Difference between revisions of "Bender's Game"

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== Plot ==
== Plot ==
{{spoiler}}
{{spoiler}}
=== Act I: 5ACV09 ===
{{BG/1|f}}
The story begins with [[Cubert Farnsworth]], [[Dwight Conrad]] and two of their friends are playing ''Dungeons and Dragons'', [[Bender Bending Rodríguez|Bender]] thinking originally they were underage gambling decides to join in.  But Bender discovers he lacks imagination.  During a trip with the [[Planet Express Ship|ship]], Bender asks [[Philip J. Fry|Fry]] for his opinion, Fry's suggestion is to give it a try.
 
But then they are interrupted by the ship's warning about no more [[dark matter]], after having complained that the warning an actual warning, the ship warns it will stop in one second, to which it does, [[Turanga Leela|Leela]] acknowledges the correctness of the warning.  The ship stops in a bad space neighbourhood, a vandal steals their front figure, which, according to Bender, is there only display that they got the XL package.
 
After having retrieved dark matter from [[Nibbler]]'s litter bin, the ship makes their way to a petrol station.  While loading dark matter, [[Sal]] and a friend are teasing the crew for their ugly ship.  Leela notes that their own ship isn't much to brag about, until Sal reveals that it is because of their participation in the [[Space Destruction Derby]], which they have already won five times.
 
Back at [[Planet Express]], [[Hermes Conrad]] announces to cut employee pornography (something of the dismay of [[Scruffy]]) due to skyrocketing dark matter prices.  [[Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth|Farnsworth]] adds that no one is to misuse fuel, and to insure his crew does not use the ship, he swallows the keys to be retrieved the next day.  However, in the shower Leela convinces the others to steal the keys and go to the Derby anyway.
 
With a trick of the magneto, [[Dr. John A. Zoidberg|Dr. Zoidberg]] manages to pull the key out and the crew is off to the Derby.
 
=== Act II ===
After a solid victory, the crew return home, but the ship has been badly damaged.  The next morning they have hidden the ship behind a curtain, but due to a failed attempt to distract Farnsworth and Hermes, the curtain burns up revealing the damaged ship.  Farnsworth does not notice the damage anyway, only when he discovers someone had used half a ball of dark matter.
 
Meanwhile, Bender continues his playing, and he finally gets the hang of imagination.  Farnsworth orders them out of the conference room, because he is ordering a conference.  At the conference, Farnsworth warns Leela with a neckband, which will give her a shock each time her thoughts to violence, profanities or thoughts of a sexual nature, for the punishment of Leela letting her anger getting control of her.
 
=== Act III ===
After having watched an episode of [[The Scary Door]], Leela asks if Hermes has the authority to remove the neckband, he doesn't, only the key.  He explains to her that she has to get the staff doctor to release her.  Bender and his new friends continues to play Dungeons and Dragons, Bender is finally deep in his imagination, and as Fry approaches him, he denies to be known as Bender, but his character's name of [[Titanius Anglesmith]].
 
Fry is worried about Bender's behaviour and asks Farnsworth for guidance, who tells him to make sure he stops, because of the consequences.  Meanwhile, Dr. Zoidberg believes that it is Leela's experience with [[Turanga Morris and Munda|her parents]] that have made her so angry.  He orders them to go over to them for dinner.  Meanwhile, Bender's behaviour takes a turn for the worse, as he runs around [[New New York|the city]] (attempting) destroying everything in sight.  At the Turanga's, Leela shows to Zoidberg that she has no issues with her parents, when Fry shows up, explaining his worry for Bender, who arrives suddenly trying to destroy them all.
 
But after having fired Cone of Coldness at Bender, Fry stops Bender.  Bender is completely knocked out, Zoidberg says he can help him and have him sent to [[HAL Institute]].


=== Act IV: 5ACV10 ===
=== Act IV: 5ACV10 ===

Revision as of 05:56, 11 November 2008


Direct-to-DVD film
Bender's Game
Benders Game DVD Cover.jpg
Directed byDwayne Carey-Hill
Produced byMatt Groening, David X. Cohen, Claudia Katz, Michael Rowe, Patric Verrone, Lee Supercinski
Written byEric Horsted, Michael Rowe, Eric Kaplan, David X. Cohen & Patric M. Verrone
Production number5ACV09, 5ACV10,
5ACV11, 5ACV12
Title CaptionThe flames in your TV are not part of the show.
Title referenceEnder's Game
Opening cartoonA parody of the 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine.
Regular DVD release date(s)(EU) 3 November, 2008
(USA) 4 November, 2008
(AU) 10 December, 2008[1]
Blu-ray (HD) release date(s)(EU) 3 November, 2008
(USA) 4 November, 2008
(AU) 10 December, 2008
Running time88 minutes
Additional
IMDb profile
CommentaryTranscript[[:Category:{{{pictures}}} pictures|Pictures]]
The films
  1. Bender's Big Score
  2. The Beast with a Billion Backs
  3. Bender's Game
  4. Into the Wild Green Yonder

