Bender's Game

Bender's Game is the third of the four Direct-to-DVD films and was released on 3 November, 2008 in Europe and 4 November, 2008 in the US, and will be released on 10 December in Australia, the smallest difference between American and the Australian release yet.

For the first time, the Blu-Ray (HD) edition of the films was released on the same date as the normal DVD, something may also suggest that we will see the release on Blu-Ray for the two first films soon.

Guest stars include George Takei and Rich Little as themselves. In addition, Gary Gygax has an appearance at the end of the credits, and the film is dedicated in honour of him. Gary Gygax is listed at a guest star as well.

Plot
The story begins with Cubert Farnsworth, Dwight Conrad and two of their friends are playing Dungeons and Dragons, Bender thinking originally they were underage gambling decides to join in. But Bender discovers he lacks imagination. During a trip with the ship, Bender asks Fry for his opinion, Fry's suggestion is to give it a try.

But then they are interrupted by the ship's warning about no more dark matter, after having complained that the warning an actual warning, the ship warns it will stop in one second, to which it does, Leela acknowledges the correctness of the warning. The ship stops in a bad space neighbourhood, a vandal steals their front figure, which, according to Bender, is there only display that they got the XL package.

After having retrieved dark matter from Nibbler's litter bin, the ship makes their way to a petrol station. While loading dark matter, Sal and a friend are teasing the crew for their ugly ship. Leela notes that their own ship isn't much to brag about, until Sal reveals that it is because of their participation in the Space Destruction Derby, which they have already won five times.

Back at Planet Express, Hermes Conrad announces to cut employee pornography (something of the dismay of Scruffy) due to skyrocketing dark matter prices. Farnsworth adds that no one is to misuse fuel, and to insure his crew does not use the ship, he swallows the keys to be retrieved the next day. However, in the shower Leela convinces the others to steal the keys and go to the Derby anyway.

With a trick of the magneto, Dr. Zoidberg manages to pull the key out and the crew is off to the Derby. After a solid victory, the crew return home, but the ship has been badly damaged. The next morning they have hidden the ship behind a curtain, but due to a failed attempt to distract Farnsworth and Hermes, the curtain burns up revealing the damaged ship. Farnsworth does not notice the damage anyway, only when he discovers someone had used half a ball of dark matter.

Meanwhile, Bender continues his playing, and he finally gets the hang of imagination. Farnsworth orders them out of the conference room, because he is ordering a conference. At the conference, Farnsworth warns Leela with a neckband, which will give her a shock each time her thoughts to violence, profanities or thoughts of a sexual nature, for the punishment of Leela letting her anger getting control of her.

After having watched an episode of The Scary Door, Leela asks if Hermes has the authority to remove the neckband, he doesn't, only the key. He explains to her that she has to get the staff doctor to release her. Bender and his new friends continues to play Dungeons and Dragons, Bender is finally deep in his imagination, and as Fry approaches him, he denies to be known as Bender, but his character's name of Titanius Anglesmith.

Fry is worried about Bender's behaviour and asks Farnsworth for guidance, who tells him to make sure he stops, because of the consequences. Meanwhile, Dr. Zoidberg believes that it is Leela's experience with her parents that have made her so angry. He orders them to go over to them for dinner. Meanwhile, Bender's behaviour takes a turn for the worse, as he runs around the city (attempting) destroying everything in sight. At the Turanga's, Leela shows to Zoidberg that she has no issues with her parents, when Fry shows up, explaining his worry for Bender, who arrives suddenly trying to destroy them all.

But after having fired Cone of Coldness at Bender, Fry stops Bender. Bender is completely knocked out, Zoidberg says he can help him and have him sent to HAL Institute.

On the news, there is talk of the high dark matter prices. In an interview with Morbo, Mom explains that she is hoping to fix the problem as soon as possible, being the only delivered of dark matter for Earth. Watching the programme, Farnsworth becomes upset and wonders if anyone wants to know why he is so upset about the whole ordeal.

Meanwhile up north at Mom's dark matter mine, we learn that there actually is no shortage, they are just keeping supply down for the money. Back at Planet Express, having learnt that his crew wants to know the reasoning for his mood, he explains of the third time he went back to Mom's Friendly Robot Company, where he worked with dark matter, before it was a fuel. He created a singular crystal in which all the power of dark matter was kept together, but also at the same time an anti-backwards crystal.

Farnsworth explains that the colliding of these two crystals will make all dark matter fuel useless. His plan is to get to Mom as get his crystal close to hers. But unfortunately its location is unknown, however Cubert have found it to make into a die for their game. Meanwhile Mom order her sons to retrieve the anti-backwards crystal to avoid disaster. The group shows up as owl exterminators.

