The Bob’s Burgers Movie Review

Bob’s Burgers is one of the biggest animated sitcoms of the past decade. There have been 12 seasons so far and it has won seven Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program seven years in a row. It joins the likes of South Park and The Simpsons and earned a feature film.

The Belchers endure a week from hell. The bank has given them a week to make a payment on their business loan or they will have their kitchen equipment taken away. Just as their restaurant needs more business a sinkhole develops on the street and a dead body is discovered. Whilst Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) and Linda (John Roberts) look for a way to save the family business, Louise (Kristen Schaal) convinces her siblings to investigate the death.

The world of animated sitcoms is a competitive one. It contends the likes of The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, and American Dad. Bob’s Burgers has been able to stand with these shows, as its awards attest. Bob’s Burgers’ unique selling point was being both a workplace comedy and family comedy. The Belchers live in an apartment above their restaurant, and like other animated shows it has a large supporting cast.

Bob’s Burgers is one of the most wholesome family units on TV. They are close, they care for each other, and unlike other animated families, there’s no cruelty or malice amongst them. They stand in contrast to families like The Griffins and The Smiths.

Many animated series have had a film adaptation. As mentioned The Simpsons and South Park earned film adaptations, and there have been many films based on family animated shows. The challenge for any film based on a TV show is to give it a story to justify a cinematic release, whilst staying true to the spirit of the show. Some film adaptations also need to ensure that they don’t affect the ongoing show too much.

The Bob’s Burgers Movie had a typical setup as episodes of the show. The family restaurant is under threat, in this case, the Belchers need to pay back a loan at the worst possible time. At the same time, the kids go on their own adventure. All the Belchers were true to their characterisation on TV. Bob was realistic and pessimistic, his wife acted as a counterbalance because she was optimistic, Tina (Dan Mintz) was an awkward girl who has a crush on Jimmy Jr., Gene (Eugene Mirman) aspires to be a musician despite a lack of talent, and Louise had a vindictive streak.

People who haven’t seen the TV show could easily follow the film. Bob’s Burgers is one of those shows audiences can jump in at any time. The Bob’s Burgers Movie has a standalone story and new audiences can understand the characters and their traits. The film did play like an extended episode because of the setup, and it was structured with an A-plot and B-plot. The Bob’s Burgers Movie’s plot was more grounded since it was a murder mystery. It wasn’t about a town being covered by a giant dome (The Simpsons Movie) or Satan trying to conquer Earth (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut.)

The storyline involving the kids did have an ‘80s adventure quality to it. Louise, Tina, and Gene had to play detective by going from place to place so they could ask questions, search for clues, and find secret locations. It was a bit like The Goonies.

Bob, Linda, and Louise were given the most screentime in the film. Bob and Linda were looking for ways to save their business, whilst Louise was leading the children despite being the youngest of the sibling. Louise was the driving force of the film because she overhears her parents worrying so decides to investigate the murder. Her other motivation was to prove she wasn’t a baby after being insulted at school.

Tina and Gene were given token subplots. Tina was worried that a potential relationship with Jimmy Jr. could not live up to the image in her head. Gene’s issue was his doubts about his musical ability. These storylines weren’t given much attention, especially Gene’s story. It would be easy to forget Gene had an issue.

The Bob’s Burgers Movie was a perfectly humorous film; it was filled with witty dialogue and interactions which made the show popular. I chuckled quite a bit during the film. I particularly liked a throwaway joke which involved Felix Fischoeder admiring his outfit. The film was given a PG rating in the UK, so the humour and drama were clean for the most part. The strongest swear word uttered was ‘crap.’

The weakest part of the film was the musical numbers. The voice actors weren’t natural singers, and the songs weren’t that extraordinary. It’s a real shame because the creators of Bob’s Burgers also made Central Park for Apple TV, which is a musical animated show. Fortunately, the musical numbers were few and far between and the rest of the film compensates.

The Bob’s Burgers Movie had a more grounded story compared to its contemporaries and it plays like an extended episode. It was charming and witty enough for fans of the show and newcomers.