Stream The Bob’s Burgers Movie via Disney+ from July 13, 2022.
Synopsis
“The Bob’s Burgers Movie” is an animated, big-screen, musical comedy-mystery-adventure based on the long-running Emmy®-winning series. The story begins when a ruptured water main creates an enormous sinkhole right in front of Bob’s Burgers, blocking the entrance indefinitely and ruining the Belchers’ plans for a successful summer. While Bob and Linda struggle to keep the business afloat, the kids try to solve a mystery that could save 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.
Review
The Belcher family have finally been given the big screen/movie treatment! Following in the footsteps of previous adult comedy cartoons such as Family Guy’s Stewie Griffin the Untold Story, the four Futurama DVD movies and The Simpsons Movie, so does the Belchers attempt on a bigger than TV adventure hold up? In short, yes!
The series focuses on the day to day struggles of Bob Belcher and his family run restaurant Bob’s Burgers. Along with his loving wife Linda, his daughters Tina and Louise and his son Gene, they all find themselves in various situations while still remaining grounded to the rules of their world.
What separates this show from its other Adult Animation counterparts though is their family dynamic is mostly seen as loving and positive. Rarely does the family get into arguments or bully one another and each member of the family is unapologetic with their personalities, it’s what is at the heart of the show and the film itself. The Belchers support each other in whatever crazy situation they find themselves in and working as a family they usually find their way out of said situation.
The movie does not go epic in scale like The Simpsons did, nor does it explore what it’s like Family Guy did, instead it slightly enhances what could have been a multi episode story while also putting the family in a situation where they could lose everything. The basic premise is that the bank has refused Bob and Linda an extension on their business loan and if they do not pay it within 7 days they will lose the restaurant and their home. To make matters worse the entire sidewalk outside their restaurant collapses preventing any customer’s access to the restaurant! (Something that has been an increasing dip on the show’s 12th season as a background joke) To make matters even worse! Louise goes down the hole outside the restaurant and accidentally finds the skeletal remains of a man so now it’s a crime scene, preventing the hole being filled! For Bob, these are the highest stakes he has ever faced! The odds are stacked against the Belcher family but much like the series, the kid’s band together to solve the murder and save the restaurant. This leads them across town meeting musical carnies and parts of the town we’ve not seen in the show before.
While each family member has their own plotline, its Bob and Louise who carry the movie with Louise’s sub plot being her rabbit ears and her confidence. The film answers these in a really sweet and touching way which I won’t spoil here.
While Gene and Tina also have their stories in this, they are arguably the weakest of the 4 main stories shown but still entertaining in their own ways, especially for fans of the show!
While the film is also marked as a musical, it only really has 4 songs (including the credits), they are all solid musical numbers and beautifully animated but came up shorter than I was expecting it to be.
Animation wise, the movie is a big step up from the show, the characters are all full of life, the musical numbers are brimming with personality and the action scenes were visibly entertaining! The show and the film’s style is something some people may struggle to get through initially but as someone who has grown to really love the world of Bob’s Burgers, there is something really unique with the style they chose.
Verdict
The Bobs Burgers Movie is a fantastic watch, the core of the show radiates throughout the film with the love the Belcher family have for each other and how regardless of the situation, they will always find their way out by working together. The musical numbers are strong if not few, the animation is amazingly smooth and the story is mostly strong (ignoring the two weaker subplots). If you did not get the chance to see it in the cinema, do yourself a favour and watch it on digital when it drops on Disney+.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