In a failed attempt to retrieve the anti-backwards crystal, Farnsworth discovers it is the die, he quickly arrange a mission to Mom's base. An epic unfold with Mom's army of killbots, luckily, the crew is not on the ship as it crashes, and can make their way safe into the facility. But Mom has her army of killbots send after them. Inside the facility, the crew gets to the heart of the mine, which turns out to be a huge Nibblonian farm, whom are force feed with chickens constantly to produce dark matter. Nibbler recalls what happened on Vergon 6, with the DOOP mine crew hiring Mom to mine the planet hollow, unfortunately, Mom captures all of the Nibblonians having learnt the secret of where dark matter comes from. After being escorted by Ignar, the crew manages to get into Mom's control room, where Farnsworth is very close at getting the crystals to touch, but fails.

Meanwhile, Bender's therapy is not working, and Dr. Perceptron decides to put him down. As the crystals have made all dark matter glow, Bender's imagination along with the power of crystals sends him to Cornwood. At the facility, Farnsworth swallows the crystal to avoid Mom from getting it, but while she is ordering her sons to obtain the crystal from his stomach, Bender's waves reaches them sending them to Cornwood as well.

In the alternative reality, Fry emerges as himself, Leela, however, has turned into a centaur. Bender, as Titanius Anglesmith, rides to greet them to Cornwood. At party at his castle, he names Fry and Leela, Frydo and Leegola respectively. Calculon arrives to inform Titanius of dark knights approaching.

They ride out to defend themselves. But it is then they discover that Frydo has been carrying the Die of Power all this time, he rolls it on accident, it rolls 7, which in Appendix G, is "Banish Foes", which is done. Knowing the Die's power, they ride to Greyfarn who tells them the story of Momon who forges the Dies of Power in the plastic. But the Die's power is too great, and must be destroyed in the very same heat from which it was forged.

And thus they ride out, on their way they meet a group of centaurs, lead by Hermaphrodite (Hermes), who, as his name suggests, is female. To Leegola's disappoint, the centaurs are not a warfare race. And by that logic they can make their way past them.

After a long trip, they finally make their way into Cave of Hopelessness, in hope to get around Momon's forces, where they pick up Gynecaladriel (Amy). Inside they meet being of Zoidberg, which they confuse for Tunnelling Horror, realising that Zoidberg was an innocent creature she killed, she storms off weeping, and swearing never to hurt a living being again, though managing cutting Zoidberg's head off in the progress. At the centaurs, she asks to learn of their ways.

Meanwhile, the actual Tunnelling Horror shows up. Frydo is the only one not busy by something else, he attempts to throw everything in his pockets at it, but throws the Die of Power in the progress, which rolls 3, and he grows big enough to destroy the Tunnelling Horror, after which he shrinks down again and finally becoming seduced by the die's power.

At the feet of Momon's armies, the fellowship decides to go Wipe Castle the next day to gather an army. During the night, Frydo finally looses himself and tries to kill Anglesmith, unfortunately, he was lying in Gynecaladriel's bag, and Frydo is discovered before he can hurt anyone, at which he runs off for himself. Momon smelling a plan orders all her forces to Wipe Castle.

The rest of the fellowship finally reaches Wipe Castle, where they found out that the king has sent the entire Royal Army to their death. The Army of Momon finally arrives at Wipe Castle, in an epic, yet one-sided struggle, Wipe Castle remains some resistance. Meanwhile, the centaurs having noticed the war, calls for an act from their leaders.

Leegola manages to convince the centaurs to act, and their skilled arrow attack proves fruit as they save the day against Momon's army and rescues Wipe Castle. Meanwhile, Frydo finally reaches to Geysers of Gygax with the help of Zoidberg's head. Having noticed the effect on the world, the fellowship decides to ride out to help Frydo with destroying the Die of Power.

But at Momon's cave, Frydo cannot get himself to throw the Die in, having become seduced by its power. When he rolls the Die, Momon acts by turning into a dragon, Frydo rolls 12, "Mirror Mania", to which he becomes a dragon as well. While battling, the rest of the gang shows up. Frydo and Momon knocks each other out biting each other's soft underbelly.

The rest of the fellowship have become trapped of the fragile staircases Momon destroyed, Ignis decides to help them on a giant bug, but Greyfarn becomes annoyed because Ignis cannot see it is a spider, not a bug due to the amount of legs. In anger he ignites his staff, and Ignis pulls out his lightsaber. They battle, until which Ignis explains that Greyfarn is actually the father of Ignis. Learning this nature, Greyfarn falls over the staircase and lands over Zoidberg whom have obtained the Die, letting it roll into Momon's hands, whom finally finishes everything off.

Through the same hole, the crew all wounds up in their own regular crazy world, where Farnsworth explains Bender's wild imagination created an alternative reality for them all. But before Mom can retrieve the crystal, Farnsworth asks for the request of hugging his son, Ignar. While hugging, Ignar reveals that he swallowed the other crystal, allowing the crystals coming close enough together to render all dark matter useless. Farnsworth then reveals his alternative fuel source; Nibbler Power! Which is basically strapping a chick to a stick, and letting Nibblonians following it, dragging the ship. The end.

