Glad I'm not the only one. Wtf was that about? Wolfcastle is already an established character in the Simpsons. They pretty much just changed the name of a character they already had just to make it, I guess, easier for people to understand. But it would have worked so much better overall if they kept him as Wolfcastle. Changing him straight up the Arnold was way too on the nose.
10 years later, how do you feel about The Simpsons Movie then and now?
- Thread starter Durden77
- Start date
Glad I'm not the only one. Wtf was that about? Wolfcastle is already an established character in the Simpsons. They pretty much just changed the name of a character they already had just to make it, I guess, easier for people to understand. But it would have worked so much better overall if they kept him as Wolfcastle. Changing him straight up the Arnold was way too on the nose.
I actually quite enjoyed the movie, and while I haven't watched it recently, there are still a few gags and scenes that I remember very well:
At the very end of the whole Bart's penis scene, Flanders and his kids are saying grace when Bart smacks into the window right in front of them, and Flanders says "thank the lord for this bountiful-PENIS?!" and the kids repeat "Bountiful penis, amen". My wife repeats this every so often exactly when you would expect.
Homer having a picture of his face taped over Michael Jordan in his wallet.
The whole thing with Bart bonding with Flanders, automatically choking when he thinks Flanders is going to be mad at him, Bart marking up a picture of Homer to look like Flanders and then taunting Homer with it(which I saw as a reference to Matt Groening's original idea to have every person Bart looks up to, like Radioactive Man and Krusty the Clown, resemble Homer).
There's a Flanders line my friend's and family never let die where he says to one of his sons "I wish you didn't have the devil's curly hair." Since I have curly hair I still hear that occasionally.
Bart marking up the wanted poster of the Simpsons family, and the store clerk noticing a ridiculous looking family that perfectly resembles the new wanted poster.
Homer giving double middle fingers as he slowly descends into the sinkhole is a gif I see a lot to this day.
The bomb refusal robot taking a gun and shooting itself from the pressure, mostly because Chief Wiggum's line "he kept talking about it but... I didn't think he'd do it!" Made me laugh.
When Homer and Marge get intimate in the log cabin, and a bunch of Disney style forest creatures help them undress, then react in horror when the act starts.
I'll agree that the writing could have been better and they definitely didn't strike while the iron was hot, but I still have good memories of it and suspect I would enjoy it reasonably well on a rewatch.
Edit: But yeah not having Brooks play Scorpio, and not having Wolfcastle was such a bizarre decision. Tom Hanks cameo was decent though.
Double edit: I just remembered a complaint I had upon first seeing the movie, that the Itchy and Scratchy cartoon that opens the film, while not devoid of humor, felt incredibly tame as far as violence, particularly compared to the stuff they get to do on TV.
At the very end of the whole Bart's penis scene, Flanders and his kids are saying grace when Bart smacks into the window right in front of them, and Flanders says "thank the lord for this bountiful-PENIS?!" and the kids repeat "Bountiful penis, amen". My wife repeats this every so often exactly when you would expect.
Homer having a picture of his face taped over Michael Jordan in his wallet.
The whole thing with Bart bonding with Flanders, automatically choking when he thinks Flanders is going to be mad at him, Bart marking up a picture of Homer to look like Flanders and then taunting Homer with it(which I saw as a reference to Matt Groening's original idea to have every person Bart looks up to, like Radioactive Man and Krusty the Clown, resemble Homer).
There's a Flanders line my friend's and family never let die where he says to one of his sons "I wish you didn't have the devil's curly hair." Since I have curly hair I still hear that occasionally.
Bart marking up the wanted poster of the Simpsons family, and the store clerk noticing a ridiculous looking family that perfectly resembles the new wanted poster.
Homer giving double middle fingers as he slowly descends into the sinkhole is a gif I see a lot to this day.
The bomb refusal robot taking a gun and shooting itself from the pressure, mostly because Chief Wiggum's line "he kept talking about it but... I didn't think he'd do it!" Made me laugh.
When Homer and Marge get intimate in the log cabin, and a bunch of Disney style forest creatures help them undress, then react in horror when the act starts.
I'll agree that the writing could have been better and they definitely didn't strike while the iron was hot, but I still have good memories of it and suspect I would enjoy it reasonably well on a rewatch.
Edit: But yeah not having Brooks play Scorpio, and not having Wolfcastle was such a bizarre decision. Tom Hanks cameo was decent though.
