*** out of ****.
Not quite as strong of a release as was Bender's Big Score was, this 2nd direct-to-dvd Futurama feature is still a lot of fun. I felt that the slight probelm with Bender's Big Score was that they tried to cram too much into the 1st half hour which caused some pacing problems but then it really picked up steam after that point during its last hour. The Beast With a Million Backs has the opposite problem. It starts out really strong for the 1st hour but then starts to lose steam during the final half hour.
Also, the story is a lot more straight forward than Bender's Big Score was (which dealt with a complex time travel paradox calling back to 2 episodes from the actual show). The story moves in a much more herky jerky manner at times which makes it feel a bit less than a movie but more like 4 corresponding episodes strung together.
But if you're as big of a fan of Futurama was I am, there's still a whole lot to enjoy here even if this doesn't represent the show at the height of its powers. There are particularly a bunch of typically great Professor Farnsworth moments and a hilarious new sport called Death Ball.
If you're not a fan than nothing about this release will likely convert you and just cause you to shrug your shoulders in indifference. These direct-to-dvd releases are being made mainly for their fans and I don't think they're worried about picking up converts along the way.
