Reviewer's Rating 3 out of 5
The Simpsons Movie DVD (2007)

After years of toil and hype, The Simpsons Movie was quite funny, but most fans of the show agreed they'd rather have spent the money on a box set of classic episodes. Still, with the original writing team let off the leash, there was room for more risque humour, including explicit scenes of pig love.

Drawing The Line

Of course the animation is basic, so apart from a commentary by the directors, there isn't much about that on this DVD. A separate track hosted by the writer/creators offers a more intriguing glimpse at the machinery. With the standard set at an average of 20 laughs per minute for the TV show, the pen pushers had their work cut out.

The Simpsons Movie

When they're not too busy cracking each other up, they pause the movie at regular intervals to explain all the different ways a joke could have been played and the many "spirited discussions" that shaped the final cut. Series creator James L Brooks explains that it's not just about the laughs - we had to feel for 成人快手r as well. "The biggest conversation," he says, "is always about the tone of the movie." Matt Groening adds that, in the eagerness to experiment with the widescreen canvas, the script was "very coarse in its first incarnation".

Springfield Unseen

Writer Al Jean introduces six deleted scenes, including a 'slightly alternative ending' that finds 成人快手r and Bart back on the roof laying shingle. There's more footage of the Springfield riots, but the funniest of the batch sees a government lackey struggling to explain the alert level system to the dim-witted President Schwarzenegger. It involves a chair and tiptoes.

A few other skits find 成人快手r promoting the movie on US television. He gives Simon Cowell a taste of his own medicine on American Idol, critiquing his rendition of the Pussycat Dolls 'Don't Cha', and he tries to usurp Jay Leno as a America's favourite chat show host. Forget the celebrity cameos though, the best gag sees a drooling 成人快手r chase down a talking hotdog in Let's All Go To The Lobby.

All the teasers and trailers leading up to the film's release are thrown in too. It's a shame the voice artists don't get more of a look-in (just the odd word edge-wise in the writers' commentary), but this DVD should still appeal to all those sofa-bound disciples of 成人快手r.

EXTRA FEATURES

  • Audio commentary by the writer-creators, including James L Brooks, Matt Groening and voice talent Dan Castellanetta and Yeardly Smith
  • Audio commentary by the directors
  • 6 deleted scenes with an introduction by writer Al Jean
  • 成人快手r's monlogue on The Tonight Show
  • The Simpsons judge American Idol
  • 成人快手r Introduces American Idol
  • Let's All Go To The Lobby
  • 5 teasers and trailers
  • The Simpsons Movie DVD is released on Monday 10th December 2007.

    Technical Information

    REGION SOUND MENUS RATIO
    2 Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Animated, with music 2.35: 1 (anamorphic)
    CHAPTERS SUBTITLES AUDIO TRACKS
    25 English English
    CAPTIONS EXTRAS SUBTITLES CERTIFICATE
    English The special features are subtitled.

    End Credits

    Director: David Silverman

    Writer: Matt Groening, James L Brooks

    Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Harry Shearer

    Genre: Animation, Comedy

    Length: 73 minutes

    Cinema: 25 07 2007

    DVD: 10 December 2007

    Country: USA