Ziggy587 wrote:Has anyone seen the first episode? I thought it was pretty good. Lots of funny lines that felt like classic Futurama. The spirit of the humor doesn't seem to have changed.
Fry and the Professor's voice sound a bit different, but Billy West is ten years older than the last time we heard these voices. There's actually a noticeable different in West's voices from the original run versus the first revival. This isn't uncommon for animated series that span decades, your voice naturally changes over the years.
Did you watch the rest? I've watched the first half. I can't say it does much for me. I'm not too worried about the voices, but I just don't find the jokes to be very funny, and much of the commentary is a bit ham-fisted for my tastes. For the love of the original, I gave it a fair shot, but I'm not sure I'm going to continue watching this.
Yes, I've watched the first 10 episodes. I have mixed feelings. But I guess they're leaning negative which much be why I haven't bumped this thread. Something seems off about it. And not in the same way that the Comedy Central run felt off, it's something else. The Comedy Central run was different from the original run, but I still very much liked it. I mean, of COURSE it was different with how much time there was between the two runs. But this Hulu revival, it feels different but not in a good way. I have a hard time pinpointing exactly what is off, but I'd have to say the overall writing isn't as good. The plots in bullet points sound like typical Futurama, even if the social commentary is day late and dollar short with a lot of the topics. The humor can feel spot on sometimes, but other times feels dumbed down. Like how people could be stupid in the original seasons of The Simpsons, but now everyone is over the top crazy stupid. Well, I'm slightly feeling that with Futurama. Maybe not to the degree of The Simpsons, but a lot of the writings and jokes just feels like the characters are being stupid because stupid is funny. Futurama should do a meta episode on how social media has lowered the bar for everything. Because that's what it feels like is happening, pandering to the lowest common denominator.
The first episode, The Impossible Stream, didn't feel too off. It had lots of forth wall breaking jokes about coming back, like the last two major revivals did. So the episode starting with "Hulurama" changing into "Futurama" just felt like it was thematic of that episode. But now every episode starts with, "Hulu Presents... A Hulu Original... HULURAMA eh hmm, FUTURAMA!" That irks me in a way I can't describe in words.
The second episode, Children of a Lesser Bog, seemed spot on for Futurama. It the original run episode Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch, Kif gives birth and it's explained that the offspring will stay in the swamp for 20 years. So it's hilarious that it's 20 real life years (as well as in-show) later that Amy and Kif go back to the bog and collect their children. Again, in bullet point this sounds awesome. But the episode was slightly flat for reasons I can't explain (maybe I'd have to watch it again). Also, I believe this was the episode that Leela stabs a straw into a jelly donut. That's just a perfect example of the characters being stupified. Fry and Bender are idiots, too stupid for their own good. If Fry stabbed a jelly donut with a straw that would feel natural, and I would probably chuckle. But Leela doing that? Leela was the sane one, so why is she dumb now?
The fourth episodes, Parasites Regained, I have similar feelings about. By this point I was getting worried. Is the new formula to take something awesome and memorable from the original series and rehash it for the new run? I'd have to watch it again, because my only opinion right now is just that something felt off about it. That and, I watched a YouTube review of the series up to this point and the guy referenced the member berries from South Park. As in, the Hulu run of Futurama is giving you member berries.
Some of the episodes really weren't all that bad. I remember I Know What You Did Next Xmas and All The Way Down feeling like Futurama. The rest of the episodes, I'd have to rewatch them because they really didn't leave much of an impression. And that's not a good thing. Even the Comdey Central episodes, even if you agree they're not as good as the original run, they still left a good impression after the first viewing. These Hulu episodes, they seem kind of forgettable and not as funny (I don't find stupid to be interchangeable with funny). That and too many of the episodes were social commentary. I don't mind Futurama doing this, because it's always been great in the past, but 5 of the 10 episodes feels like they're just shoving it in your face.
Maybe I'm also part of the problem. I find that I care less and less about things as I get older.
So while I have some problems with the direction Hulu is taking this show, I'm still a big enough fan of Futurama that I will watch every episode of the second half of this season.
Yeah, you're echoing my complaints! Lots of re-hashing, Flandersification, and just sloppy writing. The episodes thus far have also felt rushed. I didn't really connect with Amy's descent in Children of the Bog. None of their actions felt like what their characters would do, except perhaps Amy's parents. The show was always very pro-science, too, so the random jab at that biologist was just bizarre.
I'm a huge fan of the original run and have watched and at least moderately enjoyed everything before, but this revival is just not doing it for me.
