The Simpsons Movie (Widescreen Edition)

Product Description The Springfield citizenry has every reason to be out for Simpson blood. The calamity triggered by Homer has drawn the attention of U.S. President Arnold Schwarzenegger and Environmental Protection Agency head Russ Cargill (voiced by Albert Brooks). "You know sir," Cargill tells the president, "when you made me head of the EPA, you were applauded for appointing one of the most successful men in America to the least successful agency in government. And why did I take the job? Because I'm a rich man who wanted to give something back. Not the money, but something." That "something" is a devil's plan to contain the disaster.As the fates of Springfield and the world hang in the balance, Homer embarks on a personal odyssey of redemption -- seeking forgiveness from Marge, the reunion of his splintered family, and the salvation of his hometown. Amazon.com The Simpsons had already ruled TV land for many years by the time they finally attempted to conquer the movie world as well. It was never any big secret that a Simpsons movie was in the works: Fox registered the domain name "Simpsonsmovie.com" in 1997, a full nine years before the film was finally greenlighted. When creator/producer Matt Groening’s creation finally made it to the big screen in 2007, it only turned out to be the biggest hit of the summer, raking in over $100 million gross in box-office receipts in its first week, before heading on to do over $500 million worldwide, proving that the best joke in the movie was actually played on the audience: "Why pay for something when you can see it for free?" asks Homer at the movie’s start. Naturally, all the trouble starts with him. When he adopts a pig ("Sir Oinks-A-Lot") destined for Krusty’s slaughterhouse, it triggers an environmental catastrophe, forcing the government to seal Springfield into a dome and destroy the city. While the family manages to escape and flee to Alaska, they eventually decide to return and help save the city in more-or-less classic Simpson fashion. As Homer’s joke about the audience shows, Groening and producer Al Jean are keenly aware that their franchise is first and foremost a TV show. Maybe a little too aware, as the movie fails to ever rise above anything more than an extended episode, and not even one of its best episodes at that. True, there are plenty of good jokes; the animation has been kicked up a notch to be particularly sharp and detailed; and there are some truly memorable moments such as Bart’s nude skateboard ride and the "Spider-Pig" song. But when the film finally materialized, the payoff for long years of anticipation turned out to be small as the movie failed to live up to its potential; it’s amusing but not truly funny. The Simpsons Movie leaves the impression that maybe the show’s writers and producers had already spent their best ideas on the best years of the TV show. Had it been made years earlier… well, we can only wonder what could have been. --Daniel Vancini Get to Know The Simpsons "Oh, so they have internet on computers now!" -- Homer Simpson "I'd like to visit that Long Island Place, if only it were real." -- Marge Simpson (drinking a Long Island Iced Tea) "Aren't we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? You know, the birth of Santa." -- Bart Simpson "If cartoons were meant for adults, they'd put them on in prime time." -- Lisa Simpson "Daddy" -- Maggie Simpson Beyond The Simpsons Movie More of the The Simpsons on DVD The Simpsons Movie on Blu-Ray The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror The Simpsons Christmas The Simpsons Gone Wild The Simpsons Kiss and Tell: The True Story of Their Love Stills from The Simpsons Movie