The Bob's Burgers Movie has finally arrived in theaters. Bob's Burgers premiered on Fox in 2011 and after a rocky start with critics, has grown into a critical and cult favorite with a passionately loyal fanbase. The basic premise of the series involves the Belcher family, with Bob (Jon. H Benjamin) running a local restaurant alongside his fun-loving wife Linda (John Roberts). The couple has three children, the socially awkward 13-year-old Tina (Dan Mintz), the loud and carefree spirit Gene (Eugine Hirman) who is the middle child, and 9-year-old Louise (Kristen Schaal) who despite her age is rather cunning, mischievous, and always working on schemes.
Originally announced in 2017, the film had long been delayed due to the acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney and the COVID-19 pandemic. Disney and Fox released the film on Memorial Day weekend as counter-programming against Top Gun: Maverick, but also the summer nature of the story made the holiday weekend appropriately fitting. The film earned a respectable $14 million over the holiday weekend.
Similar to other adult-orientated animated series to make the leap to the big screen like South Parker: Bigger, Longer and Uncut in 1999 and The Simpsons Movie in 2007, The Bob's Burgers Movie is tasked with drawing in audiences who are used to seeing the series at home out to a theater and telling a story that justifies a movie. What about the story is so special that a normal episode or two would not do? Aside from an increased budget in animation, including adding shadows to give a level of depth to distinguish it from a standard episode, The Bob's Burgers Movie crafts a story that feels appropriately large-scale, embracing a classic cinematic genre and offering new insights into the characters that feel too big for a standard episode. This is why The Bob's Burgers Movie is more than just an extended episode.
Bob's Burgers Musical Numbers Get Bigger
Bob's Burgers is known for its musical sequences, in part due to the fact that both Linda and Gene see themselves as musicians. Music is so closely tied in with the franchise that in 2017, The Bob's Burgers Music Album was released collecting songs from the various seasons up to that point. With a big cinematic outing, the creators decided to lean into the musical aspect, invoking the long associated connection between animated feature films and musicals.
With four brand-new songs, the opening song 'Sunny Side of Summer' acts as what composer Lehman Engel described as the 'I Want' song, one where the main characters sing about how they are unsatisfied with their current life, and what they are searching for. In this case, it gives an insight into the five members of the Belcher family. Bob is worried about the extension on their loan while Linda tries to stay optimistic, Tina pines for her crush Jimmy Jr. and how she wants to reveal her feelings, Gene desires to express himself artistically, and Louise shares insecurities about the pink bunny ears she wears. This acts as both a great introduction to these characters for audiences who haven't watched the show, but also provides a much-needed look at the arc each member will go on in the film while also being incredibly catchy and clever lyrically.
Higher Stakes Than a Bob's Burgers Episode
One of the most difficult tasks with taking a television series to a feature film format is justifying the expanded length and making it feel worthy of a big-screen story. It has to be larger than an average episode, and The Bob's Burger Movie does this by making two distinct plot lines that go beyond a traditional episode.
The first is the financial trouble that Bob and Linda feel, namely the threat of their loan. While the Belchers have struggled over the course of the series, the movie adds a ticking clock and an added complication that a sinkhole prevents people from eating at their restaurants. All these troubles begin to add up, and if the Belchers cannot get the money in seven days to pay off their loan, not only will they lose the restaurant but will be without a home, making the stakes real for every member of the family. This financial one is a very real conflict one that many adults in the audience will empathize with and adds a sense of dread the series cannot divulge the time to.
The second is a murder mystery storyline that is rather dark for the comedic series. The mystery involves numerous twists and turns and does not enter the main storyline until about 20 minutes in, the average run time for an episode. When the mystery is solved, the Belchers as a family unit are put in actual danger and their lives threatened, which is a contrast to the rather everyday troubles of the series. The film features a car chase, a life or death trap, and even a potentially fatal explosion, which is the biggest event for this family and not something the series could really deliver on without feeling out of place.
Digs Deeper Into the Belcher's Emotions
Bob's Burgers is first and foremost a comedy series, but they still have had sweet, heartfelt moments. However, the movie allows them to dig deeper into the Belcher family's wants, desires, and mainly their insecurities, in a series of existential crises for the characters. Tina is confronted with the fact that her fantasy of Jimmy Jr. is better than any reality, while Gene fears he actually may not be good at music. Bob and Linda are both faced with the contrast between how young and hopeful they were when they started their business with the realities of needing to take care of their family.
The biggest is Louise, the youngest of the Belcher children but also the most assured and confident. The film finally answers the question of why she wears her signature pink bunny ears. Louise is terrified of losing them, as they make her feel brave and all her actions in the film are to prove to herself she is brave. They have a connection to Bob's mother, who died before Louise was born, and the audience discovered Bob's mother wore a pink beanie everywhere. It isn't until Bob and Linda comfort her that she didn't need the ears to be brave, she already was and is because of her parents.
This level of emotional depth, vulnerability, and character growth is a big step for many characters, and with how long the series has been running it feels like a movie is the most appropriate place to explore this type of story and character revelations. Despite being based on a television show, The Bob's Burgers Movie is a worthy cinematic experience that justifies its big-screen release.