The Bob’s Burgers Movie is an animated musical-adventure-mystery based on the long-running Emmy®-winning series. After a burst water main creates a sinkhole in front of Bob’s Burgers and blocks the entrance, Bob and Linda Belcher struggle to keep the business afloat, and the kids try to solve a mystery that could save the restaurant.
For an in-depth reflection on Bob’s Burgers movie, please see my colleague Brandon Lewis’s review of its theatrical release here.
For an in-depth look at Limited Edition SteelBook packaging, please see the video below:
Video quality
Bob’s Burgers movie information comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray with 2160p transfer which is super sharp with stunning depth. The show looks great when I watch it on Hulu, but you can tell there’s an extra degree of care and creativity in animating this big-screen adventure. This disc offers some nice improvements over Blu-Ray in some areas, including more vivid and natural colors and the elimination of any minor banding or digital artifacts. Using HDR brings very pleasing improvements to the dynamic colors displayed, and the disc provides much deeper black levels for a cleaner viewing experience without black crush. This style of animation offers very clean layouts and bold outlines, and this disc provides excellent line detail and more distinct shading, giving characters greater definition. Blu-Ray looks great, but those with larger screens will likely find 4K UHD Blu-Ray a more enjoyable experience.
Audio quality
This version includes a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that does more than just workout during this thrilling adventure. Although nothing particularly unusual happens in this story, there is no doubt that thought was given to providing a certain spectacle for the public. The most obvious example of this might be musical numbers, which soar through your speakers with impeccable fidelity. Classic dialogue is often accompanied by all sorts of sound effects, but all information comes through clearly without being garbled. There’s a noticeable amount of activity in the low end that will rattle your set a bit at distinct points. The track engages all channels with panning effects and environmental sounds that really make you feel transported into this world. I know we often get worried about the disabling of Disney audio tracks, but 20th Century Studios did a good job with this one, even though it’s not an enhanced Atmos track.
Special Features
20th Century Studios provided Bob’s Burgers movie information with a limited-edition 4K UHD Steelbook that’s seriously adorable in person. This version is available exclusively at Best Buy and is currently the only way to physically own 4K UHD in North America. The front artwork depicts the front of the restaurant and the back features a photo of the pit with the wharf in the background. The interior features a photo of an empty restaurant kitchen. An unboxing of the SteelBook can be found above.
- Audio commentary: Voice actors H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal, director Loren Bouchard and screenwriter Nora Smith start the commentary track before moving on to director Bernard Derriman, production designer Ruben Hickman and the screenwriter Nora Smith (again). You start the track learning that co-star Larry Murphy was unable to participate due to being caught with COVID, but the band still seem in good spirits as they reflect on the process of making this film, how it differs from creating a normal episode, what they wanted to accomplish on the big screen and more. It’s a terrifically fun listen that fans won’t want to pass up.
- Filmmaking: A 19-minute piece in which Loren Bouchard takes you through the journey to the big screen from the show’s initial development, the only significant character change that’s been made since the initial pitch, fan connection to the show, performances scenic, the decision to make a movie and decide what it would look like, really unlocking the secrets of the city, preserving the inner life of the characters, the importance of music in the experience, the obstacles that arose and the perseverance of the team, and much more.
- My ass has a fever – Theatrical short film
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- Theatrical version: A six-minute short film that premiered at Alamo Drafthouse theaters in which Bob and Linda nearly missed a memorable performance by the kids at the school talent show that pushes the boundaries of decency in the spirit by M. Frond.
- Animated Version: A rough five and a half minute animatic version with temporary voices delivering the lines.
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- The movie we didn’t make: A six-minute featurette in which director Loren Bouchard and screenwriter Nora Smith expressed their apprehension at showing fans some of the ideas they didn’t use, the process of creating raw animations with their voices as stand-ins , the decision not to overfill the film with cameos from the series, and the more heartbreaking cuts they had to make to make the film the best version of itself. As they speak, raw versions of dropped footage plays below.
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- Deleted scenes: Three unused scenes totaling three minutes are provided here with Bob, Linda and Teddy going through a metal detector, a conversation with Mr. Fischoeder and more. All three scenes are accompanied by optional commentary by Bouchard and Smith. These are fun moments that fans will appreciate being able to see.
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- Animated: Four scenes totaling nearly 15 minutes that show key footage in storyboard and rough animation form, sometimes with a side-by-side comparison to the final version you see in the movie. It’s really cool to see how the animation evolves from its base form.
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- Animate the scene: Three scenes totaling almost 15 minutes that also show some early animation of certain moments, but this time you focus more on how the animators relied on raw animation to get to the final version. Each segment receives an audio commentary explaining the process from director Bernard Derriman.
- Easter eggs: Not to spoil the fun of discovery, but if you want something more from this disc, try going to the Audio section under the Setup menu and press the right arrow on your remote next to the option to language that seems a bit dodgy. Trust us, it’s worth it.
Final Thoughts
Bob’s Burgers movie information successfully navigates the perils of adapting a TV show for the big screen by justifying itself narratively beyond your typical episode while retaining everything you love about the series in the first place . You have love between family members and other colorful characters in their surroundings, which only enhances the huge laughs that often come out of nowhere. The vocal performance is stronger than ever and the animation quality is truly dazzling and even richer than normal. 20th Century Studios has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with great A/V presentation and some really fun special features, all in one great package. Any fan of the series will have to add this one to their collection. Highly recommended
Bob’s Burgers movie information will be available for purchase on SteelBook, Blu-Ray and limited edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray DVD on July 19, 2022. The film will be available on digital on July 12.
Note: Images shown in this review do not reflect the image quality of 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: 20th Century Studios has provided a free copy of this disc for your review. All opinions expressed in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