Bender's Game is the third of the four Direct-to-DVD films and was released on 3 November, 2008 in Europe and 4 November, 2008 in the US, and will be released on 10 December in Australia[1], the smallest difference between American and the Australian release yet.

For the first time, the Blu-Ray (HD) edition of the films was released on the same date as the normal DVD, something may also suggest that we will see the release on Blu-Ray for the two first films soon.

Guest stars include George Takei and Rich Little as themselves. In addition, Gary Gygax has an appearance at the end of the credits, and the film is dedicated in honour of him. Gary Gygax is listed at a guest star as well.

Plot

Warning! The following text contains spoilers about a plot! Reading it before seeing the episode/film yourself will seriously alter your viewing experience! You have been warned.

Act I: 5ACV09

Main article: Bender's Game Part 1

Cubert and Dwight, along with two other friends, are playing a game of Dungeons & Dragons when Bender walks in on them, unable to comprehend what they are talking about when they discuss what they are imagining out loud. Since he only sees the kids sitting around a table playing a game, the kids realize that he was not built with an imagination, which makes Bender feel a bit insecure.

Bender complains to Fry, wondering if he has an imagination; Fry simply tells Bender that he won't know if he can imagine something until he tries. All of a sudden, the ship's engines run dry of dark matter and shut down, stranding the ship in a backwater region of space. Fortunately, Nibbler poops out just enough fuel to reach the nearest Mombil fuel station. As Leela refils the tank and complains about how expensive dark matter has become, costing $9.99 a ball, she is approached by Sal who mocks the ship, calling it ugly despite the terrible shape his own ship is in. Sal proudly states this is so because he is a five-time winner of the Space Demolition Derby, and that he will be entering. Angered, Leela decides to enter the ship to teach Sal a lesson.

Returning to the Planet Express building, the crew is informed that with tripling dark matter prices, Farnsworth has forbidden the wasting of fuel, swallowing the keys to the ship and going to bed. Still unable to contain her anger about being insulted by Sal, Leela insists that they must enter the derby, even if the ship gets totaled, and has Zoidberg retrieve the keys from the Professr's stomach with a magnet. The crew blasts off to the derby arena.

At the derby, Leela unleashes her rage and concentrates on Sal's ship while the other ships demolish each other. Soon only their two ships remain, both charging headlong into a surefire collision course with each other...

Act II

"Way to kill the franchise, Bakula!"

Deciding not to take any risks, Sal admits defeat and swerves out of the way of the charging Planet Express ship, crashing and granting Planet Express a solid win. Returning to the building, the crew attempts to cover up the damaged ship with a curtain and puts the keys back into Farnsworth's stomach in his sleep. However, when Farnsworth awakens, he decides to take the ship to the malt shop. Leela orders Zoidberg to distract him by juggling torches while balancing on a ball, but he falls and burns up the curtain, exposing the ship's damaged shape. Farnsworth, however, does not notice the damage, only growing concerned when he sees that someone has wasted half a ball of dark matter, so Leela assumes full responsibility.

Meanwhile, Bender tries to play D&D with the kids, but is still unable to get the hang of his imagination. After some encouragement from Dwight, who tells him to lose himself in the fantasy, Bender convinces himself to believe that he is a medieval knight. Producing the image in his head, Bender proudly claims that he imagined something, and names his D&D character "Titanius Anglesmith, Fancy Man of Cornwood."

Leela is brought into the conference room to be punished over her severe anger issues. Because Zoidberg tattled on Leela to Farnsworth about all the things she did by letting her anger get the best of her, he is rewarded while Leela is forced to wear a shock collar, which activates every time she has a violent thought, swears, or has sexual perversions. Leela grows furious with Zoidberg and gets her revenge by electrocuting him, using Bender as a conductor.

