Spiderpig!

Bmwhtly · Jul 10, 2007

I went to the cinema on Sunday and found a giant plastic Simpsons Couch (and characters) in the lobby.
And before DieHard 4.0 started I saw the trailer for the Simpsons Movie.

Apart from the fact that it's ~~shot~~ animated digitally (They learned from making Futurama apparently) and has the odd good gag, what did y'all take away from the trailer?

Can a 30 minute cartoon make the jump to the big screen successfully?

Opinions, Thoughts and Insults welcome

auntybug · Jul 10, 2007

You'd be amazed.... My friends hubby is 36 & has every simpson toy imaginable. It is a cartoon for adults - not kids. Scary that the kids love it and get most of their education there. I can't speak too ill of that - my daughter (4th grade) came home from sex ed class & said "I finally understand that Family Guy episode". *hangs head in shame*

It sparked from a 3 minute blurp on Tracy Ullman into 30 minutes so why not stretch to 2 hrs. I am saving my $30 though & passing on seeing it in the theaters. I stopped watching it years ago - no insult to fans - we just cancelled TV all together.

There, Can I have my 2 cents back now?

maestrowork · Jul 10, 2007

I hope they succeed and have a great story... but the truth is, it's difficult to do. Even South Park (and what a laughfest) dragged at the end -- it was at least half an hour too long. And I don't remember the last time a 30-minute skit show turned into a good movie... color me skeptical.

(I, too, stopped watching the Simpsons a few years ago, after being an avid fan for years -- I think after a while, there is usually fatigue...)

Bmwhtly · Jul 10, 2007

auntybug said:
It is a cartoon for adults - not kids.

That's true, but there are plenty of "grown-up" cartoons that wouldn't stretch 90 minutes.

It sparked from a 3 minute blurp on Tracy Ullman into 30 minutes so why not stretch to 2 hrs.

Well, films based on TV shows have a habit of trying to be big and grand because they're on the BIG SCREEN and end up losing what makes the show great.

There, Can I have my 2 cents back now?

Thank you for the donation to the Bmwhtly retirement fund. THis donation is tax-deductable and non-refundable.

maestrowork said:
I hope they succeed and have a great story

So do I. Not least because if this does really well, mayhaps someone'll let them make more Futurama.

but the truth is, it's difficult to do.

Exactly. As the saying goes "Hope for the best, expect the worst". I hope this is superb, but I doubt it.

color me skeptical.

No need.

RTH · Jul 10, 2007

If Matt Groening wrote the script, I'd be willing to check it out. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to pass. Lost faith in The Simpsons a long time ago...

Now Futurama, on the other hand...

BenPanced · Jul 10, 2007

Count me out. I gave up on it about 10 years ago, too, and I just can't see myself going to see it.

Soccer Mom · Jul 10, 2007

There was a time when I wouldn't have missed an episode of the Simpsons. Now? Meh. I'll just go see Ratatouille again.

Bmwhtly · Jul 10, 2007

I realise there is a lot of apathy about The Simpsons later episodes.

But a thought occurs (from time to time). One of the Problems with more recent Simpsons episodes is that the basis' become more and more outlandish. Well isn't that something that could be handled better over Ninety minutes, rather than shoe-horning it into 22?

I'll let you know once it's out.

III · Jul 10, 2007

The Simpsons is my favorite TV show of all time, although I've hated it passionately for the last few years (the true sign of an entitlement-mentality fan). Unless they've been hoarding all the good jokes from the last few years, I think the movie will stink (and of course I'll be in the theaters on 7/27). The animation looks great a-la-Futurama, but the jokes on the previews have been weak at best. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised? Lord help me, I AM Comicbook Guy.

Stew21 · Jul 10, 2007

Some of the Simpsons' funnier stuff was written a long time ago by different writers/producers than they have now.
Example: Conan O'Brien.

RTH · Jul 10, 2007

Part of the problem is the characters have become caricatures of themselves, now that those good writers are gone.

Once upon a time, Homer and Bart actually got to say smart things once in awhile. The show was a satire with insightful/incisive comments on family and society.

Now Homer acts as if he's been repeatedly lobotomized. It's all slapstick with no real connecting sense of coherent story in the episodes. .Has been since 1999 or so, as far as I can tell.

Spiderpig!

Bmwhtly

Yes, I'm back.

auntybug

teh other evil broad

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Bmwhtly

Yes, I'm back.

RTH

Call me Ishmael

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Bmwhtly

Yes, I'm back.

III

rockin the suburbs

Stew21

RTH

Call me Ishmael