Double edit: I just remembered a complaint I had upon first seeing the movie, that the Itchy and Scratchy cartoon that opens the film, while not devoid of humor, felt incredibly tame as far as violence, particularly compared to the stuff they get to do on TV.
starchild excalibur
Member
I haven't seen it since right around the time that it came out, but my opinion at the time was that it was significantly funnier than what new episodes of The Simpsons were airing at the time.
I'll have to revisit it at some point to see if that's the case (as well as the current episodes, which I hear are actually sometimes pretty good).
I'll have to revisit it at some point to see if that's the case (as well as the current episodes, which I hear are actually sometimes pretty good).
Fancyarcher
Member
I like it. It was a big deal in back in 2007 & while the hype obviously died down, there are a lot of moments that make me laugh. It doesn't match the classic era as much, but there are some good gags in there. I really like Tom Hanks cameo too, & casting Albert Brooks again was probably perfect, although I remember reading posts on the IMDb message board suggesting he may as well have played Hank Scorpio and judging by the posts here, that still seems to be an argument.
It was also very successful. The reason they never bothered with a sequel was because they simple never bothered & it was eventually just planned as a one-off. The production history of the film is really interesting too, since it was in development since at least season 4.
It was also very successful. The reason they never bothered with a sequel was because they simple never bothered & it was eventually just planned as a one-off. The production history of the film is really interesting too, since it was in development since at least season 4.
Cipher Peon
Banned
The only time I've ever found The Simpsons enjoyable in any capacity... except for that super rad arcade game.
It was charming, funny, and I loved its scope. Really enjoyable stuff
It was charming, funny, and I loved its scope. Really enjoyable stuff
Spine_Ripper
Member
"Those idiots don't even know where we live" is still one of the greatest Simpsons lines ever
RoninChaos
Member
Are the first 10 seasons on bluray or is there a place I can stream them?
Astral Dog
Member
Viewers are dumb and they wouldn't recognize Wolfcastle so they made Arnold the president
It was a feature length modern Simpsons episode. The only good part was the videotape that Marge recorded, that was the only decent line reading Julie Kavner has done in the last 15 years.
I think a part of my soul was burned away when they showed Bart's penis.
I think a part of my soul was burned away when they showed Bart's penis.
moltonasty
Member
It was just OK. Could have and should have been better. I also didn't like how all the incredible side characters were barely used.
Nerdkiller
Membeur
Only series that are on BD are 13 through 16, and 20, but 13-16 were made before the (rather terrible) HD remaster of the entire series, so yeah, those are just standard def upscales. Don't expect any more physical releases of the show, though.
I'm pretty certain they just used Ah-nuld for the hell of it, and perhaps give him a boost of his approval ratings.
The Hank Scorpio thing was the film's biggest mistake.
His twisted twin obsessions are his plot to the rule the world and his employees' health!
Jerk Homer was another misstep.
I also recall being bored by an extended dream/hallucination sequence. Although I may be remembering that incorrectly.
His twisted twin obsessions are his plot to the rule the world and his employees' health!
Jerk Homer was another misstep.
I also recall being bored by an extended dream/hallucination sequence. Although I may be remembering that incorrectly.
The Simpsons predicted Trump
I liked it, and I still like it. The main plot is not great, and because of that when it starts taking center-stage in the second half the quality sinks a bit, but the first half is really good. The Bart/Flanders-pairing is particularly nice and touching.
I really like the visuals as well. The CG Simpsons art style works well when given proper production values to give it the amount of detail and animation quality it deserves. Current TV episodes suffer a lot from having to do so many on a limited budget; whereas quirks in older episodes could be seen as charming, here everything ends up looking stale and unpolished.
Music's great, too.
I really like the visuals as well. The CG Simpsons art style works well when given proper production values to give it the amount of detail and animation quality it deserves. Current TV episodes suffer a lot from having to do so many on a limited budget; whereas quirks in older episodes could be seen as charming, here everything ends up looking stale and unpolished.
Music's great, too.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Forgettable. Might as well be an episode from season 20-whatever.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
There was something really cool about watching a big-budget Simpsons adventure in a room of hundreds of other people, when before it was just me and my dad watching for years and years on the small screen. I'm as big of a Simpsons fan now as I was 10 years ago, so to say I was excited for this film was an understatement. My heart nearly stopped when the Homer "S" teaser suddenly played in the theater. I watched any and all clips of it that were released online over and over. Even being 16, I knew the Simpsons was far past it's prime, but the jokes all seemed so funny and clever. "Mush! Mush! Jump! Jump! Rest! Rest!"
