Hulu's giggle-inducing Futureman is worth a look, if you leave your brain at the door

I’ve been watching Hulu’s Futureman with my wife and teenage sons this week, and even though this program is waaay too adult to watch with my kids, we have all agreed to ignore that fact because Futureman is an extremely funny show.

The show focuses on Josh Futterman (played by The Hunger Games’ Josh Hutcherson), a janitor at a disease research center who is obsessed with an unbeatable first-person shooter, which he plays obsessively every night after work. The way the game, Biotic Wars, is represented in-show doesn’t even attempt to accurately represent how actual games work, but Josh’s obsession with beating the game (and the cool game store where he hangs out) seem awfully familiar to me as a gamer.

One day, inspiration strikes, and Josh tries a new tactic to beat the game. Immediately following Josh's triumph, two intense time-travelers from the future appear, telling Josh that the game was sent back in time to recruit a “savior”, as the future has become a bleak dystopian where “biotics” rule the day, and humans live in the sewers and eat rats. Hijinks ensue, as the hapless Josh is deemed the savior, and is recruited to help the future-folks alter the timeline to prevent the rise of the biotics.

The show openly acknowledges the fact that it rips of the plot from 80’s cult favorite The Last Starfighter (it righteously doesn’t mention Ernest Cline’s bum-out follow up to Ready Player One, Armada). And after the first episode, the gaming aspect of the plot is pretty much abandoned. Not surprising, given the fact that the story is played for rapid fire jokes, with little concern for continuity or scientific accuracy.

Futureman is produced by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg, who also handle directing duties for the superior first two episodes (the decline in quality after the first two installments is noticeable, but not a deal-breaker). Their participation reveals everything you need to know about the show’s tone and content. The body humor jokes fly fast and furious, but are punctuated by sharp writing and a surprisingly killer supporting cast.  Viewers should be warned though, that despite the fun pacing and constant references to 80’s sci-fi (the Back to the Future “something has changed here” chime is used liberally), this show is 100% not appropriate for kids. Don’t even try.

However, for mature gamers looking to take a break from the overwhelming tidal wave of holiday releases, Futureman is worth a look. It is breezy fun, with a touch of heart. Just don’t expect it to make too much sense, and you will find yourself giggling at the audacious goofiness on display.