"The Simpsons Movie" Talkback (Spoilers)

I'd like to point out that The Simpsons Movie is now the 24th most successful animated movie of all time, and ranked #5 as the most successful 2D animated movie.
Neat!
 
I came to one very important revelation after watching The Simpsons Movie last night: I need to stop watching movie trailers. There were so many jokes that were deserving of a good laugh last night, but they didn't get one from me because I had already heard them a million times on the trailers. Seriously, they never should have shown us that four-states-that-border-Sprinfield gag before we were in the theater because that was just a brilliant jab at what has been a long standing debate among the show's many fans. I think Hollywood really needs to stop giving away so much in their trailers. It should be easy for me to avoid them on the internet and television, but I'm not quite sure how I'll do it in the movie theater. I guess I'll have to run screaming from the room with my hands over my ears the next time a trailer for a movie I'm anticipating shows up on the screen. It should make quite the spectacle. :p

Moving on to the movie, I suppose I'll give The Simpsons Movie this thread's equivalent of 4 stars. It was truly awesome to see one of America's favorite families up on the big screen and Springfield really comes alive in this format. However, that leads me to my first complaint: When you come right down to it, we don't see THAT much of Springfield. The movie created a beautiful Alaska -- there's no doubt about that in my mind -- but after all these years of building up the town of Springfield, I really think the movie should have found a way to create a great story that didn't require changing locations. As I sit here, I can think of a number of beloved Springfield locations that didn't get any attention in the movie. You'd think they'd at least have a couple scenes inside the school, but if memory serves all we really saw was a shot of it sparkling from the outside toward the end of the movie.

This series has built up 18 years worth of history (and counting), but it feels like they barely tapped it at all for this movie. Oh sure, there were humorous references and "inside jokes" scattered about it you looked for them -- my personal favorite was watching Homer and Bart jump that motorcycle over Springfield Gorge using the same ramp that Bart attempted to use when he became a daredevil so long ago; and seeing that ambulance still smashed against the tree on the other side really was the icing on the cake -- but where's the real connection to the rich history that the series has created? So many of the characters were reduced to cameos and those that did receive a little attention seemed a little off at times. I suppose part of that could be due to the fact that I haven't watched as faithfully these past few years, but I think the majority of the problem is that the movie was so busy trying to get through its story in 87 minutes that it simply didn't have the time to do justice to the smaller segments within the overall arc.

I'm sure this review makes it sound like I hated the movie, but I really didn't. I laughed many times (not non-stop like some people claim), and I'm certain I'll pick it up on dvd when I comes out, but I felt my review of The Simpsons Movie really needed a little tough love because this movie could have been so much more. If there is another movie, perhaps they'll find a way to use more of the town and its beloved citizens. I've long thought that a story like the old two-part story about who shot Mr. Burns would make a great movie plot. It kept all the action in Springfield, and it drew from the established population when it chose its villain. Heck, let Mr. Burns have another zany scheme for the sequel -- I'd be happy!

Ok, ok....it doesn't have to be "zany." ;)
 
Watched Fox's airing of this movie on Thanksgiving 2010. This truly was a golden oportunity for the creators to put an end to this series. All things considered, I didn't think this movie was too bad. I remember when I first saw it in the theaters, I went in with absolutely no expectations. I knew that the show hadn't put out a quality season in more than five years. So I wasn't expecting the movie to be at the level that the show was back during the 90's.
 
Eh... the movie hasn't aged too well. It's not BAD (there are still some jokes I laugh at), but I'm not sure why I was so ecstatic back in 2007. Maybe the thrill of seeing The Simpsons on the big screen made me give the movie the benefit of the doubt. Hype can do funny things sometimes.

Watching it today though, the pig stuff isn't funny, the movie suffers from character cameo-itis, and it lacks the wit that the best episodes had. Oh, and Lisa's crush went nowhere. Most importantly, why is the character that's president named Schwarzenegger when he's so obviously Rainier Wolfcastle?

If I had to rate it today, I'd probably give it a B-. OK, not great. [/Lurr]
 
For the most part, I agree as well. Parts of the movie are still funny, but most of the time it just comes off like it'd fit perfectly with the Mike Scully era episodes. It's still one of the best things the show had output in years, but given the choice to watch this or Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, I'll take South Park, that movie stays wicked funny no matter how many times I see it(and I've seen it too many times to count).
 
Me, I still enjoy Hans Zimmer's score a lot.

It's a pity it's already been used though, I would have liked to have used a few certain tracks ('Lead, Not To Read', for example), if I made an full-length animated film of my own.
 
I'm suprised no one did this yet, so here goes :)

*Bart's doodle was cut
* Ned Flanders saying "penis" followed by his sons saying it is cut
* Homer flipping off the crowd as he got stuck in the sinkhole is removed or reanimated.
* Marge's ,"Someone throw the g--damn bomb!" was changed to, "Someone throw the bomb!"
* Otto smoking is removed

Credits stayed intact till the Simpsons left then it went to fast forward mode.

I saw this on Fox HD, but I could tell its the pan and scan version. :(
 
They cut a little more than that; Otto smoking his bong was cut, as well as Homer's dialogue regarding the mob attacking them during Access Hollywood. Fox Chicago also cut into the movie a little late(right in the middle of the opening Itchy and Scratchy cartoon), so I also didn't get to see Ralph in the 20th Century Fox logo, which was a shame since it's something I laugh at every time I see it.
 
Well, I did enjoy the movie when I first saw it. But I haven't seen it since 2007. But either way that's not what I'm talking about.

What I am talking about is something about the animation. Most of us do know that both Akom and Rough Draft worked on this (if there are people who don't know this, then the info's on the interwebz).

But I'm kinda wondering which company did which scene (the CG was Rough Draft's but that's besides the point). I ask since I notice a different frame rate at certain parts of the film (the scene with the animals (ala Snow White) in the bedroom and the scene at Mr. Burns' mansion come to mind right away).

I came to the assumption that those scenes were Akom's, but I could be wrong. If anyone can provide a breakdown of the work each company did (CG aside), I'll be happy.
 
Back
Top