FUTURAMA: INTO THE WILD GREEN YONDER

I've always been fascinated when television shows deliberately end, as it gives the creators a chance to wrap things up as they want. Futurama ended (twice) on television, then Matt Groening and company had four direct-to-dvd movies announced, with the last one effectively ending this series. So now we have the ending in Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder. I just wish it was more consistent.

Once again, it falls to slacker and idiot Philip J. Fry (Billy West) to save the universe. After an accident gives Fry uncontrolled telepathy (only stopped by the tinfoil hats he wears through most of the movie), he's contacted by a secret society and learns of some green energy that created life through the universe, the mysterious Dark One that caused the extinction of millions of species, and the Encyclopod that has the DNA of these species. This all ties in to the universe's largest miniature golf course.

Leo Wong (one of many voices done by West) wants to pave over Mars, implode a star, and make the aforementioned giant miniature gold course. This plan is protested by such "eco-feministas" as Leela (Katey Sagal) and Amy Wong (Lauren Tom), who want to stop Leo. Leela also carries around a voracious Martian leech that is the last of its kind. And the rest of the cast and (Planet Express) crew are here as well.

Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder is billed as "a feature-length spectacular," yet it feels like a series of episodes tied together. (An unnecessary storyline -- where Bender (John DiMaggio) romances the wife of the Don of the robot mafia -- takes up most of the first third of this movie.) There are a few fun cameos, such as Penn Gillette as himself and Snoop Dogg as a Supreme Court justice (!), and lots of the jokes get chuckles. There are also the usual extras, including a fake documentary where Lauren Tom does everything in Futurama and "Zapp Brannigan's Guide to Making Love at a Woman."

To no surprise, the end of Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder leaves an opening for more episodes, DVD's, or even a future-length movie. I'd welcome more episodes, but if they go with a movie or more DVD's, I'd hope for a more solid storyline.

Overall grade: B-

Reviewed by James Lynch