The Bob's Burgers Movie

The Bob's Burgers Movie
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Loren Bouchard Bernard Derriman
Screenplay by	Loren Bouchard Nora Smith
Based on	Bob's Burgers by Loren Bouchard
Produced by	Janelle Momary-Neely Loren Bouchard Nora Smith
Starring	H. Jon Benjamin Dan Mintz Eugene Mirman Larry Murphy John Roberts Kristen Schaal Zach Galifianakis Kevin Kline
Edited by	Kris Fitzgerald
Music by	John Dylan Keith Loren Bouchard
Production companies	20th Century Animation 20th Century Family Bento Box Entertainment Wilo Productions
Distributed by	20th Century Studios
Release dates	May 17, 2022 (2022-05-17) (El Capitan Theatre) May 27, 2022 (2022-05-27) (United States)
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$25.5 million

The Bob's Burgers Movie is a 2022 American animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series Bob's Burgers. It is directed by the series creator Loren Bouchard and Bernard Derriman (in their feature directorial debuts), written by Bouchard and Nora Smith, and produced by Janelle Momary-Neely, Bouchard, and Smith. The original voice cast from the series reprises their roles including H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, David Wain, Zach Galifianakis, and Kevin Kline. The plot follows Bob and his family as they struggle to pay their loan after a sinkhole opens in front of their restaurant and affects business.

The film premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on May 17, 2022, and was theatrically released by 20th Century Studios in the United States on May 27, 2022, following previous delays of almost two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $25 million worldwide.

Plot

As summer approaches, Bob and Linda Belcher ask their bank for an extension on their business loan, only to be turned down and given a week to make the month's payment. Tina is nervous about asking Jimmy Pesto Jr. to be her summertime boyfriend, while Gene is interested in reforming his band. Louise is ridiculed for refusing to perform a stunt on the school playground, afraid of losing her hat that she believes is the source of her bravery.

An underground water main breaks, creating a giant sinkhole directly in front of the entrance to Bob's Burgers. Calvin Fischoeder, the family's landlord, suggests that he may allow them to delay the month's rent so they can make the loan payment. While climbing into the sinkhole to prove her bravery, Louise falls to the bottom and discovers a skeleton. The police establish the remains as those of Cotton Candy Dan, a carny at Wonder Wharf who disappeared six years earlier, and determine that he was killed by a gunshot to the chest. Calvin is arrested for murder after the weapon is found in his possession, but Louise is convinced of his innocence and enlists Tina and Gene to help her find the killer, having taken one of Dan's teeth.

The children locate their friend Mickey, another carny, at a trailer town filled with carnies who think Calvin is guilty. However, one carny reluctantly reveals that Dan had met with Calvin and his brother Felix on the night of the disappearance. The children reason that Felix framed Calvin and learn from Sgt. Bosco that a novelty cufflink was found with Dan's remains. Meanwhile, Teddy constructs a grill cart so Bob can sell food on the street until the sinkhole is filled, but he has to hide from the health inspectors since he is not licensed to do so. He and Linda move the cart to Wonder Wharf but quickly run afoul of the carnies for destroying a memorial set up in Dan's honor.

The children search Felix's treehouse for the other cufflink and overhear him planning to flee the country. They follow him to Wonder Wharf and find a secret clubhouse under one ride. Calvin arrives, having posted bail, followed by the brothers' cousin and lawyer Grover as the children try to inform Calvin of Felix's treachery. Calvin and Felix are preparing to flee together as Calvin is convinced that he will be convicted, having repurposed a disused and defective submarine-themed amusement park ride as their escape vessel.

Noticing a photo that shows Grover wearing the novelty cufflinks and matching a bite scar on his arm to Dan's tooth, Louise realizes that he is the killer. Grover holds the group at bay with a spear gun, including Bob and Linda after they find their way into the clubhouse. He admits to killing Dan as part of a plot to frame Calvin so he could inherit the family fortune and replace Wonder Wharf with a mega-park. His plan was foiled when the pile of dirt in which he dumped the body was used to fill a sinkhole outside Bob's Burgers, then revived after Louise found the skeleton.

