Inevitably, the question that will be asked about The Simpsons Movie isn't necessarily "Is it good?", but more likely "Why? Why now?"
But The Simpsons is more than just an animated TV series. It has become an American institution (why else would there be long lines outside all the 7-11s that became Kwik-E-Marts in one of the most fun promotional gimmicks ever). The family has been with us since April of 1987 (when they first appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show) and have lasted through over 400 episodes not because of the jokes (which even when they're not funny are still funnier than most other "jokes" on TV today), not because of the supporting cast (which has grown HUGE over the years), but because of the archetypical family members that can appeal to all of us.
It is the family dynamic that has been the engine that runs this show. For all his stupidity, for all his loveable faults, Homer Simpson exemplifies the selfish part of all of us that we do our best to surpress at times...yet at the end of the day, he always realizes his faults, does his best to grow from them (until the next episode of course) and remains a faithful husband and loving father. And the rest of the family play their parts as well (Marge is the anchor, Lisa the idealist, Bart the anarchist and Maggie the voice of reality -- and I know the last one sounds funny since she rarely speaks, but think about her reactions to the antics of the others).
It is this dynamic that some may have forgotten about over the course of 18 seasons which have had "terrifying lows, dizzying highs, and creamy middles" (to quote Homer). When the show is good, it is the best show on TV. You don't last this long if you're not. When the show is bad, its still good...just off the mark. The last eight seasons have had more moments than the previous ten combined. But the episodes that work best focus on the family. And they are what is at the heart and soul of The Simpsons Movie. Everything else is just garnish (of course, lovable garnish).
There is little new to the film and this may be where the "why" comes into play. Why make the movie if there is nothing new in the film? Why not? The creators have used the bigger screen to paint a bigger canvas. Do they use it to the same advantage that South Park did when it went "wide"? No...of course not. That's comparing apples and oranges. South Park has always been about getting across a message through crass jokes. The Simpsons is always about exploring family dynamics (sometimes we just have to extend the definition of "family").
There are a few boundary pushes in this PG-13 film. Homer gives the town the finger, Bart dangles his doodle for all to see, Marge actually says "G-d damn" (which threw my wife because Marge has never said that before). All of the major supporting players get at least some screen time (with the exceptions of Sideshow Bob and aliens Kang & Kodos -- whom I suspect will wind up on a special edition DVD in a cut credits sequence I've read about). The film never feels long and never outstays its welcome. It feels just right.
The film starts with a great poke at the audience (and should be seen in theaters because here's a film where the communal experience greatly enhances things...we had a wonderful audience of kids and adults at the matinee we saw and they were all into it). From there its a non-stop riot from start to finish (and by finish I mean stay to the very end of the credits otherwise you'll miss a few more jokes). The story centers around Homer basically turning Springfield into the most toxic city in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency encases the town in a dome. The town turns on Homer. The family escapes to Alaska. There they discover that the government is actually going to destroy Springfield. The family then has to go back and save everyone from death, but not before leaving Homer behind to have an epiphany on why he should bother.
As I said, there's little new here. Homer's screwed up the town before. The family's been driven from town before. The government has been shown to be evil or incompetent before (though not on this scale...well at least in the show...real life is a different matter). How many times has Homer brought home a new pet only to have bad things happen because of it? How many times has Lisa fallen in love with another like-minded person? How many times has Bart turned to Flanders as the model father he believes he wants? How may times has Marge left Homer because of his selfishness?
In twenty years all of this has happened at least once before. But even in its repetition, the movie doesn't feel stale or old. Its as funny as many of the best episodes of the show in its prime.
Like any good movie that comes from a different medium with a built-in fan base, if you like The Simpsons, then you'll like The Simpsons Movie. If you don't, then you won't. Its that simple.
I'll be back in a days.
Be seeing you.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Hair Products & More Music To Watch The Simpsons By
You can check out my August 14, 2003 entry (newly added to the blog after a search of computer files) to find out what I had to say about the Broadway version of Hairspray. My views have changed a little bit...especially in light of the release of the movie version...
Which makes this yet another movie musical based on a stage musical based on a movie...if only we could unearth a book the movie was based on and a tablet the book was based on...
Anyway...the stage version of this story was a fun show that made you want to get off you ass and dance around...especially by the end of the show. The movie kind of puts something of a damper on that feeling. Its still a whole lot of fun, but it could have been even more so.
First, the casting.
