H. Jon Benjamin – We Are Movie Geeks

THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE – Review

(L-R): Linda Belcher (voiced by John Roberts), Bob Belcher (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin), Tina Belcher (voiced by Dan Mintz), Louise Belcher (voiced by Kristen Schaal), and Gene Belcher (voiced by Eugene Mirman) in 20th Century Studios’ THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

With Memorial Day looming, many moviegoers may not “feel the need, the need for speed” (though most will, I’d bet), Perhaps instead, they’ve got a “hunger, a hunger for…”well, I got nuthin”. Wait a minute, a nice grilled hamburger usually will stifle those cravings. Although, will they want to sink their teeth into an animated one? Much as the studios did with “The Simpsons”, “South Park”, and “Beavis and Butthead”, they’re raiding the tube for a brand new animated feature film. Now, this cartoon hasn’t been around nearly as long as the first one mentioned, but it’s been a staple of the Fox Network’s “Sunday Night Animation Domination” for the last eleven years. And now we’ll see if its many fans have a big box-office appetite for THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE. Order up…

Oddly, the story doesn’t really begin with the beloved Belcher family at the diner. Instead, we’re flashing back six years to a “dark and stormy” night at the scene of a crime, the boardwalk at the “Wonder Wharf” amusement park overlooking the ocean. Then we spring ahead to now (actually close to the upcoming three-day holiday). A lot is happening in and above the diner down the street from the big “WW” (you see there’s a family apartment space upstairs from the grill). The Bob behind Bob’s Burgers (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) is furiously whipping up a special breakfast burger to impress the loan officer at the nearby bank. He and his wife Linda (John Roberts) want to get an extension on the place’s business loan. Meanwhile, their three kids are hyped about their upcoming summer break from school. Tina (Dan Mintz) wants to start a summer romance with that special guy, Genne (Eugine Merman) wants to perform with his band on the Wharf’s outdoor stage, and Louise (Kristen Schaal) wants to impress the “mean girls’ with her maturity (“I’m no baby!”). The banker isn’t awed with Bob’s masterpiece meal, and tells him that the loan will “come due” within the next week. Bob is worried, but Linda reminds him of the big crowds streaming into Wonder Wharf over the weekend. Great, except…a water main breaks in front of their diner, leaving a huge sinkhole at its entrance. Oh, and the big hole reveals the result of that six-year-old crime. The kids decide to solve that crime, while the adults try to put their diner on wheels to get some of the Wharf’s crowds. Will their combined efforts somehow save the family business, or has Bob flipped his last meat patty?

And now dear reader, a confession (you can just the ‘size’ of it): I have never watched an episode of the “Bob’s Burgers” TV show. Zip. Nada. Not a one. Yes, I’ve watched “The Simpsons” since they were leading viewers out of and into commercial breaks on “The Tracy Ulman Show”. And I was a faithful fan of the much-missed “King of the Hill” and “Futurama”. But this Fox show just didn’t grab my interest. Perhaps it’s because of my problems with the character designs. I quickly got used to the “bug-eyed” (as Jennifer Tilly called them) creatures that populated Springfield, USA. The Belchers and their pals might be best described as “fish-eyed” with tiny orbs stuck on the sides of their cantaloupe-shaped heads. Although, I have great respect for many of the voice actors, H. Jon Benjamin mainly for the bungling lead of “Archer” on FX. And on a side note, I was puzzled as to the reason Kevin Kline lent his voice to the stuffy landlord of the Belchers. But I’ve digressed from a big point mentioned earlier. I don’t think a moviegoer should have to do “homework” prior to seeing a new film based on another “media source”. You shouldn’t need to read the novels or comics, see the stage play, or even see the previous film in a franchise to enjoy a new film. I adored the “South Park” feature without having seen a whole episode. And I was mildly entertained by the films based on “Downton Abbey” and “The X-Files”. I can’t say the same for this, as it is strictly for fans. I couldn’t get into the rapid-fire rhythm of the dialogue, plus the many female characters voiced by men were distracting. The animation “acting” was serviceable, as were the backgrounds’, but a CG-boosted last act chase seemed monotonous and a weak attempt to inject some movie-style action into a very ‘talky” tale. There are two or three musical numbers, but the tunes don’t resonate and the “in-unison” dance moves would’ve helped a stage version close quickly (I’m sure someone is planning a big splashy Broadway version). So, if you love the show, you’ll no doubt be floating above your seat, and I’m happy that your devotion is being rewarded. The rest of us will be tempted to check the time (don’t do it, ugh) as we wonder what the fuss is all about. So like most eateries, THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE is not for everyone’s tastes (my t-buds weren’t ready for it’s…seasonings). Check, please!

1.5 Out of 4

THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE is now playing in theatres everywhere

CREATIVE CONTROL – The Review

It’s time to push the fast forward button at the multiplex (I would say we’ll go “back to the future”, but this flick doesn’t look back). Film makers love to dabble in “what lies ahead” in everything from JUST IMAGINE (a 1930 musical comedy about the far-off 1980) to last year’s hit THE MARTIAN. Now, there’s no space travel going on (aside from trips inside your own head) in this new film. It’s on terra firma, with no personal jet packs or flying cars. We’re in a future not very removed from our present, much as in last year’s Oscar-winning EX MACHINA from Alex Garland, though it feels like a close relation to another recent Oscar winner, HER from Spike Jonze. The gadgets and doo-dads are just a few “.0’s” away from being ordered online. The film ponders whether the use (and abuse) of technology will still permit us to retain CREATIVE CONTROL.

