The Simpsons Movie (Blu-ray + DVD-Video)
Picture:
B+/B- Sound: A-/B Extras: B- Film: B-
In a
great irony on top of an irony, the best comedies on TV are the animated ones
for the most part. Even more amazing,
three of them have inspired hit feature films that made it to theaters and
solidified the reputation and popularity of said characters. Following Beavis & Butt-Head, then South
Park, The Simpsons Movie is the
most commercially successful of the three and though it can be amusing, I found
it to be the weakest of the three.
Why? Because it took so long, is so often obvious
beyond it own explicit admissions that it becomes too pandering for commercial
purposes. It made the money, but at what
cost to the soul of the show and franchise?
Well, the series has hit rough waters over a few seasons ago and there
are those who are amazed it is still on the air, but in some odd way, it has
become Gunsmoke for the 21st
Century by being one of those very rare broadcast network hits (its competitors
above are on cable channels) that becomes a long term institution.
The plot
involves how dangerous the waters around Springfield become when they are so
toxic, they consumer visiting Rock band Green Day. Part of the problem is that certain power
plant nearby, but the rest of the town is not helping. Eventually, it is sealed in a giant dome and
madness ensues. Despite many bold
moments in its 87 minutes, it never seems like a fully realized feature. After all, ideas for the show have been so
used up to this point that a feature is harder to make work. The makers say this will be it and if they
are smart, they’ll stick to that and realize how lucky they got here. At least all the original voice actors were
still around to perform.
The 1080p
2.35 X 1 MPEG-4 (not 2, like the back of the case mistakenly says) @ 37 MBPS
digital High Definition image is very good, clean, clear and the best this
style of animation is ever going to look.
The money is up on the screen miles away from the first shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show and my only
surprise is that they went for scope. On
this simple level, it looks almost as good as a Chicken Little, but I still had minor detail issues with the film
here, though color and depth are very consistent all around. The anamorphically enhanced DVD-Video version
also looks good, but cannot handle the richer aspects of the picture, including
Video Black issues.
Both
discs offer DTS 5.1 mixes that reflect the clever sound design the makers used,
which turns out to be the nicest surprise of the whole film. If the DVD’s regular DTS is impressive, the
DTS HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 mix is ever more dynamic and presents a
more sterling soundstage all the way down to the recording of the voice actors.
Extras
include deleted scenes with introduction to the following:
- Levels
- Springfield News
- DMV
- Sausage Truck
- Emperor Moe
- Slightly Alternate Ending
You also
get Homer's Monologue on The Tonight
Show, The Simpsons Judge American
Idol, Homer Introduces American Idol,
Let's All Go To The Lobby redux, Easter
Eggs: THX... D'oh!, Adrians, Creatures, Cargill's and promo
clips including the teaser trailer, Bunny Trailer 1, Bunny Trailer 2, The
Line/Teaser Trailer and final Theatrical Trailer.
For more
on The Simpsons, try the links to
our coverage on DVD of the following seasons…
Four
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1357/Simpsons
Five
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1951/The+Simpsons
Eight
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4090/The+Simpsons+-+The+Complete
Nine
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4971/The+Simpsons
Plus
these special releases…
Bart Wars
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2259/The+Simpsons+-+Bart+Wars
Christmas 2
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1880/The+Simpsons+Christmas+2
Gone Wild
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1697/Simpsons+Gone+Wild
- Nicholas Sheffo
