Review: The Bob’s Burgers Movie

Much like my previous review for a feature film adaptation of a popular TV series, The Bob’s Burgers Movie is based on a show I don’t watch.

I’m not a fan of the Bob’s Burgers TV show — the sense of humor, the animation style, all of it.  And, yet The Bob’s Burgers MOVIE surprised the heck out of me!

The Plot – The Bob’s Burgers Movie

The Belcher family works in and lives above their restaurant, Bob’s Burgers.  Named after husband and dad, ‘Bob’, the restaurant hit a cold streak as of late, struggling to sell burgers and stay afloat financially.

Bob, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin, feels the money pressures intensely as he supports his typical American nuclear family of five.  Bob’s wife, Tina, voiced by Dan Mintz, tries to keep spirits up with her husband, and shield her kids from the family’s money woes.

But, Bob and Tina know the restaurant needs to start performing better, and soon.

The school aged kids struggle with all the normal struggles of growing up.  Oldest child Linda, voiced by John Roberts, crushes on a classmate, and wants him as her Summer boyfriend following the 8th grade.  

Middle child Gene, voiced by Eugene Mirman, invents a new musical instrument, and wants to get his band back together.  

And youngest child Louise, voiced by Kristen Schaal, seems caught between early childhood and the 4th grade.  She desperately wants friends, but doesn’t want to let go of her distinctive pink rabbit ears.

However, the entire Belcher family’s future gets called into question when a blown water main digs a big hole in the street.  The street closes down, cutting off foot and car traffic from the restaurant.  Not good for a business trying to keep the lights on.

The Good – The Bob’s Burgers Movie

The Animation Quality

One quick look at a clip from the Bob’s Burgers television show, and I’m reminded just how poor the animation quality is for the show, especially early on.  I’m not a viewer of the show not just because the comedy doesn’t speak to me, but also because the production value doesn’t meet the mark.

Other Fox animated shows from the same era (Family Guy, King Of The Hill, and, of course, The Simpsons) jump off the screen in a way Bob’s Burgers does not.

The animation quality of the feature film adaption for Bob’s Burgers, however, is leaps and bounds ahead of the TV show.  Clearly, the production team has a much higher budget for the movie. But, you can tell much more effort and precision were put in.

The characters have a cleaner design, shadows have been added to give the images greater depth and contrast, and the saturation of the colors has clearly been raised.  On top of that, 3D CGI models of the neighborhood and even the characters, bring depth and more interesting shot selection to the Belcher’s world.

The Character Development And Story Arcs

As a stand alone film, The Bob’s Burgers Movie maintains a near perfect balance of character arcs and story arcs.  
Our five lead characters of the Belcher family each have clear story arcs that also clearly and organically fit in with the overall story arc of the film. 

Bob and Tina’s story arcs fit together in the search for more money.  The kids’ story arcs fit together in the quest to navigate school and grow up.  Both story arcs fit together as the film hits the third act to make for a coherent and well rounded story.

The Sense Of Humor

Additionally, the sense of humor jumps off the screen in a well balanced way, just like the story and character arcs.  
While there are some sight gags involving funny store names and background action while scenes are playing out; most of the humor is tied directly to the plot and character moments that drive the film forward.

The Bob’s Burgers Movie Instant Movie Review

Bob’s anxiety drives Tina and Teddy to further the plot, while showing us the funny side of a guy on the edge just about to lose himself in a freakout.  Linda’s desire for a Summer fling after the 8th grade also pushes the story forward.  Her romantic daydreams add an extra element to bridge between character moments and the overall plot of the film.

The balance between the the humor and story arcs is hard to deep dive without giving away spoilers here, but the skill shown tying the two together makes the movie a ton of fun to watch!

The Bad – The Bob’s Burgers Movie

Very little would fall into the ‘bad’ category for The Bob’s Burgers Movie.  I am not a fan of the TV show, but the sense of humor and quality of animation in this movie are way better.

I wish the TV series had the same amount of effort and care put into it that the movie did.

The Review – The Bob’s Burgers Movie

Feature film adaptations of long running animated TV series can be a mixed bag — The Simpsons Movie being a bit of a disappointment, and South Park: Bigger, Longer, And Uncut being nominated for several Oscars.

The Bob’s Burgers Movie won’t be nominated for any Academy Awards, but the overall film is rock solid.  The comedy is funny, the story and character arcs are well executed and, like the South Park movie, the musical numbers are surprisingly well done.

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While not a fan of the TV series, I enjoyed this theatrical version of Bob’s Burgers immensely.  Besides the solid effort from the central cast, the extended cast brings some big names and wacky characters.

Kevin Cline and Zach Galifianakis lend their voices to the Fischoeder brothers who own the building the Belchers work and live in.  The Brady Bunch Movie and Office Space star Gary Cole voices the incopetant, but well intentioned police officer, Sgt. Bosco.  And, Aziz Ansari and Encanto’s Stephanie Beatriz also contribute to the film as Chloe Barbash and Darryl, respectively.

Slightly long for an animated movie at 102 minutes, but well worth a trip to the theater. Check out for a good family movie with a lot of laughs and a good story.

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