The Simpsons Movie: The Last Gasp of Simpsons Greatness

[@captainmidnight]

Do you have a favorite episode of The Simpsons? Get both Nebula and CuriosityStream here: curiositystream.com/captainmidnight for less than $15 a YEAR.

[@chasehedges6775]

Never watched the simpsons

[@Driftin09]

@@chasehedges6775 how

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

Probably the chili -eating contest episode. It has some exceptionally funny moments, trippy animation, one of the best guest stars, and a nice emotional moment between Homer and Marge at the end.

[@JoseLuisGarcia9540]

Treehouse of Horror V probably.

[@anubusx]

The Mysterious Voyage Of Homer. Johnny Cash was awesome in it.

[@jayb8934]

Having Marge tape over their wedding video really was one of the most emotional moments in all of Simpsons. The only other moment I can think of in the franchise where I really felt something is Homer’s “do it for her” sign at work, with all the pictures of Maggie. Those rare moments when they’re more than silly cartoon characters and they show real emotion.

[@entertainmentlife430]

I cried when that happened.

[@monkeyangelo717]

When Homer’s mom leaves and he sits on his car looking up into the sky while the credits rolled for me.

[@entertainmentlife430]

@@monkeyangelo717 that was so sad. It wasn't fair that burns pinpointed her because she turned back to help him.

[@ThatCoolGingerKid]

Bart failing the only test he ever studied or tried for will get me every time

[@entertainmentlife430]

@@ThatCoolGingerKid yeah

[@samdiego1965]

- Sir you’ve gone mad with power - Of course I have! You ever try going mad without power?! It’s boring, nobody listens to you!

[@medexamtoolscom]

I am not concerned about madness. The worst part about not having power is that then my internet connection won't even work because my modem and router won't work.

[@MYusri-xk9re]

Yep. Russ Cargill said that. Tough. Soft. Tough. Tough. Soft. Tough. Soft. Soft. Tough. Soft.

[@Adamatronamus]

Like that Albert Schweitzer guy.

[@ComicalRealm]

Fun fact: In total, The Simpsons Movie (2007) took 9 years to complete. This is because Fox greenlit the project back in 1997 but in the years up until release, they had to get the voice cast to sign deals, which they didn't do up until 2001. Producing a final script also took several years because almost 160 different versions were written before choosing the final one as plots were continuously being repurposed for the television episodes.

[@They_are_Arthur]

That's an insane development hell.

[@Danishmastery]

Thank you for sharing this with the rest of us. Much appreciated.

[@Elvusmiw]

So trur

[@Robert___98]

That explains why the movie was good; it was greenlit while the show was still more or less in its prime.

[@kaijudirector5336]

Damn. Greenlit just before the end of the Golden Age. If it had been released then, I'd have considered that the series finale.

[@goORIOLES236]

I think the people who wish Hank Scorpio was back as the villain really don’t understand why that character works. It’s not just because he’s a funny and memorable Bond villain, but he’s also the best boss that Homer ever worked for, as well as a genuinely nice guy. The idea of him actually becoming an actual antagonist to Homer doesn’t work for me because it goes against what makes the character funny, to begin with. I’m glad the writers decided to go in a different direction.

[@hellbach6268]

Mr. Scorpion?

[@hellbach6268]

@@icecreamhero2375 No fucking shit, Mr. Scorpio was voiced by Albert Brooks, one of the best voice actors ever. If you didn't get my response, it means you didn't watch that episode. Now, watch it again, and see where phrase: "Mr Scorpion" is uttered.

[@wvu05]

@@hellbach6268 I believe you mean A. Brooks when talking about _The Simpsons_ ;-)

[@emanuelepolloni4002]

Well, that's exactly why one of the possible final scripts of the movie was scrapped. The writers realized how jarring would have been if Hank suddenly became antagonistic towards Homer and how poorly fans would have reacted to it.

[@goORIOLES236]

@@hellbach6268 “Don’t call me Mr.Scorpion. It’s Scorpio, but don’t call me that either. Call me Hank.”

