THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

"D'oh"

As Lake Springfield becomes more and more polluted, Lisa Simpson (Smith) campaigns for Springfield to clean up their act but as Mayor Quimby bans all dumping in the Lake, one man cannot heed that warning. That one last huge dump turns the lake into the most toxic place in America, so the Head of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Russ Cargill (Brooks) suggests to the President of the United States that employ an unthinkable plan to stop the city contaminating the rest of the country. The plan is to drop a giant glass dome over the city and cut it off completely but as the government does exactly that, the people of Springfield discover who the man responsible is and that man is Homer Simpson (Castellaneta).

After almost twenty years and over four hundred television episodes, the Simpsons head to the silver screen but can its international fan base guarantee it becomes a hit movie?

The Simpsons is one of the most successful shows in television history and creator Matt Groening has overseen the adventures of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie for twenty years. Moving from cult status to worldwide phenomenon, the Simpsons is an unparalleled success not only for animation but for television in general. With the an ability to pull in big name guests and to comment on world situations with parody and social satire, the Simpsons turned from a nightmare family to one that was renown for family values.

For years fans have been clambering for their favourite dysfunctional family to make the move onto the big screen but for almost two decades Matt Groening has resisted, until now. With the restrictions of television now removed, the Simpsons now had unparallel freedom of expression and ability to go places that they simply couldn't on the small screen but unfortunately they don't go far enough. Fans of the long running series and even casual viewers have noticed that The Simpsons is simply not as funny or as cutting edge as it once one. With the odd exception, the last three or four season have become slightly mundane, strange and even too safe with fans dreaming of the good old days when the series was the talk of industry. The movie was the opportunity for Matt Groening and his creative team to reinvigorate the fans but sadly the feature length Simpsons fails to do that.

The plot of the movie is simple. Lake Springfield has been the dumping ground for everything for decades and it cannot take anymore. If the dumping continues the lake will become toxic and it is Lisa Simpson who wants to make the people of Springfield stop before it is too late. Giving a talk called 'The Irritating Truth', Lisa manages to convince Mayor Quimby and the rest of the population of Springfield that dumping should be banned. Even with the ban in place, on giant last dump into the lake pushes it past the toxic point and makes Springfield the most populated place in America. This pushes the President of the United States to take drastic action and under the advisement of the Environmental Protection Agency they cut Springfield off from the rest of the world and of course it is all Homer's fault. The problem is that this plot would have been just as at home on the TV show as it would on the big screen because there is nothing here that really pushes the envelope or the characters.

Another problem is the film concentrates mainly on Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie and new character the Head of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Russ Cargill, voiced by Albert Brooks, forsaking most of your favourite characters and reducing them to cameos. The villain of the piece should have been an established character like Mr Burns or Sideshow Bob, not someone we don't know or who has to be introduced. This also reduces the chances for real laugh-out-loud comedy, with only one or two big belly laughs and most of the best jokes given away in the trailer.

'The Simpsons Movie' will be a disappointment to diehard fans of the series but there are still some things to enjoy here. The main characters are still classic and the sight of Homer and the rest of the inhabitants of Springfield on the big screen are still a sight to behold and one that will bring a smile to your face but those of you expecting a classic will be disappointed. This is a good comedy but not the laugh riot we all wanted. Matt Groening and his creative team should say a collective "D'oh".

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic with Dolby Digital 5.1 and dts soundtracks, the transfer is very good, as you'd expect from an animated movie.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary
Creator Matt Groening, writers Al Jean and Mike Scully, director David Silverman and vocal stars Dan Castellaneta, James L. Brooks and Yeardley Smith provide a funny commentary for 'The Simpsons Movie'. This funny and informative commentary allows the creators of the movie and its talented voice cast to reveal why they finally wanted to make movie. They talk about the bigger and slightly more dramatic plot, as well as the extremely funny moments. This is a good commentary and one that fans of the Simpsons should really enjoy.

Director's Commentary
Director David Silverman and sequence directors Mike B. Anderson, Steven Dean Moore and Rich Moore provide a more technical commentary a week after the film's release around the world. This fun track allows the director's to talk about their input into the film and how the film was approached differently to the TV show. This is another fine commentary and one that fans should enjoy.

Deleted Scenes (5.13 mins)
Entitled 'Levels', 'Springfield News', 'DMV', 'Sausage Truck', 'Emperor Moe' and 'Slightly Alternate Ending', these deleted scenes are introduced by writer Al Jean.

Special Stuff (3.26 mins)
Entitled 'Homer's monologue on the Tonight Show', 'The Simpsons judge American Idol', 'Homer introduces American Idol' and 'Let's go to the Lobby', see your favourites on America's biggest shows.

A lot of Trailers (5.06 mins)
Watch the 'Announcement trailer', 'Bunny Trailer 1 & 2', 'The Line/Teaser Trailer' and the full 'Theatrical Trailer'.

Trailers
Previews of 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' and 'Futurama: Bender's Big Score'

OVERALL

The DVD treatment for 'The Simpsons Movie' is one that fans should enjoy. The commentary tracks are very good and the extra scenes are fun. The lack of a featurette or interviews with the vocal cast is a little disappointing however but fans should still enjoy this DVD.

DVD

The Simpsons (TV Series)

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2007