The Bob's Burgers Movie

 0.5/4

Starring (voices): H. Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, Dan Mintz, John Roberts, Eugene Mirman, David Wain, Zach Galifianakis, Kevin Kline

Rated PG-13 for Rude/Suggestive Material and Language

In general, there are two approaches to comedy these days.  One comes from recognition of human behavior or satirizing cultural truths.  It depends on characteristics and obsessions that, however bizarre, are ones we understand and can sympathize with.  For example, one of the reasons why "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse" was so funny is that, even while fleeing zombies, Carter's insatiable desire for sex superseded everything.  His attention was focused on sex at every moment.

The other is to be awkward and derive laughter from openly acknowledging that the behavior is awkward. To varying degrees, it's deadpan and self-aware.  It's humor that depends on the audience laughing at humor the film pretends not to know about.  True, comic characters should not know they are in a comedy, but they should also have comic personalities.  Not just speak the obvious in a deadpan monotone.  Nor should the openly acknowledge that their own jokes are lame.

Full disclosure: I have never seen a single episode of "Bob's Burgers."  After seeing this movie, I have no desire to do so.  In fact, I'll go out of my way to avoid it.  Because this movie is a travesty.  It's not that the movie is dumb (although it is very dumb), but it's too self-consciously hip to be a straight comedy.  It stands back at an ironic distance to show us that it knows its dumb, and expects us to laugh at two levels of irony.  Or something like that.  There isn't a single person here with any life or personality.  They're just there to be awkward and state the obvious.  Again and again.  And again.

Do I have taste?  Or am I just not hip enough to "get" it?  Strange question.  Humor is subjective after all ("Tommy Boy" ended up on the late great Roger Ebert's "Most Hated" list).  But here at least, I think it's just laziness.  It's as if the filmmakers sought to write the stupidest jokes in the world and then make them funny by acknowledging that they are stupid.  Problem is, I wasn't laughing.  Even after the seventh time in a row the stated how awkward it is.  There's no turn or wit here.  This movie is funny only if you find social awkwardness (or, let's face it, human idiocy) funny as a general principle.

There are two plot threads.  Neither or which are funny or clever.  Nor, I think, are they intended to be.  Bob (Benjamin) runs a burger restaurant that is drowning in red ink.  The bank won't extend his loan and, when asked about a rent extension, the landlord Calvin Fischoeder (Kline), says "Maybe" before admitting he is drunk and driving away.  Making matters worse is that a huge sinkhole opened up right outside their front door.  So he and his wife Linda (Roberts) get a food cart and try to sell burgers illegally.  Meanwhile, the kids, Louise (Schaal), Gene (Mirman) and the terminally annoying Tina (Mintz) find a skeleton in the sinkhole and set out to find the murderer.

"The Bob's Burgers Movie" is a walking definition of the term "beating a dead horse."  They make a joke, and then they repeat the joke again and again until long past the time when anyone could conceivably think it's funny.  It's not that they color the joke with extended riffs.  After all, this is the MO of every stand-up comic.  It's that the riffs aren't funny and they don't lead anywhere.  They merely restate the punchline over and over again.  It's like bad improv.

Does anyone find this schtick funny?  Or is being under the influence of a mind-altering substance a prerequisite that I was unaware of?  I saw it sober with an open mind.  And it blows.

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