The terra firma of this near-future is Brooklyn, the home of burnt-out advertising exec David (Benjamin Dickinson). He should be happy living with his gorgeous girlfriend, yoga instructor Juliette (Nora Zehetner) in their lush apartment in a trendy neighborhood. And he’s best buds with fashion photog Wim (Dan Gill), who sends David cell snaps of his model conquests. But David’s in a funk, one that’s not curtailed by his boozing and pill popping (these future pharmas look like candied cereal bits). Then he’s jolted awake by meeting Wim’s lovely live-in, fashion designer Sophie (Alexia Rasmussen), around the same time David’s company gets a big new client: Augmented Reality. They’re in need of a marketing campaign for their new, top-of-the-line, ultra-tech eyeglasses. And David is given a pair for a “test run”. As his relationship with Juliette deteriorates, he aggressively pursues Sophie. When she doesn’t reciprocate, David gets an idea. His glasses recorded his encounters with Sophie. Can he use them to create an almost-photo realistic avatar of her, one this is more…receptive? As time passes, David devotes more and more time to his virtual lover in a twisted affair that threatens his work and actual relationships. Will David ever return to reality?

Dickinson (who also co-wrote and directed this film) convincingly projects an air of aloof apathy as the story’s center. Perhaps too convincingly. David drifts along in a fog, never really connecting with anyone until his obsession with Sophie ignites a long-dead passion. From that point (namely the creation of his designed desire) he loses any audience empathy as he pushes everyone aside, becoming quite a single-minded hedonist. From the tale’s mid-point most of our sympathy shifts to Zehetner as the confused neglected Juliette. Fortunately she is no mere victim, and is striving to fulfill her own personal and professional needs. Zehetner’s wide expressive eyes inject the often lethargic proceedings with a much-needed energy boost. Gill makes Wim a new age, very laid-back satyr, always on the lookout for another new paramour. As Sophie, Rasumussen is a futuristic take on the classic “cool blonde” (as Hitchcock would say). Her disconnected mysterious demeanor (David just can’t figure her out) conflicts nicely with her submissive pixellated doppelgänger. Also of note is the excellent work by musician comedian Reggie Watts playing an ultra-hip, pretentious parody of himself. Thankfully we’re treated to a scene-stealing cameo from H. Jon Benjamin (TV’s “Archer” and Bob’s Burgers”) as Juliette’s dim bulb employer.

Director Dickinson employs lots of stylistic and visual tricks to place us in this near-future setting. There are no monitors or video screens, instead boxes crammed with ever-changing data float in front of the cast, often projecting from their finger tips (think smaller takes on Tony Stark’s Jarvis system). These are greatly enhanced by the splendid, shimmering black and white photography of Adam Newport-Becca, particularly when the virtual Sophie emerges in warm, airbrushed-like color (she really pops from the grey backdrops). Unfortunately these inventive touches are in service of a meandering story. The film gets some very funny digs at the “ad game” when David and his co-workers must deal with nit-picky, “flip-flopping” clients during a commercial shoot for a “mood-elevating vape”, and there’s a powerful verbal smack down during what begins as an intimate dinner which will make you squirm with discomfort. But there’s very little resolution to the many plot threads and the main protagonist remains cruel and callous. And the almost constant toking and boozing deaden any real dramatic momentum. There’s some clever ideas in CREATIVE CONTROL, but they’re buried in a uninvolving, unfocused narrative.

3 out of 5

CREATIVE CONTROL opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre

H. Jon Benjamin Set To Star In LIMBO – But The Film Needs Your Help!

Aspiring young filmmakers Fangso Liu and Haines Landry struck gold when they landed H. Jon Benjamin (Archer, Bob’s Burgers, Home Movies) to star in their short film, “Limbo,” a dark comedy that tells the story of Jim, an everyman who tries to make sense of his hedonistic afterlife after suffering an untimely death. Now they just need to raise the minimum budget to produce it. This is where you come in.

H. Jon Benjamin, who voices Archer and Bob from ‘Bob’s Burgers’ set to play the lead in LIMBO

While there are many film projects on Kickstarter, LIMBO is especially interesting because it’s based on a popular untitled short story written by Adam Spielman in the /r/WritingPrompts section of Reddit (click HERE to check it out). WritingPrompts is a subreddit that is dedicated to inspiring over 270,000 writers to create stories based on suggested prompts. Author Adam Spielman gave his blessing to Liu and Landry to bring his words to life…or in this case, “afterlife.”

Both Liu and Landry are incredibly passionate about this project, launching a Kickstarter campaign (http://kck.st/1oNKeGG), to raise $30K to complete their budget. On the Kickstarter project page, you can view a message from director Liu and producer Landry as well as H. Jon Benjamin himself and consulting producer Dan Mintz (a.k.a. “Tina” Bob’s Burgers). Additionally, the duo have made themselves available on Reddit for questions and answers HERE.

The campaign runs till June 30th and perks range from as low as $5 for a digital copy, to limited rewards such as a personal voicemail from Dan Mintz in the voice of Tina, an IMDB credit, role as an extra or even the position of executive producer! Be sure to check it out!

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