Act III

Leela is informed that her collar can only be removed if she can convince Zoidberg that she has controlled her anger. After growing frustrated when Zoidberg tries to remove her skull to alleviate her anger, as well as spraying her with his empathy bladder, she declares that the source of her anger is her intense hatred of Zoidberg; Zoidberg, however, determines that it is truly rooted within her relationship with her parents (even though he is really thinking about his own parents). Zoidberg suggests that they both go visit them for dinner to work things out.

Meanwhile, Bender delves deeper and deeper into his own imagination to the extent that he be called "Titanius Anglesmith" everywhere. Disturbed, Fry turns to Farnsworth and tells him that Bender is playing too much D&D. Farnsworth warns Fry that if he doesn't confront Bender over this matter soon, Bender will completely lose his mind. By the time Fry does, it appears too late, and "Titanius" leaps into the city, attempting to destroy everything in sight, as well as stealing a bodyfull of dark matter from Nibbler's litter box as treasure.

At dinner with her parents, Leela shows Zoidberg that there is no problem with her relationship with them; however, they support the idea of the shock collar so she can control her temper. Fry comes into the house to warn them about Bender when he breaks in to terrorize them. Leela is unable to fight "Titanius" with her collar, so Fry "casts" a "Cone of Coldness" on him, duping him into believing he is frozen. Subdued, Bender is sent to the HAL Institute.

Act IV: 5ACV10

On the news, there is talk of the high dark matter prices. In an interview with Morbo, Mom explains that she is hoping to fix the problem as soon as possible, being the only delivered of dark matter for Earth. Watching the programme, Farnsworth becomes upset and wonders if anyone wants to know why he is so upset about the whole ordeal.

Meanwhile up north at Mom's dark matter mine, we learn that there actually is no shortage, they are just keeping supply down for the money. Back at Planet Express, having learnt that his crew wants to know the reasoning for his mood, he explains of the third time he went back to Mom's Friendly Robot Company, where he worked with dark matter, before it was a fuel. He created a singular crystal in which all the power of dark matter was kept together, but also at the same time an anti-backwards crystal.

Farnsworth explains that the colliding of these two crystals will make all dark matter fuel useless. His plan is to get to Mom as get his crystal close to hers. But unfortunately its location is unknown, however Cubert and Dwight have found it to make into a die for their game.

Act V

Meanwhile Mom order her sons to retrieve the anti-backwards crystal to avoid disaster. The group shows up as owl exterminators.

In a failed attempt to retrieve the anti-backwards crystal, Farnsworth discovers it is the die.

Act VI

Farnsworth quickly arranges a mission to Mom's base. An epic unfold with Mom's army of killbots, luckily, the crew is not on the ship as it crashes, and can make their way safe into the facility. But Mom has her army of killbots send after them.

Act VII: 5ACV11

Inside the facility, the crew gets to the heart of the mine, which turns out to be a huge Nibblonian farm, whom are force feed with chickens constantly to produce dark matter. Nibbler recalls what happened on Vergon 6, with the DOOP mine crew hiring Mom to mine the planet hollow, unfortunately, Mom captures all of the Nibblonians having learnt the secret of where dark matter comes from. After being escorted by Igner, the crew manages to get into Mom's control room, where Farnsworth is very close at getting the crystals to touch, but fails.

Meanwhile, Bender's therapy is not working, and Dr. Perceptron decides to put him down. As the crystals have made all dark matter glow, Bender's imagination along with the power of crystals sends him to Cornwood. At the facility, Farnsworth swallows the crystal to avoid Mom from getting it, but while she is ordering her sons to obtain the crystal from his stomach, Bender's waves reaches them sending them to Cornwood as well.

In the alternative reality, Fry emerges as himself, Leela, however, has turned into a centaur. Bender, as Titanius Anglesmith, rides to greet them to Cornwood.

Act VIII

At a party at Titanius's castle, he names Fry and Leela, Frydo and Leegola respectively. Calculon arrives to inform Titanius of dark knights approaching.

They ride out to defend themselves. But it is then they discover that Frydo has been carrying the Die of Power all this time, he rolls it on accident, it rolls 7, which in Appendix G, is "Banish Foes", which is done. Knowing the Die's power, they ride to Greyfarn who tells them the story of Momon who forges the Dies of Power in the plastic. But the Die's power is too great, and must be destroyed in the very same heat from which it was forged.

Act IX

And thus they ride out, on their way they meet a group of centaurs, led by Hermaphrodite (Hermes), who, as his name suggests, is female. To Leegola's disappoint, the centaurs are not a warfare race. And by that logic they can make their way past them.