Plot summary
A preview of Bender's Game was included with The Beast with a Billion Backs. The film begins with Cubert and Dwight playing a game of Dungeons & Dragons with their friends. Joining them is Bender, who immediately begins having trouble distinguishing what is real with what is not, goes insane and is sent to the HAL Institute.

Meanwhile, there is a shortage of Dark Matter and prices have skyrocketed. The Planet Express crew (excluding Bender) discovers that Mom owns a mine of Dark Matter deep within the Earth; when they arrive to thwart her plans, they discover that the mine is actually a battery farm for Nibblonians. It is also revealed that Professor Farnsworth created two crystals: one that turned Dark Matter into fuel (which Mom has control of), and an opposite, secret crystal shaped like a 12-sided D&D die that negates its effects, along with other drastic consequences should the two crystals meet. When that happens, the characters are propelled into an alternate fantasy realm known as Cornwood.

In this magical realm, containing many D&D and Lord of the Rings references, we see Bender as a knight (Titanius Anglesmith), Leela as a centaur (Leegola), the Professor as a wizard (The Great Wizard Greyfarn), Amy as queen of the "Water Nymphos" (Gynecaladriel), Hermes as another centaur with large breasts (Hermaphrodite), and Zoidberg as a squid-like blob. They, along with Fry, or "Frydo", must destroy the opposite crystal and defeat the evil Mom, or "Momon". However, things become complicated when the "dice of power" corrupts Frydo and he becomes a creature reminiscient of Gollum. Toward the end, the final battle appropriately comes down to, you guessed it, a dungeon and dragons.

Characters
Characters that can automatically confirmed, and characters that have been confirmed.
 * Amy Wong / Debut: Gynecaladriel
 * Bender Bending Rodríguez / Debut: Titanius Anglesmith
 * Cubert Farnsworth
 * Dr. John A. Zoidberg
 * Dwight Conrad
 * George Takei's Head
 * Hermes Conrad / Debut: Hermaphrodite
 * Hypnotoad
 * Mom / Debut: Momon
 * Nibbler
 * Nurse Ratchet
 * Dr. Ogden Wernstrom
 * Philip J. Fry / Debut: Frydo
 * Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth / Debut: The Great Wizard Greyfarn
 * Rich Little's Head
 * Sal
 * Turanga Leela / Debut: Leegola
 * Turanga Morris and Munda
 * Walt, Larry and Ignar

Cast

 * Billy West as Philip J. Fry/Frydo, Professor Hubert Farnsworth/The Great Wizard Greyfarn, Dr. Zoidberg, and Additional Voices
 * Katey Sagal as Turanga Leela/Leegola
 * John DiMaggio as Bender/Titanius Anglesmith, Ignar, and Additional Voices
 * Tress MacNeille as Mom/Momon, Turanga Munda, Nurse Ratchet and Additional Voices
 * Maurice LaMarche as Walt, and Additional Voices
 * Phil LaMarr as Hermes Conrad/Hermaphrodite, Dwight Conrad, and Additional Voices
 * Lauren Tom as Amy Wong/Gynecaladriel, and Additional Voices
 * David Herman as Larry, Turanga Morris, and Additional Voices
 * Kath Soucie as Cubert Farnsworth, and Additional Voices
 * Frank Welker as Nibbler, Trolls, and Additional Voices
 * Rich Little as Himself
 * George Takei as Himself

Trivia

 * At the time this was being made, E. Gary Gygax, the creator of Dungeons & Dragons and a one time guest star of Futurama, had passed away. Although this being made is merely a coincidence.
 * The plot of there being a dark matter shortage, resulting in higher prices, most likely is a parallel to our current oil crisis, with gas prices going over $4 a gallon.

The DVD
The DVD has been reported to include.
 * The film itself
 * Commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Michael Rowe, Claudia Katz and Dwayne Carey-Hill.
 * Storyboard Animatic: Bender's Game, Part One
 * Futurama Genetics Lab - Cross-breed Your Favorite Characters!
 * Dungeons & Dragons & Futurama feaurette
 * How To Draw "Futurama" In 83 Easy Steps Featurette
 * 3D Models Featurette With Animator Discussion
 * Deleted Scene: "Cup or Nozzle?"
 * Blooperama 2: Outakes From Bender's Game
 * Bender's Anti-Piracy Warning
 * A Sneak Peek at the Next "Futurama" Epic, Into the Wild Green Yonder

For the Blu-Ray version :


 * The contents mentioned above, but with the following technical enhancements;
 * Picture-in-Picture capabilities.
 * Authored in BD-J with AVC (MPEG 4) compression. (For Region A)
 * 50 GB dual-layer disc
 * English 5.1 DTS HD Lossless Master Audio
 * English, French, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese subtitles.