Futurama – Volume 5 (Fox Blu-ray)
Picture:
A- Sound: A- Extras: B- Episodes: A-
Of one of
the many atrocities that have been done by the FOX broadcasting network over
the years, the canceling of Futurama has
to be among the worst. No other series
that I know of, outside of Family Guy
(another former casualty of FOX), has ever been brought back from cancellation. Sure series have swapped networks or had last
minute extensions, but not many have got to claim full rejuvenation years
later. The fact of the matter is that if
it were not for diehard fans, along with Cartoon Network’s constant airing of
the series would we ever have gotten
the opportunity to view new episodes of the intergalactic chaos that is Futurama.
Volume Five delivers all 13 hilarious episodes
of the new season, kicking off the season with Rebirth a great episode that has the entire crew dying, only to be
‘reborn’ again. The following 12
episodes have Leela, Bender, Fry, The Professor, Dr. Zoidberg, Amy, Hermes, and
the rest of the Futurama cast
getting into and out of trouble only like they can. Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) graciously jumps back
into the ring to deliver a new season of a series that only seems to get better
with time. This season has the crew of
Planet Express in the Garden of Eden, resurrecting Leonardo da Vinci, finding
Bender’s mortal manufacturing defect, more time traveling, cat invasions,
mutant uprising, mind exchanges, and plenty of robot lovin’. Not to mention a BRAND NEW X-Mas episode with
plenty of holiday maiming and musical numbers.
Futurama is pure genius and whereas I can’t
say this season held the series best episodes, there were certainly many great
ones presented. It may take a bit for
the crew to get their grove back, but if this season shows anything it is that Futurama has not lost its touch or the
hearts of its fans. Whereas the straight
to Blu-ray films were a bit off at times, the series back on TV feels all too
right.
The
technical features on this set are amazingly well done. The picture is a 1080p 1.78 X 1 AVC encoded
presentation that is crisp, clean and full of color with framing inky
blacks. The picture quality is pristine
and is some of the best animation I have seen on Blu-ray to date. The picture is not quite “Pixar,” but in
terms of TV animation it is stunning. The
sound is a 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio that is nearly perfect, but is missing some
life and directionality at times. The
series (though embodying plenty of action) is mostly dialogue so it projects from
the front, with the music surrounding the viewer. I felt the panning effects could have been
better, but this is only a minor gripe.
The
extras are nicely done and include the following:
Full
Length Audio Commentaries on All 13 Episodes
Well done and interesting, these commentaries show the
passion the cast/crew have for Futurama. This is especially worth listening to, as it explicitly
shows the creators mentality as they embark upon resurrecting a dead series.
The
Adventures of Delivery-Boy Man
A funny original video comic book
scribbled and performed by Fry
“Bend it
Like Bender”
Bender’s first and only music video
Behind
the Fungus: Makin’ a Hit Song
Previously
on Futurama
“The
Prisoner of Bender” Table Read
Deleted
Scenes
Most likely they were deleted for times sake, but these
deleted scenes are hilarious and definitely worth watching.
Season 7
Preview
In the
end, all I can say is BUY THIS SET! This is on top of the fact that all fans
should be watching the series on TV so that we never lose this gem again.
- Michael P. Dougherty II