[@InReserveProductions]

"There's a couple of things they don't teach you at Harvard Business School. One is how to cope with defeat the other is how to handle a shotgun. I'm going to do both right now." is still one or the best lines from anything Simpsons related and it's a damn shame most people forget about it because it's from the movie. In fact the entire character of Russ Cargill is a stand out who really deserves more credit.

[@WickedKnightAlbel]

"S-Sir, I'm afraid you've gone mad with power..." "Of course I have. You ever tried going mad without power? It's boring. No one listens to you!"

[@johnmanning6587]

@@WickedKnightAlbel “Anyone can pick something when they know what it is; It takes real leadership to pick something you're clueless about.”

[@wvu05]

@@johnmanning6587 "I was elected to lead, not to read."

[@yokcos]

"so, we meet at last, whoever you are"

[@RAINBOWNIGTHMAREPRODUCTIONS]

I wonder why they had dome the whole town instead of simply doming up areas where the lake could spread...then you remember he mentions he owns the company that makes the dome. I wonder if this option was purely to line his pockets.

[@bigtimetimmyjim6486]

Celebrities who play themselves in the Simpsons universe can be done well, it just ironically requires them to be side characters who play off of a larger premise. For example, James Woods a a Kwik-E-Mart employee and George Harrison as "the guy who shows Homer a plate of brownies" are both excellent.

[@owainraysor5108]

Funnily enough I think the James Woods stuff from Family Guy was done pretty well, too. James Woods being a Sideshow Bob type villain always made his inclusion feel more natural. Simpsons has the issue of worshipping the celebrities they include, which makes it sooooo bad

[@louisduarte8763]

@@owainraysor5108 I see a similar thing when The Simpsons go to a different city or country. They used to either poke fun at or satirize another country's culture, but now they come off more like ads to go move there. Especially the Canada episode.

[@Drekromancer]

@@louisduarte8763 I think it's because they started getting in trouble for making fun of people. When they went to Brazil and saw a bunch of multicolored, mutated plague rats, Homer said "they look like Skittles!" Apparently the Brazilian government didn't like that very much. 😅 Idk if they banned the Simpsons from Brazil or what, but it seems like the bigger the Simpsons got, the more the writers were concerned with the bottom line. And that reached such a head that they weren't allowed to risk offending anyone ever again.

[@medexamtoolscom]

No it seems to me that when celebrities are portrayed on the simpsons and portray themselves, that serves as nothing more than an excuse for their egos to be stroked, that seems to be the primary purpose of it, as they are portrayed as larger than life, even superhuman. For instance, when Lucy Lawless (Xena) was a guest star, she literally had superpowers, and the joke was Lisa objecting that Xena couldn't fly, and Lucy Lawless reminded her that she's not Xena, she's Lucy Lawless. On the other hand, there is HUMILITY when they play someone else. For instance, when Dustin Hoffman played Lisa's favorite substitute teacher, he wasn't Dustin Hoffman, he was her teacher, and there was no ego boost for Dustin Hoffman in it, he was simply free to play a good character with personality. When Danny Divito played Homer's brother, it wasn't about glorifying Danny Divito, it was about the character he played, who was just a man who was similar to Homer, but just a bit less boorish and a little bit smarter, and as a result, was vastly more successful just from that little change. When John Lovitz played Marge's spurned high school flame, he was deeply flawed, and an interesting character emerged. As far as I can see, every example is like that. There are no exceptions.

[@mickeymojito]

James Woods : But, as for me, I'm off to battle aliens on a far away planet. Marge : That sounds like a good movie. James Woods : Yes... Yes, a movie, yes.

[@audoodle9963]

There’s a bit in this movie where the NSA finds the simpsons and the NSA agent says “we actually found someone we’re looking for!” And when I used to work retail I would think that to myself whenever I was able to find something a customer wanted.

[@ethanjobson3879]

That was a hell of a joke pre Snowden.

