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Futurama - The Beast with a Billion Backs [2008] | ![Futurama - The Beast with a Billion Backs [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511PW90lDhL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Peter Avanzino
Actors: Billy West, Katey Sagal
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £15.99
Buy New: £9.98
You Save: £6.01 (38%)
New (8) Used (1) from £8.99
Rating:  16 reviews
Format: Pal
Rating: To Be Announced
Region: 2
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 85 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.7
EAN: 5039036037709
ASIN: B0015FNMN6
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: June 30, 2008 (New: This Week)
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
The latest feature-length DVD spin-off from Matt Groening's terrific Futurama, The Beast With The Billion Backs picks up directly after the recent Bender's Big Score, and the momentum and fun from that production comes along with it. The story of The Beast With The Billion Backs follows, as you may have guessed from the title, the arrival of a strange creature on Earth. Said creature then takes control of Fry, who becomes the Pope of a brand new religion that soon begins to exert its grip on the planet. And without giving too much away, the panic and paranoia becomes just one part of an ambitious animated adventure, that makes a fair few points among its many, many laughs. The good news for fans of Futurama is that The Beast With The Billion Backs really delivers, with more guffaws and a better all-round script than the mightily enjoyable Bender's Big Score. It's not without the odd problem, and still doesn't quite manage to match the highs of the TV show at its finest, but it's a very welcome fresh addition to the Futurama universe. Two further direct-to-DVD movies are in the works at the time of this review being written, and with them comes continued hope for a full-on revival of one of the funniest animated programmes of the past ten years. It may not make suitable family viewing, but Futurama is brilliant television, and The Beast With A Billion Backs offers plenty of evidence as to why. Strongly recommended. --Jon Foster
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| Customer Reviews:
 Groan... should have known it couldn't last... June 10, 2008
Dick Grayson (Gotham, USA)
12 out of 29 found this review helpful
Well, obviously I loved the previous Futurama movie, Bender's Big Score, but this second return outing, which I have just now finished watching, has left me incredibly cold in comparison.
Picking up a month after the end of the last movie, the rip in the universe caused by Bender has become a problem that has to be sorted out by our hapless Planet Express heroes, who discover it is actually a portal to another universe which is home to... well, that's actually quite far into the movie to reveal here I guess, but needless to say, the plot of this movie is bizarre to the point it is often baffling. It's hard to explain without spoilers, but needless to say, the plot is heavy on the nature of relationships and outlooks on life between man and robot, as Futurama often tends to do. There subplots about Fry getting a new girlfriend who happens to live with four other boyfriends, Bender joins a secret league of robots after stalking hero Calculon, Professor Farnsworth is forced to team up with old enemy Wernstrom to tackle the problem of the rip in the universe, and one of the cast is actually killed into the bargain.
None of it is overly funny to be honest, aside from excellent appearances by Stephen Hawking and the Robot Devil and a few great Bender moments, and the plot isn't nearly as clever as the last movie. This is the movie equivalent of the weaker episodes of the TV series sadly. It just isn't nearly as fun or gripping as the last outing, and given that that was only out a few months back, that's a hard pill to swallow.
You'll get some laughs sure, but you'll be so so sure you could and should have been getting so much more.
Way better than the first one June 16, 2008
A. Barnard
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
And it is. Still not up to the standards of the series but there are many moments which come close. The plot does become increasingly bizarre towards the end but at least I didn't turn this one off half way through like 'Benders Big Score'.
Still think it was a bad idea to make these into movie length episodes- it becomes almost impossible to keep the jokes coming as thick and fast as in a half hour slot. Definitely worth a watch though.
 Probably even better than the last June 30, 2008
Joshua Turnbull (Bristol, Britain)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I was laughing constantly throughout watching this. The funny bits come at regular intervals, and I don't understand those reviews that have said there were too few of them, perhaps they just don't like/get the humour? I would like to remind naysayers in particular of the science conference scene which floored me with the stream of fantastic lines, and of course, most other scenes are no different. These lines are all in the futurama vein that we know and love of surrealism, linguistic oddities (usually from Fry) and general stupidity.
The differences between this and the last film are as follows: there was no seriousness or tearjerking to it, allowing for greater laughability but not being detrimental to the film. The plot wasn't as intricate as the last and wouldn't 'confuse' you if you got confused by BBS and consists only of the main story and a couple of linked sub-stories. Unfortunately, there is a lack of nerdish science, maths and Star Wars references that were so abundant in BBS, but this is the film's only week point.
A host of new characters, objects, events (for example, deathball) and rules to the Futurama universe develop our knowledge and make this a truly worthy edition to the Futurama saga. An abundance of extras as well proves this dvd to be of very reasonable value and Futurama votary or not, there is no reason you shouldn't add this to your collection. NO REASON.
Getting better but still not the TV series June 18, 2008
S. J. Koral (UK)
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
This was without a doubt better than "Benders Big Score". There were atleast some half decent jokes through out it and the plot wasnt all over the place like BBS.
However, it is nowhere near as good compaired to the brilliant TV series. The jokes in this are funny but largely rely and grossing you out for the laughs whereas the TV series often used more wittier humour. Although it certainly is enjoyable you will might find that it drags on a bit too much with the last 2o minutes or so. Sadly this 1h 30 min format does not work for futurama.
Overall, its not a bad watch and you'll certainly feel better if you were left sour from BBS.
Hail To My Fellow Leegy Weegies. June 24, 2008
Mr. A. Cocking (Norwich, England)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Apologies to those who have not seen the DVD yet as the title won't make any sense.
While I'm on the topic - by all rights no one anywhere should have seen this DVD yet as it has only today seen its US release; yet so many of us seem to have already done so (myself over a week ago). As a fan I couldn't resist the urge to download an avi copy from a "public" source as soon as it was posted, but I still intend to part with cash and pay for a copy. I wonder how many people that have longed for Futurama's return will jeopardise the chance of a new series by not paying for a copy.... (rant over).
On the whole, this movie is a very worthy addition to the Futurama legacy. The only real disappointment comes with the pace. The story is slow to develop for the first chapter, and then rapidly builds momentum into the second and third chapters with almost non-stop visual and dialogue jokes. Unfortunately, the pace dies rather quickly and the last chapter seems to drag on and on to the point where the ending seems less and less important to the story.
The ending also left me under whelmed as there is no dramatic climax, and it leaves us without a cliff-hanger for the next instalment - not even a hint of things to come.
From reading others reviews it seems people are already far too complacent after only 2 new instalments following a 5 year gap.
Despite the flaws above (which is just my opinion), I'm delighted to have new episodes to watch with all the old cast on-board. There is a fresh and different feel to these new offerings. It seems as though the writers and producers have actually listened to fans to help steer the content and choice of characters. Without spoiling anything, anyone that fails to find the League Of Robots scenes hilarious needs help. I just hope Hedonism Bot and Calculon make appearances in the next instalments.
In conclusion - if you want to treat this as a 1.5 hour "movie", you may find fault. If instead you take the emphasis off the main story and just enjoy, then this is a great watch with some of the most hilarious moments I have ever seen in Futurama.
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