The Simpsons Movie [blu-Ray]

Animation, Comedy, Family

Dan Castellaneta	Homer Simpson / Krusty the Clown / Barney / Itchy / additional voices
Julie Kavner	Marge Simpson
Nancy Cartwright	Bart Simpson / Maggie Simpson / additional voices
Yeardley Smith	Lisa Simpson
Harry Shearer	Seymour Skinner / Lenny Leonard / Ned Flanders / Smithers / additional voices
Marcia Wallace	Mrs. Krabappel
Pamela Hayden	Milhouse / Rod Flanders
Hank Azaria	Moe Szyslak / Apu Nahasapeemapetilon / The Sea Captain / Dr. Nick / additional voices
Albert Brooks	Russ Cargill
Tress MacNeille	Sweet Old Lady / Colin / Mrs. Skinner / Nelson's Mother / Pig / Cat Lady / Female EPA Worker / G.P.S. Woman / Cookie Kwan / Lindsey Naegle / TV Son / Medicine Woman / Girl on Phone
Billie Joe Armstrong	Himself
Erin Brockovich-Ellis	Herself
Tre Cool	Himself
Karl Wiedergott	Man / EPA Driver

Director	David Silverman
Producer	Matt Groening; Richard Sakai; James L. Brooks; Katherine C. Concepcion; Elise Belknap
Writer	James L. Brooks; Mike Reiss; Matt Groening; David Mirkin; Joel Cohen
Musician	Hans Zimmer

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