Futurama: Bender's Game (2008) (V)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Dwayne Carey-Hill

Writers:

Matt Groening (creator)
Matt Groening (developer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 November 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The Planet Express crew get trapped in a fantasy world. |

Plot Keywords:

Monkey | Surrealism | Crystal | Club | Soul Transference

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Billy West	...	Philip J. Fry / Frydo / Professor Hubert Farnsworth / The Great Wizard Greyfarn / Dr. Zoidberg / Monster Zoidberg / Farmer / Dwarf / Smitty / Treedledum / Additional Voices (voice)
Katey Sagal	...	Turanga Leela / Leegola (voice)
John Di Maggio	...	Bender / Titanius Anglesmith / Igner / Ignus / Sal / Hood Ornament Thief / Hermaphrobot / Frydo's Reflection #1 / URL / Bellboy Robot / Additional Voices (voice) (as John DiMaggio)
Tress MacNeille	...	Mom / Momon / Turanga Munda / Nurse Ratchet / Linda / Slurm Queen / Ship's Computer / Natalie Maines / Intercom Robot / Rosie the Robot Maid / Swamp Hag / Centaurette / Additional Voices (voice)
Maurice LaMarche	...	Walt / Waltazar / The Scary Door Narrator / Dr. Perceptron / Morbo / Calculon / Mad Hatter Robot / Vending Machine Robot / Killbots / Morcs / Centaur / Additional Voices (voice)
Phil LaMarr	...	Hermes Conrad / Hermaphrodite / Dwight Conrad / Pay 'n' Chew Robot / Nibblonian #1 / Slave Robot / Peaches / Additional Voices (voice)
Lauren Tom	...	Amy Wong / Gynecaladriel / Chinese Boy / Additional Voices (voice)
David Herman	...	Larry / Larius / Turanga Morris / Scruffy / Dr. Ogden Wernstrom / Roberto / Nibblonian #2 / Cook / Redneck / Military Man / Frydo's Reflection #2 / Additional Voices (voice)
Kath Soucie	...	Cubert Farnsworth / Indian Boy / Additional Voices (voice)
Frank Welker	...	Nibbler / Trolls / Tyrannosaurus Rex / Monkey / Polar Bear / Rat / Chickens / Tunneling Horror / Additional Voices (voice)
E. Gary Gygax	...	Himself (voice) (archive footage) (as Gary Gygax)
Rich Little	...	Himself (voice)
George Takei	...	Himself (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul D. Calder	...	The Die of Power (voice) (uncredited)
David X. Cohen	...	The Die of Power (voice) (uncredited)
Danik Thomas	...	The Die of Power (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Dwayne Carey-Hill

Writing credits
Matt Groening		(creator)
Matt Groening		(developer) &
David X. Cohen		(developer)
Eric Horsted		(teleplay) (parts 1 & 2)
Michael Rowe		(teleplay) (part 3) &
Eric Kaplan		(teleplay) (part 3)
David X. Cohen		(teleplay) (part 4) &
Patric Verrone		(teleplay) (part 4) (as Patric M. Verrone)
Eric Horsted		(story) &
David X. Cohen		(story)

Produced by
David X. Cohen	....	executive producer
Matt Groening	....	executive producer
Eric Horsted	....	co-executive producer
Eric Kaplan	....	co-executive producer
Claudia Katz	....	producer
Rich Moore	....	animation executive producer
Michael Rowe	....	co-executive producer
Lee Supercinski	....	producer
Gregg Vanzo	....	animation executive producer
Patric Verrone	....	co-executive producer (as Patric M. Verrone)

Original Music by
Christopher Tyng

Film Editing by
Paul D. Calder

Casting by
Scott Muller

Art Department
Stephen Sandoval	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Travis Powers	....	sound designer
Carlos Sotolongo	....	adr mixer
Carlos Sotolongo	....	original dialogue mixer

Visual Effects by
Mark Orme	....	3D generalist
Jason Plapp	....	digital camera and composite
Chris Stover	....	3D animator
Scott Vanzo	....	director of computer graphics

Animation Department
David D. Au	....	character layout artist
Edmund Fong	....	story artist
Megan Kelly	....	character layout artist
Brian LoSchiavo	....	character layout artist
Jeff Mertz	....	background artist
Robert P. Moore	....	character layout artist
Vladi Rubizhevsky	....	background artist
T.C. Starnes Jr.	....	background layout artist

Editorial Department
Chad Woods	....	color key

Music Department
Scott Schirle	....	music editor

Other crew
Michael Saikin	....	production assistant
Ben Sigman	....	systems administrator
Cindy Azada Whitman	....	design coordinator

Thanks
E. Gary Gygax	....	in memory of (as Gary Gygax)

Production Companies

• 20th Century Fox Television
• Curiosity Company, The

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Comedy Central (2008) (USA) (TV)
• FS Film Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Rough Draft Korea (animation)
• Rough Draft Studios (animation)

Other Companies

• Before Noon Post-Production  post-production facility
• L.A. Studios, The  recording studio
• Travis Powers Sound Design  sound design

Also Known As:

Bender's Game (Australia)
The Futurama Movie 3 (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

UK:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-7 | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:6 | Ireland:12 | South Africa:13L | New Zealand:PG

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

There is no such thing as "harpsichord wax".

Goofs:

Continuity: At the Mombil mine, the front panels on the killbots keep changing color, randomly, between shots - green, black, yellow and orange.

Quotes:

Dr. Zoidberg: You harbor resentment because they pushed you to study medicine when all you ever wanted was to be a song-and-dance man.
[He dances around and sings a tune then falls to his knees and sobs]
Dr. Zoidberg: Why? Whyyy?
Turanga Leela: I was raised in an orphanarium. My parents are sewer mutants who I never even met until a few years ago.
Dr. Zoidberg: Then you've got to go to them and work this song-and-dance stuff out. Maybe have them cook me nice dinner. No scallions. I hate them.
[to an intercom]
Dr. Zoidberg: Amy, cancel my appointments.
Amy Wong: [Over the intercom] Stop calling me!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#40.2)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Rocket Ship

Shall We Play A Game?...

Matt Groening had spawned another winner with Futurama: Bender's Game. I would had never viewed Dungeons & Dragons as being that imaginative. I played Dungeons & Dragons when I was much younger, but did not possess the imagination that Bender displayed with that version. Bender was accused of not having an imagination at first, but when he finally grasped one, Bender could not separate fiction from reality. Frankly, I would had settled for Bender's version of "reality" because at least there were surprises at every corner. Sometimes surprises are better than the same mundane ruts we had forced ourselves into. The final battle between dark matter reminded me so much how we are dependent upon oil from foreign countries. At least the professor was smart enough to create another crystal that would eliminate dependency on dark matter when they were within a certain range of each other. I would certainly play this version of Dungeons & Dragons, mainly for the creativity and most importantly, for a more positive outcome for the world today. Futurama: Bender's Game was certainly worth the viewing pleasure and with Matt Groening at the helm, you cannot miss.