Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Simpsons Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

The familar cast of cartoon characters grows bigger, bolder and bawdier on Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Greg Maltz December 26, 2007

You won't see more wrinkles in Grandpa Simpson's face nor the fabric texture of Ned Flanders' knit sweater in greater detail, but The Simpsons Movie on BD is well worth checking out. The audio is punchy and dynamic. The picture is, too. And the story is what you'd expect after more than 15 years worth of prime-time slapstick drama and shenanigans. With epithets like "eat my shorts" and "d'oh!" becoming part of pop culture lexicon, few shows have had as much influence or fanfare. In the Simpsons' first foray to the silver screen, the beloved antihero Homer manages to doom Springfield to destruction, but can he overcome being ostracized and avert the power of the federal government to save Springfield and all its inhabitants? The fate of The Simpsons rests in Homer's chubby hands.

The people of Springfield, including Lisa, Homer, Bart, Marge and Maggie Simpson (center, from left) stare on in bewilderment as an enormous dome is airlifted over their town.

The story kicks off as Springfield faces an environmental crisis. Excessive dumping and pollution have brought Springfield's lake to the brink of disaster. Mayor Quimby, whose voice has always spoofed the Kennedies, issues a decree stipulating that dumping in the lake will end. He erects idiot-proof barriers around the lake's perimeter to ensure no further pollution. Of course, idiot-proof is not the same as Homer-proof, and Mr. Simpson manages to break through the barriers to dump an enormous canister of dung into the lake. Pushed beyond the limits of toxicity, the lake begins to cause animal mutations.

The U.S. EPA, with go-ahead from the president, must act to protect the rest of the country from the environmental hazard. An enormous dome is placed over Springfield. Not surprisingly, the town's citizens are angered at being cut off from the outside world. They quickly discover that Homer brought this disaster upon them and form a torch- wielding lynch mob to come after the Simpsons. With some drama, the family manages to escape from the dome through a tiny sinkhole and make their way to Alaska. Homer is content in his new life but Marge's sense of morality leads her to return to Springfield without Homer. Meanwhile, Springfield has deteriorated rapidly and the EPA plans to destroy it to cover up the dome fiasco. Alone, and faced with the challenge of saving his family and all of Springfield, Homer tackles the crisis head-on, with slapstick results.

The Simpsons Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As Ned Flanders might say, the video is "scrum-diddly-umptious". The novelty of seeing The Simpsons in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio is quite a draw in itself. After all these years, the show's producers can spread out beyond the 1.33:1 limits they have faced since The Simpsons inception. As always, where the DVD version has 480i resolution, the Blu-ray features 1080p--and that may be all the reason needed to make your selection, given that both versions were released the same day. The BD's picture appears solid and vibrant, with good contrast and black level. Some viewers claim to observe banding around edges, but this reviewer detected none of that. The picture is clean. Not surprisingly, no motion artifacts are to be seen either, as the imagery and animation are very straightforward. By that token, the imagery is virtually grain-free. If that's how you like your HT experience, this might be the best picture you've ever seen, with bold colors and dramatic motion. Watch the scene where Bart must take Homer's dare to skateboard nude through town. Objects and people in the cartoon fly by, but the presentation remains rock solid, with no smearing or pixelation.

The Simpsons Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 5.1 mix, with 24-bit resolution (albeit at only 48 kHz) is among the most aggressive and forward presentations offered on BD. The voices and music are in-your-face and feature more definition than Simpsons fans are accustomed to from TV broadcasts. At first, this foreword presentation is a jolt and some may find it jarring, but it is a good upgrade to a cinematic level. Listen to the bass rumble as the helicopters airlift the barrier dome over Springfield. It nearly rivals the effects of the most dynamic action film. Actually, the mix may be a bit bottom heavy and rolled-off on top. It does not sound perfectly natural, but to expect more from an animated feature is a bit silly. Still, one can't help but wonder whether producing the DTS-HD with a sampling rate of 96 or 192 kHz would make the audio more lifelike and relaxed within the soundstage. The tastefully mixed surround presentation is for the most part spot-on in its use of rear channels.

The Simpsons Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While the DVD version includes the same set of extras as the Blu-ray, the latter gets a nice upgrade to 1080p. So Fox deserves some thanks for this. Still, there is not a whole lot to get excited about. The most worthwhile supplements are the two audio commentaries. One track showcases Simpsons creators James L. Brooks and Matt Groening, producers Al Jean and Mike Scully, director David Silverman and voices Dan Castellaneta and Yeardley Smith. The second audio commentary track features Silverman and writers/producers Mike B. Anderson, Steven Dean Moore and Rich Moore. Both tracks are instructive, but I don't see a heck of a lot of draw for Simpsons fans who simply want to be entertained. Do we really need to know the screenplay went through 152 drafts and rewrites? Or hear the constant jesting of principles from the first audio track or the more sober commentary of the second track? While it's interesting and informative, its main audience lies firmly in the camp of die-hard fans who thrive on Simpsons trivia.

An alternate ending and six other deleted scenes in 1080p, totally five minutes, are introduced by Al Jean. As is the case more often than not, one easily gets the gist of why these were deleted. They are not particularly entertaining, nor central to any plot development. Of only moderately more entertainment value is the inclusion of four minutes worth of TV guest appearances such as Homer's appearance on The Tonight Show and American Idol. Four theatrical trailers and one teaser are also included.

Several Easter Egg bonuses have been found. They can be difficult to access, but keep trying. When in the "Audio Setup" menu, select the English DTS 5.1 option, but instead of pressing "enter", press "up". A donut icon appears and you can access a Simpsons spoof of THX vignette by pressing "enter" with the donut icon highlighted. Another set of eggs is accessible from the BD's pop-up menu. Highlight the "Play Movie" option and press "down". Then hit "enter" to access "visual developments" supplements featuring the mutant fish from the lake and Lisa's boyfriend. Two more vignettes can be selected from the subsequent two options from the main menu, "audio setup" and "special features". As described, highlight them and press "left" to underline the option. Then hit "enter".

The Simpsons Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While The Simpsons Movie provided two solid hours of entertainment and laughs and the video quality was great, it was a bit of a letdown. In a recent episode on The Simpsons time slot of 8:00 p.m., Sunday evening, Homer was pushed off a bridge and, as he fell, his life passed before his eyes. That two-minute sequence was funnier than anything in The Simpson's Movie. Since the early 1990s, the show has earned a reputation for pushing the barriers of prime time, network TV. Yet in the film, the show's creators had no such barrier as the FCC and what did they come up with? Not much, in the way of taking chances. While it certainly had a few uncomfortable moments--an inappropriate reference to pedophelia, and a separate, silly exposure of Bart's penis--The Simpsons Movie made no real attempt to push the envelope. Sure, there was the requisite bashing and demonization of the government, but that has almost become a prerequisite for any Hollywood production. It would have been nice to see the movie's creators stretch out and give us something we really weren't expecting. Maybe in The Simpsons Movie 2?