The Belchers escape in a go-kart under the wharf, but Grover gives chase after trapping Calvin and Felix in their submarine and launching it into the ocean, leaving them to drown. The Belchers reach their restaurant, but Grover pushes their vehicle into the sinkhole and buries them alive. He then returns to Wonder Wharf and lights a fuse intended to burn it down in a staged accidental fire.

To raise Louise's spirits, Bob and Linda reveal that Linda made her hat as a reward for being brave on her first day of preschool and that its color reminds Bob of his mother and her favorite pink hat. Bob starts the go-kart engine, causing an exposed wheel rim to saw through the repaired water main. The resulting high-pressure jet of water launches the Belchers to the surface, where Teddy is waiting for them. He calls the police as they rush to Wonder Wharf, where Louise removes the fuse and prevents the fire. The police rescue Calvin and Felix from the ocean and arrest Grover.

One week later, Calvin makes the loan payment as a sign of gratitude. Tina admits her feelings to Jimmy Jr. and kisses him, which he reciprocates. Gene's band performs to a small audience. Louise performs the stunt she had originally declined and drops her hat, no longer afraid to do so. The sinkhole is patched up, and Bob's Burgers holds its "Grand Re-Re-Re-Re-Opening."

Voice cast

Main article: List of Bob's Burgers characters

Clockwise from top left: The voice cast includes H. Jon Benjamin (Bob), Dan Mintz (Tina), Larry Murphy (Teddy), Kristen Schaal (Louise), John Roberts (Linda), and Eugene Mirman (Gene).

• H. Jon Benjamin as Bob Belcher, Jimmy Pesto Jr., Ms. LaBonz, and Kuchi Kopi
• Dan Mintz as Tina Belcher
• Eugene Mirman as Gene Belcher
• Larry Murphy as Teddy
• John Roberts as Linda Belcher, Jocelyn
• Kristen Schaal as Louise Belcher
• David Wain as Grover Fischoeder
• Zach Galifianakis as Felix Fischoeder
• Kevin Kline as Calvin Fischoeder
• Gary Cole as Sgt. Bosco
• Paul F. Tompkins as Short Carnie
• John Q. Kubin as Mickey (replacing both Bill Hader and Loren Bouchard from the series)
• Nick Kroll as Scary Carnie
• Craig Anton as Mr. Dowling
• David Herman as Mr. Frond
• Brian Huskey as Regular-Sized Rudy
• Bobby Tisdale as Zeke
• Stephanie Beatriz as Chloe Barbash
• Jordan Peele as Fanny
• Aziz Ansari as Darryl
• Jenny Slate as Tammy
• Nicole Byer as Olsen Benner (replacing Pamela Adlon from the series)
• Robert Ben Garant as Critter
• Laura and Sarah Silverman as Andy and Ollie Pesto, respectively
• Sam Seder as Hugo
• Paul Rudd as Jericho
• Ron Lynch as Ron
• Andy Kindler as Mort

Additionally, the characters Jimmy Pesto Sr. and Trev appear but have no lines.

Production

Development

From left to right: Co-director and co-writer Loren Bouchard, co-director Bernard Derriman, and co-writer Nora Smith

On October 4, 2017, 20th Century Fox announced that a film adaptation based on the Fox animated series Bob's Burgers was in development, and it was scheduled to be released on July 17, 2020. On October 30, 2017, a newly created 20th Century Fox division, Fox Family, was created to oversee feature film adaptation of its TV shows. This included taking Bob's Burgers over from 20th Century Fox Animation.

Series creator Loren Bouchard had said the film would "scratch every itch the fans of the show have ever had", while also appealing to new audiences. On July 18, 2018, Bouchard said that the script was submitted and accepted by the studios. The film is a musical comedy. On September 24, 2020, star H. Jon Benjamin confirmed that work on the film was being done remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while also revealing that recording for the film has already begun, with the cast reprising their roles from the television series.

The film was dedicated to Dave Creek and Denise Fuller. Creek had been a character designer for over nine seasons on the show, and died in January 2021 due to injuries from a skydiving accident. Fuller was a matte painter who had worked on the film's early stages until her death in 2020. Her cause of death was not announced.

