Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Futurama is kind of my guilty pleasure. It can be distasteful, even perverted, yet Futurama has consistently remained one of my favorite TV shows. Now that all 4 seasons have been released on DVD I've decided to write a 4 part review. Each will be a review of the respective volume but will also look at different aspects of the series as a whole. Looking back on the completed work, I feel like I've written a small book so I hope you enjoy it.

I guess it's the elements of it that agree with me: futuristic sci-fi setting, weird looking aliens, self-aware robots, lots of references to and spoofs of classic sci-fi, plenty of satire, and groundbreaking combo of 2D and 3D art.

On the downside the storytelling often lacks early on (there's very little emotional range, it's just all-out goofy comedy), there are numerous inconsistencies between episodes, and the humor is often overly crude and too irreverent.

If you're not familiar with the series you've probably at least heard the premise by now. Fry, a pizza delivery boy, is cryogenically frozen for 1000 years. He wakes up to a world of aliens, space travel as common as driving to the grocery store, vast societal changes, and a misconception of life in the 20th century. Not only is Fry clueless about the new world around him, he's also an idiot getting himself into more trouble than he can get out of. He meets up with a shapely Cyclops woman, a robot that drinks and smokes, and a distant descendant that hires the trio to be the crew of his delivery service which funds his mad-scientist lifestyle.

Note: If you are unfamiliar with the show "PE" means "Planet Express" which is the name of Farnsworth's delivery company. The 3 members of the crew, Fry, Leela, and Bender, are in every episode. That's who I'm primarily referring to when I mention the "PE crew." The rest of the staff appears in most but not all episodes and are occasionally part of the crew.

As Season 1 progresses Fry has a mild interest in Leela but nothing as serious as it will be just yet. Amy is introduced to future lover Kif, and space captain Zapp develops an unhealthy obsession with Leela.

You may have heard that this is nothing more than the Simpsons in space. So what if it is? It's still good, however, that said, I disagree with such a premise. Fry could be an older Bart (in personality not appearance), and Professor Farnsworth is similar in some ways to Grandpa Simpson, but that's it. Leela and Amy are nothing like Marge or Lisa, Bender and Hermes are unique, and the closest person to Zoidberg is Nick Riviera, not a main character. In addition, the stories and approach are different. Of the various reviews I've read passing off Futurama as a Simpsons rip, not one has explained where that idea comes from. Just because they have animation or design similarities due to a common creator does not mean they are the same show. I think calling Futurama unoriginal is just a convenient judgment for those that want to write off the show without spending too much time actually evaluating it. Don't listen! At least catch a few episodes on Cartoon Network and make your own judgments! Hopefully the episode guide below will be a good starting point.

I'm often awed by the art. Excellent 3D renderings mixed seamlessly with 2D cell animation should be tempting for any fan of animation as a visual art form. Chris Tyng does a fine job with the music, and the theme is one of my favorites of the new millennium.

John DiMaggio's Bender voice is instantly recognizable. It's so unlike any robot I've ever heard that you have to hear it to appreciate it - it's loud and obnoxious yet hysterical. He's always calling humans "meat sack" and such. Fry, like I said, is an idiot, Farnsworth is intelligent but senile, Amy is ditsy, and Zoidberg is confused. Hermes, the Rastafarian, and Leela, the captain, are the only ones that provide a semi-normal basis to balance the rest. Katey Sagal of Married With Children fame is the voice of Leela. Not quite as distinctive as some of the others, but she has the perfect balance of seductive feminine tones and stern strength. Lauren Tom who voices Amy has appeared in everything from Friends to Batman Beyond. Anyone that follows voice actors may also recognize other cast members like Billy West, Maurice La Marche, and the legendary Tress MacNeille (only a guest star at this point, but later to become a part of the regular cast).

The creators managed to find a way to have modern guest stars in the future by way of preserved living heads. Leonard Nimoy, Dick Clark, Pamela Anderson, and numerous others show up throughout the seasons.

