Let's be realistic.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

good back-story, and good acting

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Direct-to-DVD movie; Genre: Sci-Fi, Animated Comedy; Content Rating: Unrated (contains adult content & animated violence); Available: DVD and Blu-Ray; Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 – 4); After 4 hugely rewarding seasons on the Fox Network (not that they knew it) and 3 DVD movies, Matt Groening and David X Cohen's cancelled, cult sci-fi saga "Futurama" comes to a rollicking close with "Into the Wild Green Yonder". The movies were a reward for those who got slapped in the face by Fox's abrupt cancellation and were underwhelmed by the run's finale, "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" in which the show micro-focused its entire story down to a love story between future fish-out-of-water Phillip J. Fry (Billy West) and one-eyed mutant space pilot Leela (Katy Segel). "Yonder" is the epic finale we've been waiting for and I'm thrilled to report it delivers.As always, "Futurama's" focus is still its unique cast of characters and their conflicting motives, but "Yonder" is a bigger, funnier, more epic ending, worthy of the vast, detailed universe this series created. As a movie, it's the best of the 4 DVDs which says a lot given how highly I still regard "The Beast With A Billion Backs". Where "Beast" was an ambitious and sharp story it still felt disjointed and episodic, where "Yonder" is the first film to feel like a real theatrical release movie from start to finish. It's smoother, with a more complex story, than "The Simpsons Movie".As with any "Futurama" story, it would be almost criminal to describe the plot: both because it is so delightfully convoluted in its accurate and liberal basis in science fact and sci-fi convention and I do not wish to spoil the numerous wonderful twists and turns herein. However, in the first few minutes events transpire that set our heroes on a collision course toward series end and saving the galaxy: Al Gore-style! Amy Wong's (Lauren Tom) dad is building a new casino on Mars, but his plans to put in a massive mini-golf park threaten the endangered species of the entire galaxy which raises the ire of eco-femenistas (led by radio genius Phil Hendrie in duel role as a female member of the show's Waterfall hippie family and her brother) as well as a secret society Fry gets involved with when an accident leaves him with the ability to read minds. Oh yeah, and Bender has an affair with the Don-Bot's wife.Almost none of the action in "Yonder" takes place on Earth or at Planet Express. With Leela joining the femenists, Fry in a double-cross to save the universe and Bender dodging the mob and joining up with Zapp Brannigan (again West), the characters spend the movie away from or at odds with each other. Cohen and co-writer Ken Keeler have scripted a clever chess game where each story and each motive weaves together beautifully, all building to a finale that finds that perfect balance between being a thrilling sci-fi adventure and a satisfying character conflict for our 3 unlikely heroes."Yonder" is also the funniest movie of the 4 and at times more laugh-out-loud than the series. When Fry (now reading minds) and Bender (with the DonBot's lucky Robot's Foot - his own) go head to head in a high-stakes poker tournament the scene is one of the funniest and most cleverly constructed the show has ever done. "Yonder" has a lot of fun with Bender in this movie. Bender is the kind of anti-hero character that usually has his own story as it is hard to write him into helping the gang save the world in the primary story without cheating his character's nature. "Yonder" finds a perfect place for him. The movie also has a load of fun with the eco-femenists. Few shows make fun of women the way "Futurama" has the balls too with Cohen and Keeler's unique vision of male/female clichés turning "Yonder's" conflicts into a damn-near battle of the sexes. It's refreshing. The movie gets less riotous as the 3rd act comes and the stakes of the story are raised, but that's the case with any action/comedy.This is a fun one, people. "Into the Wild Green Yonder" fires on all cylinders, deliver the kind of originality and imagination that only "Futurama" can. As funny and poignant as any episode of the series. Both a great movie and a great finale for this much loved series. Don't miss it.* * * * / 4

At the ending of Into the Wild Green Yonder (the fourth and last DVD belonging to the resurrection of the extraordinary TV programme Futurama),there is a naughty reference to the possible continuation of the series; but,considering that the destiny of a continuation is on the air,the suspense is on the fans (like me) and on the creators from the series...will the sales from the DVDs justify the making of another analog collection ? or are the rumors of the return of the series to Comedy Central or Cartoon Network real ?.Nobody knows it (or says it),but I hope that Into the Wild Green Yonder is not the last time we will ever see Futurama because,although the other movies were entertaining but nothing special,this one resulted to be brilliant,and it has filled me with even more enthusiasm to see Futurama continuing.My main complain with the three previous movies was their fractured screenplays,which seemed to have been composed by two or three stories joined on a forced way to get the 90-minutes running time,without paying too much attention to the flow or structure.On Into the Wild Green Yonder,that problem completely disappears because it presents a solid story which is perfectly structured and which flows completely naturally,until getting to a very satisfactory conclusion.And,besides of that,this film is very funny.The story from this movie seems simple on its shape but it hides a complexity which is full of interesting ideas and audacious sci-fi concepts.The animation is perfect and it is much more polished than in the previous films.I do not know if the casual spectators will like this movie as much as me,but I am sure that the other fans of Futurama will also like this film very much.The only fail I found on this movie is that some dialogs feel a little bit forced.Into the Wild Green Yonder is a brilliant animation film,which may not be at the same level of the series,but which deserves a very enthusiastic recommendation.I truly hope Futurama will continue.

(WARNING CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS) Overall i think that ITWGY was a great way to end the futurama series, many plot points are wrapped up , but there is the possibility of a continuation. The series has always been able to mix seriousness and comedy quite well. Like wise the move combines great comic moments(SPOILER such as the vice president dying, Leela's run from the law, Fry's psychic power, and the feminist revolt tactics) with more dramatic moments(Leela and Fry's relationship finally being resolved). I think that the way fry and Leela banded together at the end along with the rest of the cast to start a new adventure was a great way to end the movie, and quite possibly the whole series.The ending was very well formulated and sweet, but without being to corny or melodramatic. However i do feel as though the movie was flawed in some areas; for one it seems as if nobody was quite sure how to use bender in this film, he has several subplots(the majority of which lead nowhere), however he does play an important role in the end of the movie. I personally did not mind bender being in this movie less(it felt as though he took over the end of the series and many of the movies, but they at least could 've written his plot more legibly.Furthermore cubert and Hermes son are nowhere to be seen, and appear to be abandoned at the end, however their characters never really did much so again its not a big deal. Lastly i feel that the overall moral of the story (protect the environment, otherwise we may become and endangered species)while important came across as very preachy and non subtle in some portions. However i feel as though the movie managed to mix comedy, drama, romance, and a bit of social commentary quite well together in what appears to be their send off. 8 out of 10

This is the last of four Futurama direct to DVD movies.The plot is that Amy's father plans to create a gigantic miniature golf course that will destroy a newly evolved planet. Leela joins a feminist environmentalist group, while Fry gains psychic powers. Hilarity ensues. Kind of.Futurama was always more clever than funny, and that is true here as well. There are some good payoffs here, especially the ending, which I think Futurama fans have been waiting 10 years for.There's a cute cameo from Penn and Teller (well, really, just Penn.) Some of the jokes are recycled, such as the whole Supreme Court as heads in jars. (That joke was barely funny the first time it was done.)