There's just something off about John Travolta playing Edna Turnblad. Maybe its the weird latex face, maybe its that the role really needs a Divine or Harvey Fierstein in the role (both men were already bigger than life) or maybe its that Travolta seems to be barely tapping his talents (think I'm wrong, listen to the CD of the movie...once you divorce the look from the sound you are left with Travolta's voice...and it sounds like a barely breathy Travolta when it should sound a bit more feminine...even Harvey got that down in spots and he's got a very distinctive voice).
Christopher Walken is a good song and dance man and he handles himself well in his one big number, but at this point its more like watching Walken doing an impression of Jay Mohr doing Christopher Walken. Queen Latifah holds her own nicely in a part that's a bit more under-written than the stage version. Only Michelle Pfeiffer comes off better than her stage counterpart. This Velma von Tussle has much more bite to her (well...mostly...even though she's had a few things taken away, she's had a few things added...two new songs and better orchestrations). The kids fare much better, except Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, who is too cute and not awkward enough.
The musical numbers have been changed around somewhat. Four songs have had their order switched (I Can Hear The Bells and It Takes Two have been flipped as have I Know Where I've Been and Without Love), six songs have been cut (Mama I'm A Big Girl Now, Velma's Revenge, The Big Dollhouse, Good Morning Baltimore Reprise, You're Timeless To Me Reprise and Cooties), four songs added (Ladies Choice, The New Girl In Town, Big Blonde And Beautiful Reprise and Come So Far Got So Far To Go -- which just plays over the end credits) and a few have had lyrical changes that don't make sense to me (the worst being the deletion of Velma's verse of the big ending showstopper You Can't Stop The Beat).
The new songs actually feel like they were always part of the show and don't feel shoehorned in (particularly the Big, Blonde and Bueatiful Reprise since the subplot of Velma trying to seduce Wilbur is new and works rather well). The cut songs are missed (especially the jail cell number The Big Dollhouse), but two of them have been repurposed for the end credits (Cooties -- which is given a modern spin much to its detriment -- and Mama I'm A Big Girl Now -- which has been changed from a song that bounces back and forth between the mother/daughter teams of the Turnblads, the Pingletons and the Von Tussles to a song featuring the three women who have played Tracey -- Ricki Lake from the original film, Marissa Jaret Winokur from the original Broadway cast and Nikki Blonsky from this film, in addition to a short cameo by Harvey Firestein for a lyric or two).
A few plot points have been moved around (the protest on the TV station is now towards the end of the story) and some have been deleted entirely (the arrest after the protest). At the end of the day, the movie is still a lot of fun, but with what's missing or changed, its not as fun as it could have been.
Meanwhile, this Friday is the day I feel like I've been waiting for forever...but since I've got a wife and kid, I'm exaggerating (a bit).
The Simpsons Movie opens this week and I'm in full Simpson mode. So, having picked up the movie soundtrack...and not knowing much about the film (a first...I know...this coming from a guy who knew the end of the new Harry Potter book two days before it was published and still hasn't read it), here's a peak at what's in store (symphonically at least) this Friday (and you can bet your ass there'll be a full review between seeing the film Friday afternoon and the opening of A Raisin In The Sun which I'm producing for The Darien Players later that night -- 655-5414 for tickets, it runs until August 11 on weekends).
The fifteen tracks on this disc were all "baked by Hans Zimmer" (as it says on the cover). Inside, you discover he composed them all except "The Simpsons Theme" which was composed by Danny Elfman, but is given an amazing orchestral rendition. Most of the disc has tracks with funny titles that actually sound like what they're describing (even though I have no real idea what they are describing, but I can make assumptions about a track entitled "Release The Hounds" and the music fits the description). The "funniest" track on the CD has got to be "Spider Pig". If you've seen recent commercials for the film, you'll know what this might be, but it actually turns out to be something even bigger and better and funnier (at least musically).
Listening to the CD Soundtrack yesterday did what watching Sunday's block of episodes did, get me even more excited for a film I can't wait to see.
Friday can't get here fast enough.
Be seeing you.
Which makes this yet another movie musical based on a stage musical based on a movie...if only we could unearth a book the movie was based on and a tablet the book was based on...
Anyway...the stage version of this story was a fun show that made you want to get off you ass and dance around...especially by the end of the show. The movie kind of puts something of a damper on that feeling. Its still a whole lot of fun, but it could have been even more so.
First, the casting.