I usually like the comedy either because it's satirical (even when they poke fun at religion, I can laugh at myself because they're doing that to everyone, nobody is singled out) or because it's so stupid it's funny. For example, I love the scene with Fry in Bender's apartment for the first time. Fry wants to know where the bathroom is but Bender has no concept of such a thing. "The what room?" It reminds me of classic skits like "Who's On First." At one point Bender goes into sleep mode and begins muttering, "Kill all humans." He awakens to tell Fry about this wonderful dream they were both in. It's not funny when I tell it, is it? But it's a riot when coming from Bender.

This is not a show for everyone. You can't be easily offended, you can't be turned off by stupid comedy, you can't get sick to your stomach over gross jokes, and you can't be expecting Timothy Zahn quality stories. However, if you're looking for a sci-fi based comedy series and know this ain't your Daddy's Mork & Mindy, you'll likely become a fan.

Like I said, catch a few episodes on TV to pass your judgment. If you like a few of them you'll most likely enjoy most if not all of them. Unlike the Simpsons, which I might love or might not like much depending on the episode (especially in the later seasons), Futurama is more consistent. There aren't any episodes I can think of that I don't like.

Content:
Holy cow, there's a lot of bad stuff! Most if not every episode has at least some bad language. Mom's scenes in "A Fishful of Dollars" are particularly bad. There is violence though it's primarily silly and unrealistic but still bloody. Nudity shows up a few times. I don't mean someone's butt crack poking out of their pants (though there is that, too), I mean full-on bare butt shots of Fry (something a rarity on TV back when this aired though perhaps not as much anymore). There are numerous sexual jokes and plenty of crude humor. Though some episodes are worse than others, thinking in terms of movie ratings, the series would have to be PG13.

DVD:
OK, so you like the show, now it's time to decide if the DVD set is worth getting. The first thing you need to realize is that the collection follows the production chronology not airdates, therefore it can be confusing when trying to figure out what episode goes with what set. I think that's why they call it "Volume 1" instead of "Season 1." You get 13 on 3 DVD's in this first volume.

We'll start from the outside. Each DVD is in a thin plastic clamshell case which are all in a box which is in another box. At first I thought this was excessive packaging (adding to the cost), but I have come to appreciate having a case for each DVD instead of 1 folder for all of them. Accessibility is easier especially for my quirky random selection method. I'll shuffle the discs from all seasons, pick one at random, then pick an episode at random. It's not a good idea to shuffle DVD's that aren't in a case.

It also allows for a lot of entertaining artwork. Each side of the box has unique art with windows to the images on the inner box. Each clamshell case has its own sleeve (which fit together to make 1 big picture) with more comical art on the inside. Each disc has a unique image with a corresponding image underneath the tray. One minor disappointment is that there isn't a book, or any kind of insert for that matter except promotional materials. The Simpsons releases include an episode guide book, and I was hoping for something similar in Futurama. However, making up for that is a list of the episodes on the back of each sleeve along with screenshots and summaries, and a chapter list on the inside. I guess it's easier than keeping up with a separate book anyway.

Alright, let's put a disc in and see what happens. You have to sit through some warnings, a disclaimer (what's up with that anyway? And some DVD's show it in multiple languages! Do I CARE that it's not the opinion of anybody in particular? Gee freaking wiz we're going to have to sign waivers before we're allowed to watch movies in the future! I've actually written a little tirade about this kind of thing already. It's called Prelude To A DVD. Sorry, I'll shut up about it, now, back to our review already in progress...). So finally you're at the menu which has some great unique artwork and related sound FX. From here you will select an episode to go to its interface (where you can change viewing or listening options or see the special features list). The episode menus have a standard button template but with unique objects from the corresponding episode making it fun to look around each menu.

