The Belchers try to save the restaurant from closing as a sinkhole forms in front of it, while the kids try to solve a mystery that could save their family’s restaurant.
“Bob’s Burgers” is a successful animated series centering around the Belcher family. Its characters do not hide their quirks but embrace them, making them funny and more relatable. Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin), the patriarch, is a bit pessimistic, but he takes his food very seriously. His wife, Linda (John Roberts), is always optimistic and supportive of her family. At the same time, their teenage daughter, Tina (Dan Mintz), is usually boy crazy, and their son, Gene (Eugene Mirman), always seems to have music and farts on his mind. Their youngest kid, Louise (Kristen Schaal), likes to scheme and is kind of scary but still lovable in the end.
I am a fan of “Bob’s Burgers,” but I do not follow the show closely, nor have I seen every episode. However, even if you have never seen or heard of the series, I believe there is plenty of fun to be had in the movie, which contains everything that makes the show so great.
Bob and Linda need a loan extension to keep their restaurant afloat in the movie. Tina, Louise, and Gene are in their last week of school and are eagerly awaiting summer. Gene creates a new instrument and wants to make a band to headline it in a concert. Tina is pining over Jimmy Pesto Jr. (also H. Jon Benjamin), hoping he will agree to be her summer boyfriend. Lastly, Louise is a bit sensitive when her signature pink rabbit-eared look is called childish, and she wants to prove herself to be brave. And what starts as a tame plotline for this family eventually becomes a murder mystery.
The voice cast, as always, is excellent; the chemistry is so palpable between them, and it sounds like the cast always has a fun time making the show together. Beloved supporting characters like Teddy (Larry Murphy) and Calvin Fischoeder (Kevin Kline) show up and have their moments. Series creator Loren Bouchard co-directs this film with Bernard Derriman, which is a definite plus as he makes sure that the movie maintains the same spirit as the show.
One thing that took me by surprise was the musical aspect of this film. There are four musical sequences, and while it is not unusual for “Bob’s Burgers” to have little silly songs and dances, the choreographed song and dance numbers feel a bit out of left field. It seemed like the film included them to make this property more movie-worthy and may have also been trying to pad its runtime. Despite this, the musical sequences were very in-character, as the singing is mostly off-key, and the dancing is relatively lackluster. I couldn’t help but think, in one of the musical numbers, you let this guy sing?
If you are looking for some laughs, I recommend checking out “The Bob’s Burgers Movie.” The film is funny, its characters are memorable, and it keeps the show’s heart, which is not always the case for these animated series to movie adaptations. Would I say that “Bob’s Burgers” ever really needed a movie? No. But the film is still good fun anyway.
In Theaters Friday, May 27th
