The Bob’s Burgers Movie review: A fine dish that’ll deliver for fans
The Bob’s Burgers Movie has overcome many hurdles to get to our screens. The quirky animated sitcom has survived the Disney takeover of 20th Century Fox and a global pandemic to be released in cinemas, at a time when most animated movies have gone to streaming.
Like The Simpsons Movie 15 years ago, it plays like a feature length version of the show. H Jon Benjamin voices Bob Belcher, a middle-aged, married father of three who has big dreams for his small burger restaurant. Sadly they always seem to be hampered by the eccentricities of those around him.
The movie sees Bob’s hopes for the summer jeopardised by a sinkhole appearing outside his eatery, leaving him and his wife Linda (John Roberts) in financial peril while his precocious kids investigate a mystery.
Anyone who’s watched an episode of the show will know exactly what to expect – big hearted comedy featuring a family of misfits that, in their own way, feel more authentic than most live action dramas. While it doesn’t top the show’s finest moments, it’s a showcase for why it has lasted for over a decade.
While the show’s many running jokes are there to reward fans (Bob talking to his burgers, Linda bursting into rambling show tunes), newbies won’t need long to get into the rhythm. Characters like skittish teen daughter Tina (David Mintz) or Bob’s dismissive landlord Mr Fischoeder (Kevin Kline) are polished parodies of real-life archetypes that will be instantly recognisable. Unlike many of its contemporaries, the show hasn’t hardened with age, still finding joy and laughter in relatively innocent misadventures.
Let’s face it: it’s unlikely that many will head into The Bob’s Burgers Movie having never seen the cartoon. This is a movie for the fans that delivers everything they could ask for, and a story that doesn’t lose anything through an extended running time.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie is in cinemas now