The Bob’s Burgers Movie brings the Belcher family to the big screen after over a decade on television in a delightful showcase. The film’s adventure pushes them closer to a new summer season and into some surprisingly dangerous situations. What makes the film so enjoyable is that it never forgets about the universal humanity at the core of the series or about one of the show’s most consistent elements.
During the press conference for The Bob’s Burgers Movie ahead of the film’s release in theaters on May 27, attended by members of the press including CBR, series creator Loren Bouchard and H. Jon Benjamin (the voice of Bob Belcher) revealed whether Bob is actually any good at making burgers. It’s a sweet reflection on some of the series’ most ingrained messages.
The titular Bob’s Burgers is a small restaurant owned by Bob Belcher. Perpetually on the verge of going out of business, Bob’s loyal clientele and his efforts to keep his burger joint afloat provide plenty of the show’s conflicts. It’s even the inciting incident of the film, which sees unexpected challenges quickly piling up for Bob and his restaurant. Despite these difficulties, Bob tries to do what he always does: find a way to provide for his family by making burgers.
There’s an aspect of that story, however, that actually speaks to a long-simmering discourse in the Bob’s Burgers fandom about just how good Bob’s burgers really are. There are even episodes within the series that question Bob’s culinary abilities, with Patton Oswalt’s Moody Foodie threatening the business with a very negative review. This dispute apparently even continued behind the scenes of the show, as according to H. Jon Benjamin, he and Loren Bouchard have fully discussed whether Bob is actually a good cook on multiple occasions. It also turns out that it’s only recently that one of them has finally come around to the other’s line of thinking.
“I used to argue to Loren that Bob was not a good cook,” Benjamin explained, “because there were never customers, or very few — just Teddy. One guy came in, so maybe that’s indicative of a food problem. Loren always suggested the burger of the day, these flights of creativity that Bob has — and he’s super into his food. I think over the years, you might have won the argument. I give it up to you now.” Benjamin even noted that in conversations with real-life chefs, he was surprised by “how much they like the burger of the day element. They think that’s the signal that Bob is a good cook.”
Bouchard admitted he genuinely likes to think that “Bob is a great cook,” arguing that he’s effectively a “great artist working in a medium that, maybe, people don’t even understand.” With a laugh, Bouchard added that he believes Bob is “maybe ahead of his time, or perhaps, also, clearly a bad businessman. I think we tend to sympathize with that character because who knows how the movie is gonna do.”
This was a sentiment echoed by Kristen Schaal, the voice of Louise, who revealed her belief that “I think a lot of the people in the world and in the Bob’s Burger audience are unsung artists that haven’t been discovered yet — that are probably making really good burgers or wherever that goes on at home that nobody really knows about.” It’s an idea that speaks to the core of the series, which has always highlighted the kind of well-meaning and occasionally bizarre ways people can express themselves.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie flips into theaters on May 27.
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