Ultimately, even with my excitement I thought the movie was a solid 7/10 at the time. It was much funnier than the standard episode then, and had a lot more emotional components largely missing from the show at the time. Marge's break-up tape, and the Flanders/Bart developments followed by his reconciliation with Homer were really hard hitting emotional moments. The comedy, while on repeat viewings wasn't as sharp as heyday humor, was a huge crowd pleaser and perfect for full theaters. I'd put any of the following sequences/gags up there with any classic moment for sure:
Homer's Chores
Simpsons go to Church/Grandpa's vision
Bart's naked skateboarding
Flanders Hot Cocoa
The entire mob sequence
Homer and Marge's "Disney" scene
The entire bomb/dome sequence
Lot's of good stuff in the film for sure.
But ultimately the movie suffered from trying to check every box and give every Simpsons character a plot thread. The father/son story that they developed with Bart and Homer was the strongest thread by far, but it's real estate was consumed by the Homer versus springfield, Homer and Marge's 900th marriage crises, the Lisa/Colin thread which was a waste, and the hit and miss EPA Cargill dude. Less would have been much more in this case, but I'm sure the production convinced themselves that this film had to please everyone as the first official movie.
I hope one day they attempt this again with less baggage. The recent seasons have shown they still have great stories to tell with the humor to boot.
Ultimately, even with my excitement I thought the movie was a solid 7/10 at the time. It was much funnier than the standard episode then, and had a lot more emotional components largely missing from the show at the time. Marge's break-up tape, and the Flanders/Bart developments followed by his reconciliation with Homer were really hard hitting emotional moments. The comedy, while on repeat viewings wasn't as sharp as heyday humor, was a huge crowd pleaser and perfect for full theaters. I'd put any of the following sequences/gags up there with any classic moment for sure:
Homer's Chores
Simpsons go to Church/Grandpa's vision
Bart's naked skateboarding
Flanders Hot Cocoa
The entire mob sequence
Homer and Marge's "Disney" scene
The entire bomb/dome sequence
Lot's of good stuff in the film for sure.
But ultimately the movie suffered from trying to check every box and give every Simpsons character a plot thread. The father/son story that they developed with Bart and Homer was the strongest thread by far, but it's real estate was consumed by the Homer versus springfield, Homer and Marge's 900th marriage crises, the Lisa/Colin thread which was a waste, and the hit and miss EPA Cargill dude. Less would have been much more in this case, but I'm sure the production convinced themselves that this film had to please everyone as the first official movie.
I hope one day they attempt this again with less baggage. The recent seasons have shown they still have great stories to tell with the humor to boot.
Astral Dog
Member
Not sure what sre you talking about
TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared
Member
You definitely are, cos thats not in the movie.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
Wow that's actually really kind of touching? lol
Nocturnowl
Member
Still had some of the problems reminiscent from episodes of its era but I'll be damned if it wasn't at least the funniest that Simpson's had been in years, it still didn't quite stack up to the likes of seasons 9 and 10 let alone the Golden era but I appreciated it for not being too bad on the whole.
There was definitely a sequence that he's reffering to in the movie. When Homer goes to the Eskimo lady and she performs a ritual on him that makes him remember what's important.
I got bored in that area to. I also agree with the poster that said the first half of the movie was a lot better than the middle. Once they get to Alaska it gets boring and drawn out.
I also generally agree with PeakPointMatrix's post. The movie seemed to have good intentions in a lot of ways, for hardcore and casual fans, and in a cinema some more casual jokes worked better for that type of audience. But somewhere a long the way, it just kind of lost it's way.
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
Honestly was the best joke in the entire movie
Into the Light
Banned
5/10 yes it was 10 years too late.
It was okay. Some of the jokes worked, most did not. There was some heart, but the movie definitely suffered from making Homer a caricature version of his early-series self, being completely stupid and just... unpleasant person, something Homer's Enemy was parodying him as. So it was almost impossible to relate to the main protagonist of a movie, and the movie sort of falls apart due to it.
I thought it was like a decade too late but despite the film coming out at a point where I was the most far removed from current Simpsons I had ever been and not necessarily being interested in a film that I was pretty skeptical of being good, I was there in the theater.
I enjoyed it, and while I felt it was good but not great, thought it paid tribute but could have went farther, thought it was underwhelming, too safe, played on too many Simpsons tropes for episodes we've seen before (Homer going on a spirit quest, the Simpsons moving out of Springfield, Homer getting a weird pet, Lisa finding a boy that likes her but her family ruins it for her, etc.), there are so many gags that feel more memorable that many current episodes and even some past ones during the more revered eras. In fact, I often laugh about some Simpsons movie gags completely forgetting that they aren't in any episode but in the movie.