Chapter selection is better than any other half-hour TV show release I have seen so far. There are 5 chapters per episode. Chapter 1 is the opening theme and anything that precedes it. Want to watch a whole disc of shows but don't want to see the theme 5 times? One tap of a button gets past it. Seeing as how this is a relatively short theme it's not all that big a deal, I'm just glad to see a series taking full advantage of DVD chaptering capabilities (much better than the Simpsons which sometimes starts chapter 2 immediately after the theme and sometimes farther into the show). There are 3 chapters worth of the show, 1 for each act, then a final one for the credits. It gets high marks in the area of chapter design. So far the only collection I've seen that does as good a job or better with chapters is the X Files (also by Fox, maybe WB should take some notes).

Audio is 2.0 rather than 5.1, but is still nice and clean. The picture quality is about as good as any TV show I've seen so far.

EXTRAS:
The collection is not as impressive as some (X Files comes to mind) as far as extras, but there are a few goodies. The most notable of them is a commentary for every episode. They include Matt Groening, David X Cohen, writers, directors, and actors. The ones with John DiMaggio and Billy West are usually the best. Sometimes they all try to talk over each other, and sometimes they don't have much interesting to say. Other times, though, you'll come away informed and entertained.

The behind the scenes feature could have been longer. We get to see a table reading, but there's no audio to it, big disappointment (future releases give us audio but no video). Other than that, though, it's pretty good.

The art gallery is great. Besides some terrific images there are descriptions to go with them. If you watch for the Planet Express Ship and select it you get short interviews with Matt. There are 4 dealing with main characters and celebrity heads. These clips could also be longer.

There are numerous hidden images. Most are movie poster parodies seen in episodes like "Fear of a Bot Planet." I'll tell you how to access them all.
Disc 1: Main Menu: highlight the hover limo.
Disc 2: Main Menu: highlight the Slurm truck.
Fear of a Bot Planet menu: highlight the NNY sticker.
My 3 Suns menu: highlight the buttons on the control panel.
Hell is Other Robots menu: highlight the Robotology symbol.
Disc 3: Main Menu: highlight the police car.
A Flight to Remember: push the button that says "Do not push."
Special Features menu: highlight the remote control screen.

There are also a few deleted scenes and some other goodies which I will list with their respective episodes.

EPISODES:
This season is by far the shortest with only 13 episodes. They are half an hour when aired which means they are more like 22 minutes without commercials.

1) Space Pilot 3000: The pilot episode. Fry goes to a cryogenics lab to deliver a pizza and ends up in suspended animation. He wakes up 1000 years later to meet Leela then Bender then Prof. Farnsworth.

Dick Clark and Leonard Nimoy have cameos. This one loops at the end not wanting to return to the main menu on its own. It's easy enough to overcome (hit the button on the remote) so only a minor annoyance. It may have something to do with the commentary being so much longer than the episode meaning a lot of blank video at the end.
There is an animatic for the whole episode. It's basically coloring book-type art with limited animation. The dialogue is different making it more fun to watch than just a colorless version of what you've already seen. This illustrates the importance of music in an episode. It sound kind of boring, but I enjoyed watching it. You also get to see the script and the storyboards, nothing flashy but interesting to see.

2) The Series Has Landed: We are introduced to the rest of the Planet Express crew, and Leela is pronounced captain. Fry goes to the moon for the first time, but wants to see the real thing not the amusement park. Bender hooks up with a farmer's daughter and has to run from the shotgun-toting maniac.

This one has some pretty good deleted scenes.

3) I Roommate: Fry has been living at PE HQ, and everyone is sick of him. He moves in with Bender, but the little closet-sized robot habitat is too small for a human. They attempt to find another apartment together, but it doesn't go well.

This one has some good deleted scenes.

4) Love's Labors Lost In Space: Zapp, Kif, and Nibbler are introduced. The PE crew is going to a planet on the verge of implosion in order to save the animals. They are detained by Zapp who doesn't want them interfering with the natural course of the planet. Out of pity for the idiot, Leela sleeps with Zapp (which Bender and Zapp reminder her of many times in future episodes) allowing them to get away. They find themselves trapped on the planet which is on the verge of collapse, and the only salvation is for Leela to swallow her pride and crawl back to Zapp for another round of sickening lovemaking.