[@petercross1879]

I can relate

[@Fr4ncM]

@@ethanjobson3879 I don't understand how the majority of Americans just "found out" about the massive NSA surveillance just after Snowden. I remember reading an article on Popular Mechanics circa 2001 to 2003 about how the NSA was using the world's most powerful and fastest computer to find potential threatening information on things from emails, to SMS's to actual phone calls. The thing is that was just OK until it wasn't when America woke up hung over from all that restricted liberties over security binge.

[@DittoGloade]

I catch myself sayin “Yeah, baby, YEAH!” Because of that scene. 😂

[@BugsyFoga]

Found it humorous that “Evil corporation”’was left on the Disney + version.

[@jordancefalo1614]

Disney never good at being self aware. Not knowing that they are the evil corporation makes sense.

[@rattyeely]

Disney allows some Disney criticism in their media because it makes them seem more self-aware...see Enchanted

[@medexamtoolscom]

If you think THAT'S funny, consider that Married With Children is now a Disney TV show. Just let that fact sink in for a moment.

[@welcometothemetaverse2523]

Disney+ also releases a lot of Simpsons shorts that often poke a lot of fun at Disney.

[@LordMangudai]

​@@rattyeely They're in love with doing this honestly. Enchanted, that bit in Frozen where the male character says to Anna "wait, you met and fell in love in A DAY???", the bootleg animal versions of Disney movies you see in Zootopia, the ungodly parade of princesses in Ralph Breaks the Internet...Tons of self-referential meta-humor. But it's always "criticism" of Disney tropes in film, not Disney's existence in the real world as an exploitative megacorporation hell-bent on monopolizing entertainment. And it all serves as brand extension anyways, which makes those jokes leave a sour taste in my mouth.

[@trequor]

I like the movie a lot. The "There's something strange about that SOP sign" joke just gets me every time. It's so stupid, yet wonderfully delivered

[@stormdoesgaming8919]

Looklooklook, we can't just stop at every "SOP", "YELD", or "ONE VAY" sign. Just move on.

[@wvu05]

In all honesty, I wish they would have made this the series finale. Imagine how much we would have been spared.

[@kevinhibbard320]

I wasn't ready to let it go yet then, in hindsight....

[@wvu05]

@@kevinhibbard320 I remember hearing as early as 2001 that the eventual movie was going to end the series.

[@ccompson2]

It's really easy to just not watch it. I saw this in the theater with a girl I worked with. Went off to college the next day, came back 3 years later and totally forgot the Simpsons existed. Literally have not seen a new episode since that

[@wvu05]

@@ccompson2 The last episode I saw was the Lady Gaga episode, but it stopped being appointment television long before that. This is season 34, so we're getting to the point where there are almost more seasons after the movie than before.

[@ccompson2]

@@wvu05 that's crazy, the last episode I remember is when Bart was on Ritalin and stole a tank. What the hell is a lady gaga

[@StrangeDad]

I recently started watching Futurama. I've seen some episodes, but never the whole thing. Gotta say, as someone who used to love The Simpsons, what a great show! The spirit of the early Simpsons is palpable. Feels like being back in the early 00s.

[@EM-2391]

Growing up I could never get into Futurama but ended up giving it a shot a few years ago. Ended up really loving it, hope you enjoy it 👍

[@oreotaku4017]

Probably the best scifi comedy show there ever was

[@aaronworthing1023]

Heavily endorsed. The revival episodes are not as good. But the original run was pretty damn awesome. And it’s a show that rewards repeat viewings. For instance there is a huge revelation about Nibbler, that I won’t spoil, but if you go back and watch prior episodes, you will totally see it was planned out. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, keep watching.

[@willythepeachfacelovebird]

All time favourite.