There's just something off about John Travolta playing Edna Turnblad. Maybe its the weird latex face, maybe its that the role really needs a Divine or Harvey Fierstein in the role (both men were already bigger than life) or maybe its that Travolta seems to be barely tapping his talents (think I'm wrong, listen to the CD of the movie...once you divorce the look from the sound you are left with Travolta's voice...and it sounds like a barely breathy Travolta when it should sound a bit more feminine...even Harvey got that down in spots and he's got a very distinctive voice).
Christopher Walken is a good song and dance man and he handles himself well in his one big number, but at this point its more like watching Walken doing an impression of Jay Mohr doing Christopher Walken. Queen Latifah holds her own nicely in a part that's a bit more under-written than the stage version. Only Michelle Pfeiffer comes off better than her stage counterpart. This Velma von Tussle has much more bite to her (well...mostly...even though she's had a few things taken away, she's had a few things added...two new songs and better orchestrations). The kids fare much better, except Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, who is too cute and not awkward enough.
The musical numbers have been changed around somewhat. Four songs have had their order switched (I Can Hear The Bells and It Takes Two have been flipped as have I Know Where I've Been and Without Love), six songs have been cut (Mama I'm A Big Girl Now, Velma's Revenge, The Big Dollhouse, Good Morning Baltimore Reprise, You're Timeless To Me Reprise and Cooties), four songs added (Ladies Choice, The New Girl In Town, Big Blonde And Beautiful Reprise and Come So Far Got So Far To Go -- which just plays over the end credits) and a few have had lyrical changes that don't make sense to me (the worst being the deletion of Velma's verse of the big ending showstopper You Can't Stop The Beat).
The new songs actually feel like they were always part of the show and don't feel shoehorned in (particularly the Big, Blonde and Bueatiful Reprise since the subplot of Velma trying to seduce Wilbur is new and works rather well). The cut songs are missed (especially the jail cell number The Big Dollhouse), but two of them have been repurposed for the end credits (Cooties -- which is given a modern spin much to its detriment -- and Mama I'm A Big Girl Now -- which has been changed from a song that bounces back and forth between the mother/daughter teams of the Turnblads, the Pingletons and the Von Tussles to a song featuring the three women who have played Tracey -- Ricki Lake from the original film, Marissa Jaret Winokur from the original Broadway cast and Nikki Blonsky from this film, in addition to a short cameo by Harvey Firestein for a lyric or two).
A few plot points have been moved around (the protest on the TV station is now towards the end of the story) and some have been deleted entirely (the arrest after the protest). At the end of the day, the movie is still a lot of fun, but with what's missing or changed, its not as fun as it could have been.
Meanwhile, this Friday is the day I feel like I've been waiting for forever...but since I've got a wife and kid, I'm exaggerating (a bit).
The Simpsons Movie opens this week and I'm in full Simpson mode. So, having picked up the movie soundtrack...and not knowing much about the film (a first...I know...this coming from a guy who knew the end of the new Harry Potter book two days before it was published and still hasn't read it), here's a peak at what's in store (symphonically at least) this Friday (and you can bet your ass there'll be a full review between seeing the film Friday afternoon and the opening of A Raisin In The Sun which I'm producing for The Darien Players later that night -- 655-5414 for tickets, it runs until August 11 on weekends).
The fifteen tracks on this disc were all "baked by Hans Zimmer" (as it says on the cover). Inside, you discover he composed them all except "The Simpsons Theme" which was composed by Danny Elfman, but is given an amazing orchestral rendition. Most of the disc has tracks with funny titles that actually sound like what they're describing (even though I have no real idea what they are describing, but I can make assumptions about a track entitled "Release The Hounds" and the music fits the description). The "funniest" track on the CD has got to be "Spider Pig". If you've seen recent commercials for the film, you'll know what this might be, but it actually turns out to be something even bigger and better and funnier (at least musically).
Listening to the CD Soundtrack yesterday did what watching Sunday's block of episodes did, get me even more excited for a film I can't wait to see.
Friday can't get here fast enough.
Be seeing you.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Mini Complaints, Rants, Raves & Reviews
Hey folks,
Got to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last week (or as I've been referring to it Harry Potter and the 10,000 Shards of Broken Glass since that's pretty much the main character of the big climactic battles). Anyway...I honestly don't have much to say about it. It was Harry Potter. Sure, they took the longest book and made it the shortest movie, but they either went too far or didn't go far enough with the cuts. I read an interview (I believe with either the screenwriter or the director) where they stated that Rowling suggested they reinstate a character they had cut because they'd run into problems later in the series. So I sat there watching, trying to guess who it was.
