Rating: 
Summary: Knocked one for lack of content...
Review: ...but this is the best thing to come since, well, the Simpsons, though it doesn't seem that anybody realizes it. It was a refreshing change of pace around that time, as though Simpsons was still great it was becoming a bit stale and hackneyed in plots. Much of Futurama isn't only funny, but thought-provoking and sometimes even a bit dark and disturbing. The first season has more than its share of these moments, which make it strikingly difficult from the Homer-has-some-crazy-scheme formula the Simpsons has fallen into lately.It's also probably the most finely animated thing ever to be on television, utilizing 3D effects in the animation ahead of its time. The amount of detail in every scene is astounding, and like with classic Simpsons episodes there are sight gags you won't catch unless you look very carefully. Despite being a great show and wonderful that it's finally shown up on DVD (might get the exposure it deserves now), there's some caveats with the overall package that make me kick the rating down a notch. Knowing the show's penchant for 3D animations, some lavish 3D menus in the beginning would've been very nice (Fox and Matt Groeining's studios definitely have the capacity for this). Instead, there's still backgrounds just like the Simpsons Season 1 and 2 DVD's. They do include some nice extras, like commentary on all 13 episodes and a behind-the-scene feature, but it would've been nice to see so much more, like more cast interviews maybe, or a longer behind-the-scenes (the one included is woefully short). Some DVD-ROM extras like games, even, would've been nice. For such a stellar show it shouldn't have gotten anything less than star treatment. As is, however, it's definitely worth picking up, but will leave you wondering what it could've been. In any case, it's a shame this never got the support it truly deserved, as with Family Guy it really presented something unique, creative, and slightly twisted all at the same time. Hopefully it'll have its chance now. It was something that, when compared to the mass amounts of garbage churned out, was really intelligent, whimsical, and new. If you're a fan of The Simpsons, have seen this show a couple of times and are wanting more, or are a fan of great animation, you owe it to yourself to buy this.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't usually rate things here on Amazon...
Review: But I had to say that this is one of the best DVD collections out there. It's easily up to par with the Simpsons and at some points surpasses it. And not only is the show hilarious, but as others have stated, the commentary on the DVD is great. There is a commentary for every episode, with the voices of Bender and Fry, head writers, and Matt Groening himself, amongst others. There are also deleted scenes! But really, if you love the Simpsons and haven't heard of or seen Futurama, then you've really been missing out.
Rating:
Summary: Futurama
Review: I've seen most of the episodes of Futurama on T.V. (what else am I going to do on Sunday night with school the next morning) and they're all hillarious. The closest I've seen to a comedy having such an effective first couple of seasons is Malcolm In The Middle. But thats not why I'm writing this.
People have been saying that Futurama is going off the air. That's not true. Just last Sunday I saw a brand new episode where a special tar blisters the age off of the professor, and he turns 50 years old. It's true that a new Futurama show hasn't been seen on T.V. for a while now, but that's no reason to jump to conclusions.
The Simpsons' first couple of "lost seasons" were atrocious, and it still stayed on the air until it became a hit. So why would Futurama go off the air? Futurama is still running strong; I think it will stay on the air for maybe as long as The Simpsons.
By the way, I heard the commentary of a couple of eppisodes, and they're worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: As vast and complex as Brannigan's Law.
Review: The first season of Futurama is an absolute classic, and it gets a great DVD treatment. First off, the sound and video are wonderfully clear and vivid. This is a show with bright, often garish colors and sound effects, and typical TV broadcast quality just doesn't give it the justice it gets here. I never realized just how cool the opening theme is until I heard it, bass line and all, through decent speakers. Obviously, Groening and crew put alot of thought and energy into the sound design, and it takes on a whole new depth here, even though it's only mastered for Dolby 2.0. The picture is crisp and clear, which is to be expected, since the show is largely digitally produced. The 3D animation is particularly rich--the space battle in "When Aliens Attack" comes off just as exhilirating as anything Lucas has done lately, and it's amazing how the hand-drawn and computer elements fit together so seamlessly. Each episode has commentary with Matt Groening, as well as artists and directors for the episode. This has to be the best feature of the set. Since this is so much more recent than the first Simpsons season, the details are fresh in everybody's minds, and their comments are often insightful. They often go into great detail about not only the technical aspects of each episode, but all the cult references and hidden in-jokes as well. Early on, Groening says that this is the show he's always wanted to do, and it's obvious that he's not only pulled it off, but he's glad to share every minute piece of trivia he can about the process. It also bears mentioning that this set includes the 13 original first-season *production* episodes, as opposed to just the nine that were aired during the first season (and described in a review above). The four additional episodes were produced in the first season but not shown until the second because of Fox's abysmal treatment of the show. The episodes are: "A Flight to Remember": A hilarious send-up of Titanic. "Mars University": Fry enrolls in college to prove he's smarter than Farnsworth's experimental monkey, and Bender returns to his old fraternity to wreak mischief. "When Aliens Attack": Lrrr of Omicron Persei 8 threatens to destroy the earth unless "Single Female Lawyer," a 20th-century TV show he loves, is returned to the air. This one's a classic, boasting references to everything from Star Wars to Independence Day to War of the Worlds. (Oh, and Ally McBeal) This, along with "Fear of a Bot Planet," is an absolute geek's dream. "Fry and the Slurm Factory": A great parody of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. ...all in all, .... These are stories in the old Simpsons vein, but taken to completely new and absurd levels, with incredible amounts of detail that stands up to repeated viewings.
