Burgers is tasty fare for all
The Bob’s Burgers Movie (PG, 102 mins) Directed by Loren Bouchard and Bernard Derriman James Croot ★★★★
Twelve seasons and 238 episodes represents a pretty good haul for an animated show about the lives, loves and misadventures of a burger barowning family of five and their seaside community.
A kind of a cross between Rugrats and King of the Hill, Bob’s Burgers is a charming combination of teen and tween crises and fantasies, the sometimes harsh realities of owning your own business and restaurant rivalries.
But despite his prominence in the series, there is virtually no sign of Jimmy Pesto and his pizzeria in The Bob’s Burgers Movie. Instead, the challenges facing the Belcher family come from elsewhere.
After their request for a loan extension from the bank is turned down (a burger bribe is left untasted), Bob (H Jon Benjamin) and Linda (John Roberts) have seven days to pay neighbouring First Oceanside Savings Bank, or have their restaurant equipment repossessed.
An already difficult task of upping their turnover sufficiently is made near impossible when a sinkhole opens up outside.
That then turns into a crime scene when the body of one of Wonder Wharf’s veteran carnies is discovered in it, and their landlord Mr Fischoeder (Kevin Kline) is arrested over the death.
Although the Belcher children, Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Louise (Kristen Schaal), have their own problems – plucking up the nerve to ask out her potential ‘‘summer love’’, securing the dream gig for his Iddy Bitty Ditty Committee Band, and an existential and identity crisis respectively – the trio unite to try to ‘‘save Mr Fischoeder, save the restaurant and solve a murder’’.
Meanwhile, the Belchers’ most loyal customer Teddy (Larry Murphy) may have just come up with a way to take Bob’s burger operation to the masses.
A scene involving Teddy explaining his plan perfectly sums up creator, co-writer and director Loren Bouchard’s approach to humour. As Teddy wails that he ‘‘can’t live, if living is without you’’ and tells Bob he should ‘‘grab your meat’’, it’s clear Bouchard never misses an opportunity for a popculture reference or doubleentendre. Puns also abound.
This super-sized adventure should satisfy fans and serve as a terrific introduction to first-time samplers. Like 2007’s The Simpsons Movie, it arrives with the show maybe passing its peak, but provides a welcome boost in terms of storytelling and celebrity cameos (listen out for everyone from Paul Rudd to Sarah Silverman, Jordan Peele and Nicole Byer).
Eclectic musical numbers, from the delightful Sunny Side Up Summer to the carnie anthem Lucky Ducks, are delivered with hilariously less than Disney-perfect pitches, while there is enough warm humour to keep a wide range of audience members entertained.
A surprisingly tasty delight.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie is now screening in cinemas nationwide.