Futurama (TV Series) A Tale of Two Santas (2001) User Reviews

The One Where Bender Is Santa...

[taylorkingston · 8/10 · 6 April 2016]

I absolutely love this episode. It's so great. I mean, the Robot Santa always freaked me out, but when you add Bender into the mix, that just equals hilarious-ness.

In this episode, it's Christmas time, and you know what that means; Robot Santa. Fry, Leela, and Bender must fly to the planet Neptune to deliver a package, and they come across Robot Santa. But since he gets hurt, Bender decides to take Robot Santa's place, and he is enjoying the job way too much. Thankfully, it gets hard for him to be that evil.

Opening title: This episode performed entirely by sock puppets

Best part of the episode: Bender as Santa.

Worst part of the episode: Robot Santa.

Overall, I give this episode an 8 out of 10, which in my ratings book is: Awesome.

Santa returns as promised!

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 8 May 2012]

A year after Santa promised he'd return the people of Earth are getting ready... boarding up windows, locking doors and sealing the fireplace! Not everybody can be in doors though... Fry, Leela and Bender are tasked with delivering the Christmas post to Santa at the North Pole of Neptune. When they arrive they are greeted by what they think are his elves but it turns out they are just his malnourished Neptunian workforce. They manage to deliver the letters and just as they think they have got away the ship won't take off; Santa has got hold of it! Luckily the engines melt the ice he is standing on and he ends up in neck deep water which soon freezes again. With only a day left it will be up to the crew to bring a real Christmas to the people of Earth... it is just a shame for Bender that everybody is expecting the real Robot Santa so he is attacked, shot and ultimately sentenced to death!

This, the second Xmas special, wasn't as good as the first but it still had plenty of good moments; the stunted Neptunian workforce were pretty funny and Zoidberg's appearance as Jesus was hilarious; probably the funniest moment of the show... assuming you weren't offended by it! Robot Santa was funny but was essentially doing just what he did last time so didn't have the same impact. Futurama doesn't feature too many 'singing moments' but when it does they are usually quite good and this one was no exception as the crew sang a ditty while getting the Neptunians back to work.

"Santa Bender is coming to town!"

[morrison-dylan-fan · 10/10 · 28 December 2021]

After watching the dazzling Futurama Xmas Story (1999-also reviewed) again, I decided to open another Futurama DVD box set, and got ready to meet two Santas.

View on the episode:

Taking over after John Goodman voiced the first appearance of the character, John DiMaggio gives a hilarious performance as Santa, who Ho Ho Ho with glee when punishing everyone who he deems naughty, with DiMaggio also voicing Bender, leading to very funny snappy exchanges, when Bender tries to be a good Santa,and the locals reply by attempting to kill him.

Getting merry with an excellent mix of fluid, expressive hand-drawn animation and slick CGI, the screenplay by Bill Odenkirk brilliantly builds on the set-up of the evil robotic Santa from the first X-Mas special, by sending the Planet Express crew to Santa's fortress on Neptune, where the elves wear short-shorts and the factory running on empty.

Freezing Santa in ice, Odenkirk wonderfully has Bender attempt to become a new, non-psychotic Santa, only for robot Santa to get out of the ice,and wish all a good night.