Rating:
Summary: Season 1 - forgetten gems!
Review: Season 1 of this show just came out on a 3 disk DVD set, and this fan of the show is very pleased! So much eye candy within the animation of each show, plus the disks have audio commentary for every episode (fun to watch it once, then watch it right away with the commentary on). And, in the words of Professor Farnsworth - "Good news, everybody..." - looks like Season 2 on DVD is announced for September of 2003. Looks like this show, like the Simpsons, is getting face tracked for DVD release. Hurrah!
Rating:
Summary: Quality Stuff
Review: I gotta say, i've seen every futuram on tv but even with that, this set is really worth buying for the hilarious commentary that goes along with every episode. Excellent picture quality and sound - a must have for any Futurama or Simpsons fan.
Rating:
Summary: Far out and hilarious
Review: I was very excited in 1999 when Futurama premiered, a far-out, unofficial spin-off of The Simpsons. Created by Simpsons' brainiac Matt Groening and former Simpsons producer David Cohen, Futurama is a hilarious glimpse into the future of Earth in the Year 3000. The core characters of hapless hero Fry, sexy one-eyed alien (mutant) Leela, and degenerate robot Bender make the foundation for a great ensemble rivaled only, perhaps, by The Simpsons themselves. The series, though winding down on Fox, is finding new life on cable and through the DVD set. I'm anxiously awaiting Season 2. It's not just a great cartoon: It's terrific TV. And the DVD, chock full of extras (including delicious commentary from Groening, Cohen and others) is a terrific buy.
Rating:
Summary: Definite Laughs right from the First Episode
Review: Your sure to love every episode of Matt Groening's greatest series, of course next to many of the Simpson episodes. One thing that this series of cartoons had going for it, was that it hit the trail running with loads of laughs right from episode one. Not like many other series on TV, which can take a season or two (sometimes 3 or 4) to really start to pick up a fan base and have good stories to really keep you coming back for more. The disappointing fact about the series right now was all the confusing speculation of it getting canceled. We only have the Fox executive idiots to blame for that. I guess it was too good for them to try and keep it going much. And don't let them tell you that ratings never really took off for it. They were the problem, what with them moving it around and it constantly getting pre-empted by stupid sports and other programs. Those of us fans who wanted to make sure we could watch every episode every time, were always waiting with baited breath to see if it was actually gonna show up each week. Basically it was put into an odd cycle of maybe on for a week or two, then off for 3 or 4 weeks, then maybe one episode again and off for another 2 or 3, and so on and so on and so on. You couldn't really tell. And moving it to different days now and then didn't help either. They never really gave it much chance. Despite the fact it still has such a fan base all over the place. So feel free to make your major complaints to the Fox ding bats about their abilities to organize and stick with a schedule for once. The only thing not good about this DVD set is it only has 13 episodes. Really guys, you could have included more, but I guess maybe they wanted to just test the water and see if the DVD would fly. But also having released a general date for the 2nd season already, gives you an indication they want to maybe try and crank them out to try and shovel in the money. Finally they want to try and release there products out to the general market on a more faster basis and not make us just sit on our hands. Like the Simpson's episodes. They hardly let anything out on VHS for years and years, and a few years back they started releasing a few favorite compilations, which didn't take off too well. We were waiting for whole season sets. And finally they got into DVD for one season, and then finally last year they got around to the second season. But of course I don't really see them flying off the shelves, being it's just that, the first 2 seasons. They were fine and dandy at the time, but seem more dry and stale compared to the newer episodes now a days. Which brings me back to the point of Futurama having such great laughs from episode one and haven't stopped. Who knows what goes through the brains of Fox Executives (other than a brick that is, LOL). Enjoy all the Laughs! And be sure to let everyone at Cartoon Network know how much you love Futurama, to keep them going on that network for years to come. Who know's, maybe we could encourage them to pick it up and produce it themselves in some licensing deal, and we could get loads of more laughs. Wishful thinking, I know, but you never know. BENDER TO RULE THE WORLD!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Future Is Here
