Futurama
1999
Original language: English
- animation
- comedy
- sci-fi & fantasy
The story
The adventures of a late-20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, who, after being unwittingly cryogenically frozen for one thousand years, finds employment at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company in the retro-futuristic 31st century.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated cel animation with clean outlines and bold flat color, the kind of look that makes a retro-futuristic city feel lived-in: chrome towers glowing against purple dusk skies, cramped cargo ship interiors lit by blinking consoles, and sprawling alien bars with grimy neon and cheap-looking props. Its sound is a brisk mix of theme-tune jingles, synth-tinged incidental music, and a constant hum of cheerful chatter, and the pace is quick, with sketch-like cutaways and rapid-fire gags that land every few seconds. The vibe is irreverent and warm-hearted, with a streak of wistful melancholy underneath, especially around the idea of being lost in time and a found family forming among misfits. It suits a comfort rewatch, background viewing while cooking, or an easy late-night episode. Intensity is mild: cartoon violence, explosions and bodily gags, plus frequent crude jokes, innuendo and some adult themes, but nothing graphic or disturbing. It is for people who enjoy sharp satire, science-fiction in-jokes, and oddball characters with big hearts.
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