This one has a good deleted scene.

5) Fear Of A Bot Planet: The PE crew goes to a robot planet where humans are killed on sight. It's up to Bender to make the delivery, but when the robots find out he works for humans, they take him captive. It's up to Fry and Leela to rescue him, but they're in for a few surprises.

6) A Fishful Of Dollars: Mom and her sons are introduced. Fry finds out he's rich and becomes obsessed with things from his time period, especially anchovies (which are now extinct). Mom thinks he's a business mastermind who must be destroyed.

Pamela Anderson guest stars.

7) My 3 Suns: Fry drinks the ruler of a planet inhabited by liquid beings. It is their custom to crown the conqueror king. Once crowned Fry will rule until assassinated which makes Leela uneasy. When the former king communicates that he's still alive in Fry's stomach, it's up to the PE crew to find a way to separate them without harming Fry before the monarch's subjects use more violent methods.

There's a good deleted scene.

8) A Big Piece Of Garbage: Years in the past New York shot a huge ball of garbage into space because they couldn't think of anything else to do with it. Now it's coming back to smash them into little gooey messes. Citizens of New New York have been recycling for so long they don't grasp the concept of littering. It's up to Fry to teach these people to be messy so they can create a second ball of garbage large enough to deflect the first.

9) Hell Is Other Robots: Bender turns religious and drives everyone crazy. They tempt him to sin, and Beelzebot drags him to Robot Hell. Feeling responsible Fry and Leela quest to rescue him and enter a fiddle playing contest with a fiddle of gold against Bender's soul because Beelzebot thinks he's better than Leela.

Dan Castellaneta, voice of Homer Simpsons, guest stars. 2/3 of the Beastie Boys group have small roles and sing. There's a clever musical number in it by the regular cast. There's a deleted scene, also.

10) A Flight To Remember: Largely a Titanic parody. Zapp pilots the 3000 version of the Titanic into a black hole. During the journey Bender falls in love with a well-to-do fembot. Fry gets caught in a love triangle as Leela pretends to be dating him to get Zapp off her back, and Amy pretends to date him so her parents will leave her alone.

This episode sets up Amy and Kif's future relationship.

11) Mars University: Partially an Animal House parody. Fry enrolls in college, Bender helps the Mars U chapter of his frat to become cool, and Farnsworth creates a super-genius monkey that attends class with Fry. Fry and the monkey do not get along because Fry is jealous. Farnsworth insists that they work it out, but neither can resist taking a shot at the other.

12) When Aliens Attack: When the final episode of a TV show doesn't get broadcast in the 90's, what harm could it do? If a rough bunch of aliens 1000 years later are intercepting the signal to watch the show, and get majorly hacked off that they can't see that episode, you may have a problem. L'rrr and his crew come blasting Earth demanding to see the episode. Since Fry is the only person with any knowledge of the show it's up to him and the PE staff to recreate the episode to the satisfaction of the attacking Omicronians.

It has a deleted scene.

13) Fry And The Slurm Factory: Mostly a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory parody with a Spuds McKenzie spoof thrown in. Fry, who is addicted to Slurm wins a trip to the Slurm factory and gets to take everyone with him. They learn a terrible secret about Slurm, and party icon Slurms McKenzie shows his true colors.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
It's great comedy, and is worth it depending on your level of enjoyment compared to the price you must pay. You have to see a few episodes if you like animated comedy or are just a big sci-fi fan. I give it 4* since it's good but does improve as it goes along. I would have liked a table reading with audio and video, interviews with the cast, and some of the promotional materials. The biggest thing that's missing is a Play All feature. To me that's a necessity for any collection of TV shows or other videos under 45 minutes. This review will be continued in Volume 2.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older