creates an enormous sinkhole right in front of Bob’s Burgers, it blocks the entrance indefinitely–right during the busy tourist season–potentially ruining the Belcher family’s plans for a successful summer, and maybe even costing them the restaurant itself.
While Bob (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) and Linda (voiced by Larry Roberts) struggle to keep the burger business afloat with no customers able to come in the restaurant and a loan payment due shortly, their three children—boy-crazy Tina (Dan Mintz), affable Gene (Eugene Mirman) and precocious Louise (Kristen Schaal)—try to solve a mystery the sinkhole uncovered that could end up saving their family’s restaurant.
As the dangers mount, these underdogs help each other find hope and fight to get back behind the counter, where they belong
In addition to the principal cast, Zach Galifianakis, Kevin Kline, Aziz Ansari and Sarah Silverman all reprise their roles from the TV show. The film’s directors are Loren Bouchard & Bernard Derriman.
THINGS I LIKED
First off, I laughed through pretty much the entire movie. Co-writers Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith keep the jokes coming one right after the other, to the point I was almost out of energy to laugh by the end.
I should acknowledge that it was difficult for me, who has watched the whole series on TV, to really sort out what was funny because I already knew the characters and their quirks, and what was funny just because it was funny.
Regardless, fans of the show will undoubtedly laugh just as much as I did.
Speaking of fans of the show, you’ll find many Easter eggs that reward you with a bit of humor or character insight because of your familiarity with them.
I also was curious to see how the writers would balance the story and dialogue to help new viewers understand some of the characters quirks, like why Louise always has bunny ears on her head.
They’ve never explained it in 12 years of the show and regular viewers like me and even the characters on the show just sort of accept it as part of her character. However, within the first act of the movie, it comes up in a conversation between a Louise and another character.
WARNINGS
The Bob’s Burgers Movie is rated PG-13 for rude/suggestive material and language. Didn’t feel like anything worse than an episode of the show, which airs on network TV on Sunday nights.
One warning for viewers unfamiliar with the TV show, it may surprise you when characters break into sudden singing at random moments. That happens on the show as well and is one of its quirks.
A warning for those who DO watch the show: Some of your favorite characters don’t appear in the movie much, if at all.For better or worse, Bouchard and Smith stick to a core story and only those characters who make sense to be involved.
(Sorry, fans of Gayle, the character voiced by Megan Mullaly, and Jimmy Pesto, Bob’s rival restaurant owner. You’ll just have to rewatch episodes of the show)
A warning for both groups: the dancing during the musical numbers is just weird. There’s no other way to put it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Whether you watch the TV show or not, “Bob’s Burgers” has got quite a devoted fan base. I myself am a fan but not a super fan.
I felt like it ran out of steam a bit towards the end, and didn’t necessarily feel like it told such an important story that it needed feature length time to do it.
Nevertheless I thought the movie was hilarious and well worth the time for fans of the show to go see.
Andy’s final rating: TWO AND A HALF out of FOUR stars
WHERE TO WATCH
The Bob’s Burgers Movie is playing exclusively in theaters. If you want to try out the TV show and see if it’s your kind of humor before seeing the movie, all 12 seasons are available to stream on Hulu.
Another option is to check our recent Fan Effect podcast episode where we discuss the new movie and the “Bob’s Burgers” TV series with some superfans of the show.
Hopefully you & your family found this review helpful! Andy Farnsworth does a weekly “What To Watch” segment for KSL 5 TV in Salt Lake City and also hosts the Fan Effect podcast for KSL NewsRadio. Check out his other in-depth reviews of movies and streaming TV series on KSLTV.com.
