Bob’s Burgers has been one of my most reliable comfort shows for years. A modest boardwalk seaside atmosphere, an oddball family working together to keep their burger joint afloat, and the unconditional support and love the characters give each other brings me so much joy. The beloved animated show was created by Loren Bouchard and has been running on Fox for 12 seasons, with a 13th season recently greenlit. Following the likes of The Simpsons Movie and South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut, Bob’s Burgers makes its way to the big screen to kick off summer 2022. Although all are considered under the “adult animated sitcom” umbrella, Bob’s Burgers is gentler, and its high-energy, eccentric jokes should be attractive to a wider audience. The film easily translates as both a tribute to longtime fans and a great introduction for newcomers to meet the Belcher family and the world they live in.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie follows the Belchers as they deal with their day-to-day antics that usually center around money, boys, school, bullies, personal growth, and other normal issues people deal with. However, a greater issue threatens the Belchers this time around for their feature debut. If you’re not too familiar with the characters, there’s anxious burger cook Bob (H. Jon Benjamin), his highly optimistic wife Linda (John Roberts), and their three endearing yet messy kids Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman), and the youngest, Louise (Kristen Schaal). The voice ensemble is one of the best in the business, their chemistry feeling like a breeze due to them playing their characters for 226 episodes thus far. Bob and Linda are struggling to pay rent and get threatened by the bank that they’ll lose their kitchen equipment if they don’t pay back a loan. Just to make matters worse, a giant sinkhole emerges right in front of their restaurant, with the only entrance being through their back alley. The family risks losing everything if they can’t get enough customers in the next week.
When Louise decides to explore the sinkhole, she falls in front of skeletal remains in the mud. They belonged to a carnie named Cotton Candy Dan who worked at the nearby amusement park and was last seen six years earlier. A murder investigation is set off, with the Belchers’ wealthy landlord (and owner of Wonder Wharf) Mr. Fischoeder (Kevin Kline) and his brother Felix (Zach Galifianakis) being the prime suspects. After Louise overhears her parents talking about their financial crisis, she recruits her siblings to help solve the case and save the family business, as the parents work on their own plan to make money. As we follow the film’s fun murder mystery plot, there’s still room left to focus on the characters’ personal challenges. As summer break approaches, Gene is wrestling with his musical artistry for his band Itty Bitty Ditty Committee, and Tina wants Jimmy Pesto, Jr. (also played by H. Jon Benjamin) to be her “summer boyfriend” but is struggling to ask him. Louise gets the most development in the film out of the kids. She goes on a journey to prove her bravery once her classmates call her a baby for always wearing her infamous pink bunny ears.
Bouchard co-directs the film with Bernard Derriman, who serves as the show’s supervising director, and co-writes the script with current showrunner Nora Smith. They do a good job introducing the numerous locations and side characters from the series’ universe. It includes Bob’s best customer/friend, handyman Teddy (Larry Murphy), the curt local police chief Sergeant Bosco (Gary Cole), former criminal turned carnival worker Mickey (John Q. Kubin), the kids’ frenemy Tammy (Jenny Slate), and more. There’s also a small share of references from the show that fans will treasure, like Tina’s obsession with teen zombies and Louise’s nightlight Kuchi Kopi that occasionally appears in her dreams. The cameos are organic to the story and aren’t overwhelming.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie keeps the tone and pace that the show has, with the use of its usual dry, deadpan humor. The jokes and one-liner puns come rapidly, and some will surely hit you more than others. It’s an elaborate, but intimate story that doesn’t stray far from the restaurant, with the addition of three kooky musical numbers (containing a fantastic opening number to set the film and an ensemble song and dance from the local carnival workers). The songs embrace the quirky nature of the central cast’s singing voices. The voice cast’s dedication to their characters shows in their passionate ballads. The choreography chosen for the characters is purposeful, as everyone mostly dances in basic shuffles, arm waving, and knee slapping. This seamlessly showcases the “averageness” of the Bob’s Burgers citizens and town. The colorful hand-drawn animation gets more attention to detail in its shadows and adds some sweeping visuals that fits right into the Bob’s Burgers aesthetic.
The creatives on The Bob’s Burgers Movie stay true to what they know, without shedding its integrity just for cinematic scale. They don’t necessarily take the characters in any huge new directions or introduce large plot points that could alter the show’s timeline. It consistently stays grounded in the realm of reality, just with a slightly higher stakes story. It fits perfectly in the universe at play. I appreciate how much the film adheres to the small quaintness of the show. Watching the Belchers handle whatever the mundane absurdity of life throws at them is what makes Bob’s Burgers such a delight. Sure, maybe The Bob’s Burgers Movie can feel like an extended episode, but is there really anything wrong with that? They prove that sticking to their niche was the best decision. The Bob’s Burgers Movie is incredibly funny, and honestly, that’s exactly what I was hoping for.