Professor Trelawney (Emma Thompson) was a good choice. She makes an appearance (check off that box) but doesn't really serve any purpose (unless you know the books very well as my wife had to remind me of an important point...but then even she admitted it may have come from Book 6 and not Book 5...and I have yet to read Book 6...and Trelawney was still a pointless addition if you're not gonna specify why she's there).
Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) makes her debut, but for all the backstory you get in the book that was cut or shortened, she may as well have played "Unnamed Follower of Voldemort #6".
There was no reason for this film to be the shortest and it could have easily benefited from an extra 20 minutes or so without any real problems.
Anyway...so...Diamond Select Toys actually has a MiniMate exclsuive they're realsing at San Diego's Comic Con this year. It's a two pack of more Marvel heroes as Zombies to go along with the box set of 5 that comes out soon (all from an interesting "What If" kind of story that was popular recently). The problem with this box set as well as another one that comes out later is that DST is putting out Zombie versions of characters before we get "actual" versions. Giant Man, The Wasp and Black Panther all deserve to have regular versions done and having Zombie versions before a regular version is just kind of insulting.
Meanwhile, DC Direct is apparently putting DST/Marvel to shame. Just looking at their latest announcement for Wave 7 of their MiniMates line tells us that with DC anything goes. We're getting a MiniMate of Ambush Bug for crying out loud!!! A minor character who had a cult following in the mid 1980s is getting a MiniMate...before a number of important Marvel characters...heck, before a number of important DC characters (Sinestro anyone? Black Manta?). Can't wait to see if DC displays anything beyond Wave 7 at Comic Con...but I'm sure they've got some more cool stuff up their sleeves.
Well...that's all I've got for today. It's been a bit crazy around here of late. Family was visiting. Malcolm turned 2 (I can't believe he's 2, but he certainly acts like it). I'm jumping into auditions tonight for a show I'm directing at Curtain Call: Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. Hope we get a good turnout over the next two nights because I'd rather not have callbacks...but we'll see.
Anyway...I'll keep you posted on things as time permits.
Be seeing you.
Got to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last week (or as I've been referring to it Harry Potter and the 10,000 Shards of Broken Glass since that's pretty much the main character of the big climactic battles). Anyway...I honestly don't have much to say about it. It was Harry Potter. Sure, they took the longest book and made it the shortest movie, but they either went too far or didn't go far enough with the cuts. I read an interview (I believe with either the screenwriter or the director) where they stated that Rowling suggested they reinstate a character they had cut because they'd run into problems later in the series. So I sat there watching, trying to guess who it was.
Professor Trelawney (Emma Thompson) was a good choice. She makes an appearance (check off that box) but doesn't really serve any purpose (unless you know the books very well as my wife had to remind me of an important point...but then even she admitted it may have come from Book 6 and not Book 5...and I have yet to read Book 6...and Trelawney was still a pointless addition if you're not gonna specify why she's there).
Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) makes her debut, but for all the backstory you get in the book that was cut or shortened, she may as well have played "Unnamed Follower of Voldemort #6".
There was no reason for this film to be the shortest and it could have easily benefited from an extra 20 minutes or so without any real problems.
Anyway...so...Diamond Select Toys actually has a MiniMate exclsuive they're realsing at San Diego's Comic Con this year. It's a two pack of more Marvel heroes as Zombies to go along with the box set of 5 that comes out soon (all from an interesting "What If" kind of story that was popular recently). The problem with this box set as well as another one that comes out later is that DST is putting out Zombie versions of characters before we get "actual" versions. Giant Man, The Wasp and Black Panther all deserve to have regular versions done and having Zombie versions before a regular version is just kind of insulting.
Meanwhile, DC Direct is apparently putting DST/Marvel to shame. Just looking at their latest announcement for Wave 7 of their MiniMates line tells us that with DC anything goes. We're getting a MiniMate of Ambush Bug for crying out loud!!! A minor character who had a cult following in the mid 1980s is getting a MiniMate...before a number of important Marvel characters...heck, before a number of important DC characters (Sinestro anyone? Black Manta?). Can't wait to see if DC displays anything beyond Wave 7 at Comic Con...but I'm sure they've got some more cool stuff up their sleeves.
Well...that's all I've got for today. It's been a bit crazy around here of late. Family was visiting. Malcolm turned 2 (I can't believe he's 2, but he certainly acts like it). I'm jumping into auditions tonight for a show I'm directing at Curtain Call: Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. Hope we get a good turnout over the next two nights because I'd rather not have callbacks...but we'll see.
Anyway...I'll keep you posted on things as time permits.
Be seeing you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)