Critics say the Futurama reboot is ‘brilliant’ and just like the original
Topics: News, Film and TV
Keryn Donnelly
Featured Image Credit: Hulu.
Topics: News, Film and TV
Futurama is officially back and the first reviews are in.
But first, a quick refresher.
Created by Matt Groening (The Simpsons) and David X Cohen, Futurama follows slacker pizza delivery boy Philip J. Fry (Billy West), who falls into a cryogenic pod on January 1, 2000, and wakes up 1,000 years later.
Fry's only living relative is Professor Farnsworth (also voiced by West), who hires him, an alcoholic robot named Bender (John DiMaggio), and a one-eyed woman Leela (Katey Sagal), to work for his intergalactic delivery company, Planet Express.
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The series first premiered in 1999 before being cancelled in 2003, and then rebooted in 2010 and once again cancelled in 2013.
Hulu has rebooted the series this year for season 11.Watch the trailer for Hulu's Futurama reboot.
The reboot picks up right where the season 10 finale 'Meanwhile' left viewers.
Fry and Leela were married and had grown old together while everyone else was frozen in time. Then Professor Farnsworth saved them and time moved forward to the year 3023.
The new series premieres on Hulu in the US today (July 24) and the first reviews have called it 'brilliant' and just 'like the original series'.
"From those quippy jokes in the title sequence, Fry’s imbecilic antics, to a dazzling cameo by an iconic rapper, there is something in the newly reemerged series for everyone," writes Variety's Aramide Tinubu.
"Yet, though Futurama remains true to its roots, our society sits at a very different place than it did a decade ago. Thus, whether or not Futurama can make the same punchy impact it made so many years ago remains to be seen."
Collider's Nat Richard wrote that the reboot is a 'perfect example of how to bring back an animated show in a way that welcomes a new audience while still pleasing those who have been around since the beginning'.
"It's aware it doesn't have to rely on flashy cameos or ageing the characters up or bringing in a plethora of celebrity voices. The passion that the Futurama team has for these characters and this world is clear in every single moment of these new episodes. Some of the jokes do feel a bit dated and don't stick the landing, but on the whole, it's a strong return to form for a beloved series," he added.
While Tara Bennett from Paste Magazine says 'every single episode is a winner'.
"Futurama hasn’t lost a beat after 10-years in television stasis. Its mix of science-smarts, satire, and genuine heart has remained beautifully intact and all we can do is thank the undying fandom and the soulless, money-grubbing TV gods for one more season to come," she writes.
The Futurama reboot premieres on Hulu today, with new episodes added weekly.