After a long trip, they finally make their way into Cave of Hopelessness, in hope to get around Momon's forces, where they pick up Gynecaladriel (Amy). Inside they meet the being of Zoidberg, which they confuse for Tunnelling Horror.

Act X: 5ACV12

Realising that Zoidberg was an innocent creature she killed, Leegola storms off weeping, and swearing never to hurt a living being again, though managing cutting Zoidberg's head off in the progress. At the centaurs, she asks to learn of their ways.

Meanwhile, the actual Tunnelling Horror shows up. Frydo is the only one not busy by something else, he attempts to throw everything in his pockets at it, but throws the Die of Power in the progress, which rolls 3, and he grows big enough to destroy the Tunnelling Horror, after which he shrinks down again and finally becoming seduced by the die's power.

At the feet of Momon's armies, the fellowship decides to go Wipe Castle the next day to gather an army.

Act XI

During the night, Frydo finally loses himself and tries to kill Titanius, unfortunately, he was lying in Gynecaladriel's bag, and Frydo is discovered before he can hurt anyone, at which he runs off for himself. Momon smelling a plan orders all her forces to Wipe Castle.

The rest of the fellowship finally reaches Wipe Castle, where they found out that the king has sent the entire Royal Army to their death.

Act XII

The Army of Momon finally arrives at Wipe Castle, in an epic, yet one-sided struggle, Wipe Castle remains some resistance. Meanwhile, the centaurs having noticed the war, calls for an act from their leaders.

Leegola manages to convince the centaurs to act, and their skilled arrow attack proves fruit as they save the day against Momon's army and rescues Wipe Castle. Meanwhile, Frydo finally reaches to Geysers of Gygax with the help of Zoidberg's head. Having noticed the effect on the world, the fellowship decides to ride out to help Frydo with destroying the Die of Power.

But at Momon's cave, Frydo cannot get himself to throw the Die in, having become seduced by its power. When he rolls the Die, Momon acts by turning into a dragon, Frydo rolls 12, "Mirror Mania", to which he becomes a dragon as well. While battling, the rest of the gang shows up. Frydo and Momon knocks each other out biting each other's soft underbelly.

The rest of the fellowship have become trapped of the fragile staircases Momon destroyed, Ignis decides to help them on a giant bug, but Greyfarn becomes annoyed because Ignis cannot see it is a spider, not a bug due to the amount of legs. In anger he ignites his staff, and Ignis pulls out his lightsaber. They battle, until which Ignis explains that Greyfarn is actually the father of Ignis. Learning this nature, Greyfarn falls over the staircase and lands over Zoidberg whom have obtained the Die, letting it roll into Momon's hands, whom finally finishes everything off.

Through the same hole, the crew all wounds up in their own regular crazy world, where Farnsworth explains Bender's wild imagination created an alternative reality for them all. But before Mom can retrieve the crystal, Farnsworth asks for the request of hugging his son, Igner. While hugging, Igner reveals that he swallowed the other crystal, allowing the crystals coming close enough together to render all dark matter useless. Farnsworth then reveals his alternative fuel source; Nibbler Power! Which is basically strapping a chick to a stick, and letting Nibblonians following it, dragging the ship.

Additional Info

Teaser from Futurama Returns

Miscellany

See Miscellany of Bender's Game for trivia, goofs, etc.

Characters

Plot involved and debuting characters.
For cameo characters, see Miscellany of Bender's Game: Character Cameos.

Cast

The DVD

The DVD has been reported to include[2].

  • The film itself
    • Commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Michael Rowe, Claudia Katz and Dwayne Carey-Hill.
  • Storyboard Animatic: Bender's Game, Part One
  • Futurama Genetics Lab - Cross-breed Your Favorite Characters!
  • Dungeons & Dragons & Futurama feaurette
  • How To Draw "Futurama" In 83 Easy Steps Featurette
  • 3D Models Featurette With Animator Discussion
  • Deleted Scene: "Cup or Nozzle?"
  • Blooperama 2: Outakes From Bender's Game
  • Bender's Anti-Piracy Warning
  • A Sneak Peek at the Next "Futurama" Epic, Into the Wild Green Yonder

For the Blu-Ray version[2]:

  • The contents mentioned above, but with the following technical enhancements;
    • Picture-in-Picture capabilities.
    • Authored in BD-J with AVC (MPEG 4) compression. (For Region A)
    • 50 GB dual-layer disc
    • English 5.1 DTS HD Lossless Master Audio
    • English, French, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese subtitles.

Notes and References