[@jacoblyman9441]

@@aaronworthing1023 I mean even with the revival never being as good as the original show... it still is a lot more solid early-Simpsons like than the Simpsons are now, with The Late Philip J. Fry and Meanwhile being super memorable (heck even Calculon 2.0 gives us "HAIL SCIENCE!" which might be one of my favorite gags to come from the series ever). The only revival episode I remember being so bad it discourages me from re-watching it is the "eyePhone" one since it just feels really dated, but I can argue the rest are at least watchable. Its really hard to encourage anyone to watch all episodes of The Simpsons since the show begins to decline in quality so much and then just drags on forever, but with both The Devil's Hands and Meanwhile serving as two series finales for both the original Futurama run and the revival, it feels like there is a closed ending to the series that is just much more satisfying than what The Simpsons became.

[@willmorton2123]

I don’t think many people in their early 20s or teens really understand how amazing of a show The Simpsons used to be. It was the unreachable benchmark for smart comedy.

[@hectormejia7757]

@@icecreamhero2375 Nah, season 1-9 is where the money is

[@AdaWongMistress]

@@icecreamhero2375 season 26 a masterpierce? Lol. Show went downhill after the 10th

[@Ray_D_Tutto]

They still played the episodes into the 2000s in the UK. Most of us grew up with the classics. Merchandising was still huge.

[@lukemancev793]

@@Ray_D_Tutto Same as Australia, I'm 31 and growing up in the early 2000s the Simpsons was the most popular show of our generation. It actually has influence on why we're soo tall poppy, post modernists in Aus, we also embrace the Simpsons stereotypical Bart goes to Australia episode. Although most of the Australia citys, especially Melbourne and Sydney, actually don't live in backwards hick towns nor have government Politicians living on pig farms, we still love, embrace and over exaggerate that stereotype it portrays. 90s Simpsons was our 2000s Simpsons as they played re-runs 5 days a week with a new episode once a week. So we were fairly into old Simpsons here. Literally half of Aussies jokes and memes today are Simpsons references. The Old Simpsons has a special place in our hearts, I'm glad I seen the movie at the cinemas as it was the last breath of a once brilliant show.

[@issyd.c.]

I’m 22 and have always thought of early Simpsons as some of the best of television, but I have a mom who can appreciate a good animated show which not everyone does I’ve come to find. I’m the one who had to introduce my bf to the Simpsons cuz his fam thinks animated shows are “unsophisticated” and not worth the time🙄

[@trinaq]

I totally concur with this analysis! The movie COULD have been a decent way to wrap up a long running franchise, and a wonderful character arcs for Bart, Homer and Lisa. Instead, it has aimlessly continued just for the sake of the cash cow.

[@kevinwallace1499]

Money (almost) always trumps ending a show at the right point. Milk it to death, wait a few years, then reboot it for some extra money

[@funnywackysillyman7780]

Reminds me of the spongebob movie in that way

[@paperluigi6132]

My head canon is that every Simpsons season that came out after the movie takes place in an alternate universe.

[@WlatPziupp]

I actually remember watching through the whole show after it came out, then seeing the movie just as I was done with the season before, and thinking it was an alright ending to a show I liked but didn't mind ending. I still liked the show, I still rewatched the previous seasons like 12 times each, it just felt like a pretty good place for it to end. In the realms of story and art it's fine for things to end before everyone hates it, but not in the world of commerce. RIP Simpsons, it's weird to see you still walking around

[@abraham2172]

I dont care if it was made as a cashcow, I enjoyed the movie, thats why I like it.

[@qqwertyuiop13]

I'm so glad they didn't go back to Scorpio. They captured lightning in a bottle with that character for one episode, and lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice. It's almost always best to leave the crowd wanting more in cases like that.

[@nekusakura6748]

He actually made an appearance in the Simpsons Comics I can't remember the issue number.

[@byronsenior6499]

Actually lightning can strike the same place twice, but I get what you mean.

[@phabiorules]

It's better to leave them wanting more, instead of them wanting less.

[@maidenengland964]

@@nekusakura6748 I remember that comic. If I remember right it was Homer helping him out or something...

[@nekusakura6748]

@@maidenengland964 The issue I was thinking of was Mr Burns getting replaced by a Actor and getting roped into working in a South American Sweatshop run by Scorpio.

