The Belchers try to save the restaurant from closing as a sinkhole forms in front of it, while the kids try to solve a mystery that could save their family’s restaurant.
Chuck says:
There’s a sense of optimism about Loren Bouchard and Bernard Derriman’s “Bob’s Burgers Movie”that, amidst the turmoil of our everyday lives, you’ll likely want to embrace. What with the world going mad, you could do worse than take in a movie that features a band called “The Itty Bitty Ditty Committee,” has a character named Fischoeder (pronounced “Fish Odor”) and adheres to the notion that all will be well despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
For the uninitiated, “Bob’s Burgers” is an animated series, now in its 12thseason that focuses on Bob Belcher (voice by H. Jon Benjamin), his wife Linda (John Roberts) and their three children Tina (Dan MIntz), Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Louise (Kristen Schaal). Their lives revolve around the titular restaurant, a greasy soon that sports a new-themed burger each day that reflects Bob’s mood (For example: “The Hole in my Soul” Burger). Sitting right outside a pier filled with rickety amusement park rides, the Belchers live in the apartment above the burger joint.
As their big-screen adventure begins, Bob is making a special burger for their loan manager. Seems he and Linda need an extension on their mortgage and this double-pattied concoction is meant to grease the wheels. Unfortunately, the banker in question is trying to cut meat out of his diet and informs the Belchers they have seven days to make their current payment or they’ll be out on the streets.
Meanwhile, Tina is dealing with an unrequited crush, Gene is concerned about his future as a musician and Louise has to contend with a group of bullies who have made her feel self-conscious about her ever-present pink, rabbit-ears hat. As if all of this wasn’t enough, a massive sinkhole opens up in front of the restaurant, a dead body is found in the bottom and the Belcher’s landlord Mr. Fischoeder (Kevin Kline) is arrested for murder. It’s a bad day all around.
If you don’t like word play such as the store next to Bob’s being named “Sensu-Wool,” which refers to its inventory of lingerie made from wool, then this is not the movie for you. However, if this tickles your funny bone, you’ll likely respond to the rapid quips and clever puns that are dispensed with wicked frequency. Creators Bouchard and Derriman’s jokes and gags are on point throughout, especially those dealing with the sinkhole.
And while the animation style leans towards the side of crudity, there are some impressive visuals to behold during the film’s two musical sequences. The latter takes place in Carniopolis, the slum where the Carnies who operate the pier’s rides live, that’s worth repeated examination. Rivaling the scope of a big budget musical with 40 or 50 of the great unwashed stepping and gyrating at the same time, this is a feat of animated choreography that I suspect will get more impressive with each viewing.
However, as funny and diverting as the movie is, it’s the sense of optimism the characters cling to that has the most lasting effect. Yes, Linda’s rose-colored-glasses outlook is so extreme she’d point to a rainbow during a nuclear winter, yet it’s her consistency of faith that sees the Belchers through, an attitude that, whether they realize it or not, each of them adhere to while dealing with their respective trials.On the surface, “Bob’s” may seem like just a silly cartoon but the way it promotes the strength of family and faith has an impact, so much so, I think it’s worthy of a breakfast burger, say one named “The Double Sunny-Side Up.”
3 1/2 Stars