In that way, I think it's had a similar path for me as something like the South Park movie, where my expectations for what could be possible are so high that I can't help but be disappointed when it just doesn't go in the direction that I hope, but looking back, it's much better when viewed on it's own merits than I might have realized, even having enjoyed both films. In that sense, I think I might have thought I enjoyed the Simpsons movie but didn't feel like it was a film that needed to be made at the time, but now I feel like it absolutely needed to be made, since it deserved a good film, even if it passed the point where the best possible Simpsons movie might have theoretically been made. It also struck a good balance of paying tribute to the series but not going overboard of relying on nostalgia and references.
the only part that I felt was weak was Spider-pig. Of all the Simpsons gags that had been done before in this film, I thought most of them were good if not great and well-worthy of being put amongst some of the great Simpson gags, but I didn't feel they did enough with Spider-pig to rank with my favorite Simpsons pets like Stampy, Pinchy, Mojo, Duncan, and Santa's Little Helper. Also the villain was pretty forgettable. Hank Scorpio would have been great.
I enjoyed it, and while I felt it was good but not great, thought it paid tribute but could have went farther, thought it was underwhelming, too safe, played on too many Simpsons tropes for episodes we've seen before (Homer going on a spirit quest, the Simpsons moving out of Springfield, Homer getting a weird pet, Lisa finding a boy that likes her but her family ruins it for her, etc.), there are so many gags that feel more memorable that many current episodes and even some past ones during the more revered eras. In fact, I often laugh about some Simpsons movie gags completely forgetting that they aren't in any episode but in the movie.
In that way, I think it's had a similar path for me as something like the South Park movie, where my expectations for what could be possible are so high that I can't help but be disappointed when it just doesn't go in the direction that I hope, but looking back, it's much better when viewed on it's own merits than I might have realized, even having enjoyed both films. In that sense, I think I might have thought I enjoyed the Simpsons movie but didn't feel like it was a film that needed to be made at the time, but now I feel like it absolutely needed to be made, since it deserved a good film, even if it passed the point where the best possible Simpsons movie might have theoretically been made. It also struck a good balance of paying tribute to the series but not going overboard of relying on nostalgia and references.
the only part that I felt was weak was Spider-pig. Of all the Simpsons gags that had been done before in this film, I thought most of them were good if not great and well-worthy of being put amongst some of the great Simpson gags, but I didn't feel they did enough with Spider-pig to rank with my favorite Simpsons pets like Stampy, Pinchy, Mojo, Duncan, and Santa's Little Helper. Also the villain was pretty forgettable. Hank Scorpio would have been great.
It was alright. It was completed well after the golden age of the Simpsons and the quality reflected that, hell they basically had numerous versions of the movie. One that was previewed was essentially completely different to what we got. So yeah there were issues they couldn't iron out or make work fully. Like a lot of properities stretching something out to a full length movie is difficult, especially when you can hardly manage to do 20 plus minute shows at the time.
the anime man
Banned
Haven't seen it in years but i thought it was fine. Way better than any episode that came out during that time.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Thread is sorta funny.
"What do you remember most?"
"Bart's dick!"
"Oh yeah, Bart's dick, I remember Bart's dick, can't believe they showed Bart's dick, that's really the only thing that sticks ou--
"What about Spider-Pig"
"Oh yeah, Spider-Pig!"
"Yeah, Spider-Pig, I remember now, it was everywhere, fuckin Spider-Pig, so dumb, like it was in the end cre--"
"Bart's dick tho"
"Oh yeah, that's right, Bart's dick!"
Anyway, did they do Klav Khalash callback in the movie, or no? I forget. It was kind of a hodgepodge of okayish gags.
That episode is in my top 5. That and Kamp Krusty
"What do you remember most?"
"Bart's dick!"
"Oh yeah, Bart's dick, I remember Bart's dick, can't believe they showed Bart's dick, that's really the only thing that sticks ou--
"What about Spider-Pig"
"Oh yeah, Spider-Pig!"
"Yeah, Spider-Pig, I remember now, it was everywhere, fuckin Spider-Pig, so dumb, like it was in the end cre--"
"Bart's dick tho"
"Oh yeah, that's right, Bart's dick!"
Anyway, did they do Klav Khalash callback in the movie, or no? I forget. It was kind of a hodgepodge of okayish gags.
That episode is in my top 5. That and Kamp Krusty
shawnbuddy
Member
Then I thought "This is pretty funny" and now I think "That came out ten years ago? Holy shit, I'm old!"
Poimandres
Member
Mildly amusing. Couple of good jokes but when a whole movie has less good stuff than a single classic ep you know it's wasted potential.