The Simpsons Movie

Dom Robinson reviews

The Simpsons MovieSee our family. And feel better about yours.Distributed by
DVD:
Blu-Ray:

• Cert:
• Cat.no: 3462501000
• Running time: 84 minutes
• Year: 2007
• Pressing: 2007
• Region(s): 2, PAL
• Chapters: 24 plus extras
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
• Languages: English
• Subtitles: English for the hearing-impaired, English commentary * 2
• Widescreen: 2.35:1
• 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
• Macrovision: Yes
• Disc Format: DVD 9
• Price: £19.99
• Extras:Deleted Scenes, Audio commentaries, Audio descriptive track, Special Stuff, Trailers
  

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  Director:

  David Silverman

  (Monsters Inc, The Road To El Dorado, The Simpsons Movie, TV: The Simpsons)

Producers:

James L Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Richard Sakai & Mike Scully

Screenplay:

15 people – talk about “Too many cooks spoil the broth”(!)

Music:

Hans Zimmer

Cast:

Homer/Itchy/Barney/Grampa/Krusty/Mayor Quimby/Squeeky Voiced Teen: Dan Castellaneta
Marge: Julie Kavner
Bart/Maggie/Ralph/Nelson/Todd Flanders: Nancy Cartwright
Lisa: Yeardley Smith
Professor Frink/Comic Book Guy/Moe/Chief Wiggum/Lou/Carl/Cletus/Bumblebee Man/Apu/Sea Captain: Hank Azaria
Scratchy/Mr Burns/Smithers/Rev. Lovejoy/Ned Flander/Lenny/President Arnold Schwarzenegger/Kent Brockman/PrincipalSkinner/Dr Hibbert/Otto/Kang: Harry Shearer
Milhouse/Rod Flanders: Pamela Hayden
Mrs Skinner/Pig/Cat Lady/Cookie Kwan: Tress MacNeille
Russ Cargill: Albert Brooks
Mrs Krabappel: Marcia Wallace
Martin: Russi Taylor
Helen Lovejoy: Maggie Roswell

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The Simpsons Movieis something that should’ve been made 10 years ago when it was at the peak of its popularity and not now when it’s long-sincepast its best and it’s only TV presenters with short memories that still proclaim it as the funniest TV show on the box.

So, what happens in a film that lasts four times as long as a regular episode? Well, there’s lots of pollution in SpringfieldLake and it’s the silo full of “Pig Crap” from Homer that sends it over the edge and causes the government to seal offthe town from the rest of the world, such that everyone then wants him dead.

Naturally, the family find a way to escape and then they start a new life in Alaska, but this is short-lived and Homerrealises that if he wants to get his life back to normal and for Marge and the kids to trust him again, he needs tosave Springfield.

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Amusing things in this film:

• 1. A good opening Itchy & Scratchy short, as well as humourous opening credits.
• 2. Bart’s skateboarding in the nude.
• 3. A spoof IPP (In-Programme Pointer) – i.e. a line along the bottom of the screen promoting another show, in this case onethat says, “Watch ‘Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?’ – Wednesdays on Fox. That’s right, we even advertise shows duringmovies now.”

  It’s intrusions like that from fucknut broadcasters these days, along with moronic continuity announcers butting in and tellingus sod all that’s useful, which is taking TV down to the most dumbed-down level at which it has ever been.

There are a few other small moments that make up the rest of the running time, plus a handful of movie spoofs and a hellof a lot of filler, not least the fact that we see Homer going on a spiritual journey (again) and that during the endcredits we see Maggie saying her first word (again). Elsewhere during the film, Marge gets annoyed with Homer and leaveshim to regroup her thoughts (again) and Lisa falls in love (again). Even the general Homer/Bart moments are so old hatand have been done before that I’m tired of them. And the chance was missed to make Rainer Wolfcastle the President…so they used the same voice and look but made him President Schwarznegger. Wolfcastle is *already* a spoof of Arnie sothis was a step too far.

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I had great reservations about this film because The Simpsons was once a great show but hasn’t beenparticularly and consistently funny since part-way through Season 10 with When You Dish Upon A Star, the episodewith Kim Basinger, Alec Baldwin and Ron Howard, which was just dreadful. That’s when the rot set in and they could’ve gotaway with a film then, but not nearly 10 years later, especially not after so many stupid cameos from famous people thatadd nothing along the way, such as the appearance by international global terrorist and mass murderer Tony Blair. And everymilestone that comes along (300th, 350th, 400th episode…) just serves to confirm this.

And who can remember the Ricky Gervais episode? Barely. Only that he was once in it after writing an episode, most of whichwas taken up with a big plug for Sky’s own HD service(!) Pitiful.

Oh, and “Spider-pig” just isn’t funny at all. Plus, Homer and Bart have had adventures with animals and other creaturesbefore with a monkey, hamster and Pinchy the lobster.

Overall, The Simpsons Movie is mostly just the same old gags but with some more flashy visuals and camera angles andFox should just scrap The Simpsons and continue with Family Guy and Futurama!

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Dan Castellaneta (the voice of Homer)
talks on Breakfast about The Simpsons Movie.The film is presented in the original 2.35:1 theatrical ratio and is anamorphic with no problems whatsoever,although it does seem odd that for a show which continues to be made in 4:3goes all out for 2.35:1 on the big screen.There’s also no problem with the sound, which is available in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 – so I chosethe latter, but it just delivers what you’d expect with no surprises, and there’s been great sound moments on theshow itself in good ol’ Dolby Surround so it doesn’t add a lot here.

Extras-wise, there’s a pre-DVD trailer for the fact brand new episodes of the Simpsons air on Sky One on Sundays,plus film trailers for Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the resurrection of Futurama in Bender’s Big Score, the latterof which is a welcome idea but all trailers SHOULD go in the extras section!

For those who want real extras, there are two audio commentary tracks, one from creators, writers and the voices ofHomer & Lisa, plus one from four directors. There are subtitle tracks for both of these, too.

Five trailers and teasers are included (all but one in anamorphic widescreen), with 6 deleted/extended scenes(running 5:12 including a “slightly alternate ending”), the first clearly indicating that Wolfcastle would’ve been the President asthere’s no reference to Arnie. None of these are particularly funny and I fail to see how the “slightly alternate ending” ismuch to shout about as there’s great emphasis on the word ‘slight’.

The four lots of ‘Special Stuff’ (3:25) again, aren’t particularly special. They’re 16:9 clips made for the DVD,one of Homer supposedly hosting the Tonight Show, then the Simpsons judge American Idol with Simon Cowell doing a song.All is not over, though, as Homer then introduces the same show, and then there’s a spoof of the “Let’s All Go To The Lobby”advert seen in US cinemas.

The DVD menus are animated with looped sound, there are subtitles in English for the hearing-impaired and there’s a decentamount of chapters with 24 spread throughout the 84-minute running time which is perfectly fine.

FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


OVERALLReview copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2008.