[@IcyDiamond]

Fun Fact: Hank Scorpio was originally gonna be the villain in this movie

[@Emike-nc9ew]

Feels weird that mcbain isnt the president.

[@IcyDiamond]

@@Emike-nc9ew Schwarzenegger shouldn’t even be able to be the president since he wasn’t born in America, I know The Simpsons is a cartoon but still

[@JohnaldV]

@@IcyDiamond McBane: That’s the joke. (Just here for the McBane reference)

[@IcyDiamond]

@@JohnaldV Yeah that probably is the joke lol, just wanted to point it out

[@ConsultingHumor]

Hank Scorpio is a hero

[@LaneyStudios5]

My favourite part of the entire movie is when he awakes from his epiphany and just chucks the shaman lady over to the side

[@n0offence]

dont you mean "boob lady" hahah

[@miahhealth53]

@@n0offence 😂😂😂😂😂

[@bruhdon4748]

I remember that part getting such a big laugh in the movies & when she swings her boobs to point homer in the right direction.

[@abbyniloingsigh7188]

Irish people love the simpsons. It aired every night on one of our six channels from 2000-present day and usually it recycled episodes from seasons 3-13. Almost every Irish person aged 20-35 grew up with it as a big part of their lives.

[@brianglynn7568]

We even have ISF, the cultural cornerstone of Millenial Irish Facebook

[@evanhanley6437]

It played a huge part of my life. I still watch them today.

[@AureaisChannel]

Same in Argentina! We used to have and I think we still have marathons of several hours in one of our main channels, I grew up watching it with my family

[@Sokdogg]

Same in Britain, Channel 4 used to (still does?) play a Simpsons episode mostly from the early seasons every night at 6pm or so.

[@robertharrington703]

For all RTÉ's flaws, that was one thing they did right.

[@SamAronow]

I was born literally the day after _The Simpsons_ premiered and was all about it as a kid during that classic period. I saw the movie in theaters, and it still felt a bit off to me. Not as bad as the show had gotten by then, but still nowhere near the quality of seasons 3-8. I think the last gasp of Simpsons greatness was _The Simpsons: Hit and Run._ This franchise really excelled with both video games and comics (especially the special Halloween comics) long after the show.

[@schris3]

Is not surprising that The Simpsons thrive in comic books considering Matt Groening made comic books for a living, in fact there's a ton of references to comic books in general inside the show

[@SamAronow]

@@icecreamhero2375 1 and 2 aren’t bad, but they’re just fundamentally different from what came after.

[@dinolover]

This really. The movie if anything is the start of zombie simpsons, it had none of the early seasons charm and set the bar low due to it being nothing but memes and old running gags.

[@joemomma6317]

Cap. The movie was amazing

[@freddiesimmons1394]

@@icecreamhero2375 the humor and timing isn't there for me much at all in season 1

[@mr.moviemafia]

I really love *The Simpsons Movie* , I hold it up there with the golden era seasons and think it retains the most important part of the show: it’s heart

[@edjo7051]

Wow what a stupid profile picture

[@mr.moviemafia]

@@edjo7051 Thanks bro, you’re the literal person who designed it for me 😂

[@mr.moviemafia]

@@icecreamhero2375 I think so too, I didn’t say it was the LAST Simpsons property that has heart, I’m just glad that the movie has it too!

[@razkable]

