Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder
Year: 2009
Directed by: Peter Avanzino
Starring: John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, Lauren Tom & Billy West
Runtime: 89 mins
BBFC: 12
Published: 12/01/23
Directed by: Peter Avanzino
Starring: John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, Lauren Tom & Billy West
Runtime: 89 mins
BBFC: 12
Published: 12/01/23
Futurama’s fifth season had been going pretty strong and received a positive critical reception so far with its feature length episode format. Now with one final film to wrap up the season, and Groening taking a step back to allow for co-creators David X. Cohen and Ken Keeler to really take control of this epic finale, did ‘Into The Wild Green Yonder’ wow as much as the previous three films, or did it succumb to the weight of expectation?
The crew of Planet Express are visiting Amy’s (Luren Tom) parents on Mars, who are in the midst of destroying ‘old’ Mars Vegas to build New Mars Vegas under the Wong family image. However, when it becomes obvious that Leo Wong (Billy West) is not following proper environmental procedures, Leela (Katey Sagal) joins a group of eco-feminists to try and save dozens of endangered species that the construction will inevitably kill. Meanwhile Fry (also Billy West) joins a secret society who recruit him to stop an evil alien race known as the Dark Ones from destroying all life in the universe. All whilst Bender (John DiMaggio) tries to scam New Mars Vegas for all its worth and runaway with the Donbot’s (Maruice LaMarche) wife, Fanny (Tress MacNeille).
The crew of Planet Express are visiting Amy’s (Luren Tom) parents on Mars, who are in the midst of destroying ‘old’ Mars Vegas to build New Mars Vegas under the Wong family image. However, when it becomes obvious that Leo Wong (Billy West) is not following proper environmental procedures, Leela (Katey Sagal) joins a group of eco-feminists to try and save dozens of endangered species that the construction will inevitably kill. Meanwhile Fry (also Billy West) joins a secret society who recruit him to stop an evil alien race known as the Dark Ones from destroying all life in the universe. All whilst Bender (John DiMaggio) tries to scam New Mars Vegas for all its worth and runaway with the Donbot’s (Maruice LaMarche) wife, Fanny (Tress MacNeille).
Into The Wild Green Yonder is the weakest of the four Futurama films by quite a considerable margin, and it’s a shame as it was intended to cap off the entire show due to Groening & co. not knowing the fate of the show following this film.
When broken down into its various components, Into The Wild Green Yonder is not a bad story; Leela’s story with the eco-feminists is fine, Fry’s story with the secret society is fine, and Bender’s antics are also fine…but when combined together they feel a little disjointed and because none of them excel in any particular area it winds up feeling like the episode was a bit aimless.
It builds to a massive climax that incorporates almost every character Futurama has ever featured and then it just quietly wraps things up with little to no build up to those conclusions. Fry and Leela finally fall in love despite Leela still not showing any kind of romantic attachment to Fry during the episode, and that was supposed to act as the big finale? I mean, considering how well the previous three films did with the extended runtime format I had hoped that Wild Green Yonder would have maybe tried to tie together a few of the series loose ends but it doesn’t and ultimately leaves long-time fans feeling disappointed.
This is the other problem with Wild Green Yonder, where the previous three Futurama films have been entertaining to both existing and new fans (Beast With A Billion Backs slightly less so, but not too much), Wild Green Yonder expects you to be able to recall seemingly incidental moments from a wide range of episodes in Futurama’s history as they are given brand new context. It’s so bizarre for an episode to feel so disconnected from the series canon yet also so intrinsically linked to it.
It's difficult not to look at Wild Green Yonder and feel like it’s a haphazard and very rushed conclusion to the series. Thankfully the show was picked up by Comedy Central for a double length season the following year, but if this is how Futurama had ended it would have been one bummer of an ending.
I make it sound like Into The Wild Green Yonder is a bad film, and it’s not. But when compared to the incredibly high standard set by the previous four seasons and the last three films, Wild Green Yonder is undoubtably a disappointment. But with Futurama heading into an entirely new era, the 2010’s, would the show be able to survive under a new network?
When broken down into its various components, Into The Wild Green Yonder is not a bad story; Leela’s story with the eco-feminists is fine, Fry’s story with the secret society is fine, and Bender’s antics are also fine…but when combined together they feel a little disjointed and because none of them excel in any particular area it winds up feeling like the episode was a bit aimless.
It builds to a massive climax that incorporates almost every character Futurama has ever featured and then it just quietly wraps things up with little to no build up to those conclusions. Fry and Leela finally fall in love despite Leela still not showing any kind of romantic attachment to Fry during the episode, and that was supposed to act as the big finale? I mean, considering how well the previous three films did with the extended runtime format I had hoped that Wild Green Yonder would have maybe tried to tie together a few of the series loose ends but it doesn’t and ultimately leaves long-time fans feeling disappointed.
This is the other problem with Wild Green Yonder, where the previous three Futurama films have been entertaining to both existing and new fans (Beast With A Billion Backs slightly less so, but not too much), Wild Green Yonder expects you to be able to recall seemingly incidental moments from a wide range of episodes in Futurama’s history as they are given brand new context. It’s so bizarre for an episode to feel so disconnected from the series canon yet also so intrinsically linked to it.
It's difficult not to look at Wild Green Yonder and feel like it’s a haphazard and very rushed conclusion to the series. Thankfully the show was picked up by Comedy Central for a double length season the following year, but if this is how Futurama had ended it would have been one bummer of an ending.
I make it sound like Into The Wild Green Yonder is a bad film, and it’s not. But when compared to the incredibly high standard set by the previous four seasons and the last three films, Wild Green Yonder is undoubtably a disappointment. But with Futurama heading into an entirely new era, the 2010’s, would the show be able to survive under a new network?