Animation

Animation services were provided by Tonic DNA, Lighthouse Studios, Bento Box Entertainment, Golden Wolf, and Mercury Filmworks. The production team wanted the film to be done through hand-drawn animation because they wanted the visuals to remain similar to the series. The larger budget, time, and animators available to the filmmakers allowed the animation to be more detailed than in the original series, such as adding more light, texture, and shadows into several shots. This film would be the final animation work for both Tuck Tucker and Dale Baer before their deaths on December 22, 2020 and January 15, 2021 respectively. Tucker served as a storyboard revisionist, while Baer provided animation for the film.

Music

Songs for the film were written by Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith while the original score was conducted, orchestrated and arranged by Tim Davies. The soundtrack album was released on May 27, 2022 and includes three of the four songs featured in the film. The third song was excluded to avoid revealing details of the film's plot.

Soundtrack

The Bob's Burgers Movie (A Major Motion Burger Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Various
Released	May 27, 2022 (2022-05-27)
Length	36:54
Label	Hollywood Records
Producer	Loren Bouchard

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"Sunny Side Up Summer"	Loren Bouchard, Nora Smith	Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal	3:57
2.	"Lucky Ducks"	Bouchard, Smith	Mintz, Mirman, Benjamin, John Q. Kubin, Schaal, Larry Murphy, Paul F. Tompkins	2:20
3.	"The Itty Bitty Ditty Committee/My Burger Buns"	Bouchard, Smith	Mintz, Mirman, Benjamin, Roberts, Schaal, Murphy	3:01
4.	"Opening, Six Years Ago"	John Dylan Keith, Bouchard		1:04
5.	"No One Came in Today"	Bouchard		1:03
6.	"The Ride"	Carmine Coppola, Shirley Walker		0:55
7.	"Emergency Kid Meeting"	Elegant Too		0:31
8.	"Try to Look Like Alley Trash"	Bouchard		1:15
9.	"Treehouse Go"	Keith, Patrick Dacey		0:59
10.	"He's Here"	Keith		1:27
11.	"Tina, You Go First"	Keith, P. Dacey		1:30
12.	"What's Felix Doing?"	Elegant Too		0:59
13.	"Left at the Clown Head"	Brent Knopf, Tim Dacey		0:44
14.	"Brave Little Cart"	Knopf		0:31
15.	"Go Burger People Go"	T. Dacey		2:09
16.	"Would It Be Faster to Get Out and Walk?"	Elegant Too, Bouchard		3:29
17.	"These Friggin' Ears"	Bouchard, T. Dacey		1:35
18.	"The Mole Hill"	Elegant Too, Keith, T. Dacey		4:13
19.	"Sunny Side Up" (Instrumental)	Bouchard		3:06
20.	"Lucky Ducks" (Instrumental)	Bouchard		2:00
Total length:				36:54

Release

The Bob's Burgers Movie premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on May 17, 2022 and was theatrically released in the United States on May 27, 2022. It was initially scheduled to be released in theaters on July 17, 2020. The film was then briefly pulled from the schedule due to an error in listings. In announcing revised released dates of various films due to the global health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney announced that the film's release had been pushed back to April 9, 2021. On January 22, 2021, the film was completely removed from the release schedule. Bouchard explained that despite the film still being in production, a new release date announcement was not imminent and would not come until audiences felt completely safe coming back to theaters. On September 10, 2021, it was officially set for a Memorial Day weekend release date of May 27, 2022.

Reception

Box office

In the United States, The Bob's Burgers Movie was released alongside Top Gun: Maverick, and was projected to gross $10–15 million from 3,400 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $5.7 million on its first day, including $1.5 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $12.4 million (and $14.8 million over the four-day Memorial Day frame), finishing third at the box office. The film made $4.6 million in its second weekend.

Outside the US and Canada, the film earned $700,000 from 54 international markets in its opening weekend. It made $400,000 from eight markets in its second weekend.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 113 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Bob's Burgers Movie offers all the heart, humor, and clever callbacks that fans of the show will be looking for while remaining an entertaining entry point for the unconverted." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 75 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported 89% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 69% saying they would definitely recommend it.

External links

• Official website
• The Bob's Burgers Movie at IMDb