Review: Back when Futurama debuted it was looking like the perfect successor to the Simpsons, which by 1999 was running out of steam after many stupendous years. As a longtime Matt Groening fanatic I would have been happy to watch the Simpsons come to a dignified end while it was still at the height of its powers, so Futurama could carry the torch for the next decade or so. Alas, no props are deserved by the Fox network for allowing the awesome Futurama to die a lonely death in ratings hell. But this great DVD set for the first season broadcasts loud and clear what could have been. Utilizing the standard sci-fi method of using a futuristic society to comment on our current state (or more often to poke fun at it), the series features eye-catching computerized 3-D animation and incredibly well written and subversive storylines. And just like all Groening creations the characters are robust and fully realized. In addition to the stars, such as Bender who is probably the most hysterical character ever created, we also get great and under-appreciated supporting characters like Zap Branigan, Kif, and Dr. Zoidberg. Unlike the Simpsons which needed a first developmental season to really get its groove going, Futurama started full blast right from the first episode, in which the 20th century dork Fry wakes up in the year 3000 and tries not to be a loser in another millennium. While I never much liked the talking 20th century heads in jars (indicators of a certain lack of hardcore creativity, in my opinion), the 30th century society of Futurama has much to teach us in these early episodes. Corporate power and corruption are lampooned twice this season in "A Fishful of Dollars" and the brilliant "Fry and the Slurm Factory," fad religions are tackled in "Hell Is Other Robots," and there's even a condemnation of our current environmental attitudes in "A Big Piece of Garbage." The DVD extras aren't too much to get excited about, although the audio commentary accompanying each episode (by Groening and the show's other creators) is a real treat if you're looking for collector's trivia and the inspiration behind the characters and storylines. I will enjoy this DVD set for the next thousand years and hope Fox can get the remaining seasons out quickly. It's the least they could do, after letting this work of genius go to waste.
Rating:
Summary: A million years into the future!
Review: I wanted to give five stars, really I did, but I have to reveiw this as a whole:
The packaging rocks! A slide down cover with windows over a case printed with an incredible New New York panorama that holds three slim cases for the dvds. The slim cases are just such a great idea, why do they use the standard size cases in boxed sets? The art work is superb on the cases, inside and out, and on the disks themselves.
The show is one of my favorites. The mix of reverence and irrevernce for all science fiction that has come before it makes "Futurama" one of the most interesting, and funiest shows on tv. Fry a 20th century pizza delivery boy accidently getting frozen in 1999 and waking up in 2999 ("A million years!" Fry's math skills at work), and becoming of all things a delivery boy. With nothing considered sacred, or taken too seriously (how can seriously can you take talking heads in jars) the jokes are fast and furious. Inevitable comparisons to "The Simpsons" will be made (Matt Groening being creator of both,) but the characters and situations are so different and diverse that "Futurama" stands very well on its own, thank you.
Okay, why only four stars: Nothing to do with the show itself, definatly five stars all around there. The missing star is due to technical/content ommisions.
First: There's no 'Play All' function on the disks. I'm sorry, but they've dropped this ball on both "The Simpsons" releases, and now "Futurama". I don't know about you, but I seldom sit down to watch one episode of a show, and to have to exit out of one set of episode menus, and enter into another, every time I want to watch another show, well its annoying.
Second: The commentaries. pretty good and informitive for the frist few shows, but they must've taped them all in a day, because the pauses get longer, and the commentary duller as the shows go on. It seems to be a cross between the people watching shows they haven't seen for awhile, and getting wrapped up in them, and these same people searching their brains for some relevent anicdote for the episode they're watching.
Third: (This one is iffy) Mention is made of Phil Hartman actually auditioning for 'Zap Branigan'. If a tape of this exisists, why isn't it on the disks? If it doesn't then my appologies.
To sum up, I bought this set, I will by future sets, I just wish they had a 'Play All' funtion, so I could let loose with the five stars.
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