In The Bob's Burgers Movie, One Character Stands Above The Rest
"Bob's Burgers" is an ongoing animated series about a family that shows their love through constant bickering and the occasional musical number. Surviving since 2011 wasn't enough for the Fox production, though, because in May 2022, "The Bob's Burgers Movie" was released to fan and critical acclaim. In broad strokes, the movie follows the Belcher family in the aftermath of a massive pothole swallowing the entrance to their family restaurant. Sadly, no, it's not about aliens (the first trailers really felt like it was going to be about aliens, didn't they?).
Like the series before it, "The Bob's Burgers Movie" features a vast cast of characters, each with their own incredibly defined personalities, including the background faces, which are all familiar to fans of the show. With that kind of devotion to detail, one might think the social response to the film would be more varied, with everyone happily talking about their favorite characters. And that technically what happened, except ... well, for one unique moment in time, it looks like everyone is talking about the same person, and so it's her day in the sun.
Everyone agrees that Louise is the movie's MVP
It's not uncommon for popular culture sites to voice their opinions about a movie when it's applicable to do so. What is rare, though, is when practically every single site shares the same opinion about the same thing. In this case, it seems that everyone agrees that Louise Belcher is the best character in "The Bob's Burgers Movie." Movie Web thinks it, Screen Rant thinks it, Comic Book Resources thinks it, even Game Rant thinks it. Sure, that's only four examples, but how many articles need to be linked before the point is made?
For anyone who hasn't seen the movie, and has somehow missed over a decade of episodic television, Louise Belcher is the youngest of the three children in the Belcher family. She's small for her age, always wears a pink hat with bunny ears, and is far more eloquent than basically any other character in the series. As far as energy goes, she's like a tiny Gina Linetti (Chelsea Paretti) from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," except the things she says usually make sense (even if they're patently ridiculous). More often than not, she orchestrates the events that take place in any given episode, and the same holds true for the movie. Now, she rarely picks the right path, but she always picks something, and that makes her interesting.
Louise has a surprising amount of heart for someone so manipulative
All five members in the Belcher family are going through something unique in ""The Bob's Burgers Movie." Bob and Linda are struggling with a loan payment to keep the restaurant afloat (the Belchers are very, very poor), Tina is grappling with crushing anxiety, Gene just really wants to play music, and Louise is faced with the fear of growing up. More specifically, Louise takes a hard look at herself when the other students mock her for still wearing her silly pink hat, a fashion accessory which she famously never takes off. In deciding to commit daring (dangerous) acts to prove her maturity, she drags her family into a deadly conspiracy which she ultimately must save them from.
Action alone doesn't make Louise the best (although it certainly helps). What makes her choices so compelling are the emotions driving them because Louise is, essentially, the heart of the film. Her expression of confidence — even when it comes to the vulnerability that leads to her breakdown near the end — all spurs her family to act against their own fears. For a character who's constantly verbally abusing and manipulating the people around her (she once tried to glue her brother to the toilet seat and ended up accidentally trapping her father), it's some powerful content.