Ani-MAY-tion Month: The Simpsons Movie (2007)

I have been a fan of The Simpsons for years. In fact, the show has had a large fanbase since it peaked in the mid-nineties and made its way into the public consciousness and made such a huge impact on recent pop culture. When the movie was finally released I, and many others, felt that it was coming along too late. The show had started to dip in quality, a dip that would last a number of years (and some might say it has never recovered), and it wasn't quite the non-stop source of hilarity it used to be. I was disappointed when I came out of the cinema in 2007, having just seen the movie. Now, watching the movie again, I have no idea why.

There are two things worth remembering, I think. One, The Simpsons remains one of the best shows on TV ever, even when it's not hitting the heights it once reached. Two, The Simpsons Movie is just about the best TV to film transition that any fan of the show could have hoped for. Everything is kept the same, but it's all given a bit of scope and polish to make it worthy of a feature film.

I'm not going to tell you about the characters. Anyone who doesn't know the Simpson family probably doesn't read this blog. But the plot is all about pollution bringing about some major trouble in Springfield. There's a dome placed over the entire area, and the residents are left to their own devices as resources run low and tempers start to run high. Homer is the man who caused this situation, in his usual carefree manner, but he might just be the man who can fix it all.

Everyone involved in the TV show gets to shine in the movie version, which is as it should be. Nobody would want a movie that didn't have Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Yeardley Smith, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria involved. And there are some great vocal cameos from Green Day, Tom Hanks and others, with a fantastic role for Albert Brooks (as Russ Cargill, the man with a plan to "clean up" Springfield).

Director David Silverman does a fantastic job of keeping everything both cinema-worthy and in line with the show, while the wealth of writers who contributed to the script have all helped to craft something worthwhile. Normally seeing so many writers listed would be cause for alarm, but The Simpsons has always used a huge team of writers, so it's no surprise to see so many of them working on the movie.

There are things that fans will wish had been changed, and one of the most common complaints is how some of the major supporting characters are sidelined, but I can't really envision a better outcome than this. The storyline is decent, the gags are great, the characters are unchanged, no punches seem to be pulled, and there's a ridiculous sequence in which Bart skateboards through the town absolutely naked that is as smart as it is cheeky and hilarious. And those last eight words sum up why I'll never stop loving The Simpsons.

9/10

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Into The Wild Green Yonder (2009)

I don't care what people say nowadays, I think The Simpsons is one of the best TV shows ever made. It's certainly the best animated show of all time (despite stiff competition from classics and newcomers). I've seen some of the newer episodes that people like to say prove the show is well past its prime and just don't see the decline in quality that people keep trying to point to. Yes, there were some noted peak seasons but the show is consistently great, in my opinion, and I'll always be a fan. The show that comes closest to it (despite stiff competition from classics and newcomers) is Futurama. Created by Matt Groening and others who worked on The Simpsons, Futurama is the sci-fi-centric sibling of that show. It started off very much in the shadow of The Simpsons but quickly went on to gain a loyal following among fans like myself, who found a multitude of great references and gags in every episode.

The central premise is that old sci-fi staple of someone being accidentally frozen for many, many years and then waking up in a strange future. The 21st century man is just an average guy named Fry (voiced by Billy West) but he soon settles into his new life with Professor Farnsworth (also voiced by Billy West), Leela (voiced by Katey Sagal), Hermes (voiced by Phil LaMarr), Dr. Zoidberg (Billy West again) and, of course, Bender the robot (voiced by John Di Maggio). Together, this ragtag team go on missions delivering goods in their Planet Express spaceship.

In case you're unaware of just what happened to the show here is the easy summary. Futurama was cancelled. Then four movies (with this being the last one) were made. Then it wasn't cancelled any more. Which makes the four movies just as good as they ever were but also leaves them feeling a bit odd because they were obviously meant to provide a satisfying resolution for fans. Having said that, the movies don't really go by standard movie rules and, thankfully, end up playing out like extended episodes of the fantastic TV show. Just as they should.

The plot here is all about the universe being damaged, Leela protesting, Bender getting himself in trouble, Fry being able to read the thoughts of others suddenly and a few other things but all you need to know is that the jokes keep being thrown around thick and fast, the characters are all as entertaining as ever, the animation and design work is superb and Zapp Brannigan (ANOTHER character voiced by Billy West) sings a bit of Duran Duran at one point. What more could you wish for.

Peter Avanzino directs the inspired lunacy, written by Ken Keeler and David X. Cohen, and he clearly knows how to pitch everything just perfectly for fans of the show. If you love Futurama then I, personally, feel that the movies are well worth buying, watching and rewatching.

8/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Futurama-Green-Yonder-Blu-ray-Region/dp/B001GPTCF2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1343725855&sr=8-4