my only real issues with the film are 1. lisa's plot with colin(since it does not continue into the show thus has no canon purpose) feels ham-fisted to give her a role in the final 2 acts when she otherwise has none which is weird when you consider the environment stuff should be enough material to keep her relevant throughout especially since lisa/homer stories are very popular yet she barley matters in his plot after the first 1/4th of the film (mostly she just helps him win the motorcycle by telling him what to do and thats about it and nags a little) also she clearly has had other crushes so why not have that matter more like millhouse or nelson or cory even...they really turned her into a bad character in the film when she started out the plot in a convincing normal lisa type way you would expect damn shame that she got forgotten about in the writing process thats lazy to not keep her involved and throw her aside then give her a boy to fond over so her fans do not get mad 2. homer being an overly jerkass not just to bart but to marge the town and causing the issues in the first place which makes his redemption feel unearned and was his fault so marge should not accept him for doing the bare minimum he needs to make up for it extra hard fully by doing more good not just fix his mistake and she forgives him not this time so instead i would rewrite it where some outside force makes everyone hate homer but hes innocent and they don't believe him thinking hes lying and he has to prove his worth and they find out he was telling the truth the whole time and help in the end something like that so he earns dignity and respect cause he is to blame and they should not forgive him so soon 3. the fact they went to alaska ruins what could of been a great first 2/3rds of the film with them under the dome with the other citizens and seeing more of the cast of characters we love cause they feel slighted in the film because we have to spend time with the family so why not have them stay in the town?..then later have homer decide he wants to leave like 2/3rds in?..then have the kids and marge never go with him and instead go back to help the town as he goes alone..instead we skip a lot of the inbetween stuff when the town goes from normal to mad max....i kinda wanted to see that...if the family is in the town we get to but since their outside it they skip it...so when they come back its a reveal...i get it the family gets the majority of the screen time but if they are in the town longer we get more interactions between them and the characters we love outside the family....you fix these things and its a 9.5/10 film easy

[@HOTD108_]

The major problem with the movie is how souless the animation is. Like, the old hand drawn animation is so full of character, and ever since they switched to HD everything just looks like stock poses.

[@Kobe.T]

The Simpsons movie was my first and only introduction to the Simpsons for many years. I loved it when I first saw it, and still think it holds up. When I finally started watching the show a few years ago it blew my mind how much better the show and its characters were. Still a good movie but it doesn’t hold a candle to the classic episodes.

[@thefunkinator2435]

I grew up on The Simpsons and I just want to say thank you for this unintentional birthday gift. I love your channel and a video on the most defining tv show of my youth on this day is just a beautiful cherry on top. Have an awesome weekend!

[@bobbyray5011]

I remember seeing this for the first time in theaters as a kid. I was laughing so hard, I almost got kicked out of theater.

[@limeymcfrog1]

One of the best lines in Simpsons history comes from this film "Sir, I belive you're going mad with power" Cargille: "Of course I am! Have you ever tried going mad without power? It's terrible! No one listens to you."

[@dbass9544]

Homer at Bat definitely did the “celebrity cameo” thing the best by far and I’m pretty sure it was the first one.

[@LederjackenShow]

It would have been so heartwarmingly great if Maggie's only ever spoken word would be "Daddy". Maggie saying "Sequel" is just so wrong in my opinion.

[@fezguy89]

Actually, “daddy” is Maggie’s first word, but the only ones who witnessed it was the audience. The Simpsons family never saw her say her first word.

[@mmcstay0]

This is indeed a disturbing universe.

[@balok63a40]

@@fezguy89 And in the "Lisa Gets Married" episode, there's a running joke that Maggie (a teenager by then) is never shown talking, despite the comment from Marge that Maggie is a chatterbox (when she's offscreen).

[@blomgaming6480]

@@balok63a40 thats a running gag in every future Simpsons episode

[@NateS917]

It's just a gag. Not that deep

[@scarletjester7831]

My favorite bit in the movie will always be the ball cage with the bike. The "tell you what, just cause I like seeing you hurt yourself, I'm giving one more on the house" never fails to make me laugh

[@crescentfresh8001]

"Last gasp of greatness" sums the movie up perfectly for me. It wasn't on par with the golden era, of course, and I still hate how the show looks in the HD era (even beyond the stiff animation, The Simpsons to me is supposed to look a little fuzzy and grimy), but it was chaotic and funny and the missteps were minor. I tried to stick around afterwards, but the post-movie season was so horrendous that I gave up. I can totally accept the movie as being the fanon end of the series, now that I think about it.

[@Happymali10]

they had a blackboard gag in the season after the movie came out saying "I won't wait 10 years to make another movie". Well...we're waiting.

[@CrashFan03]

it said 20 years but still. a sequel IS in development but the first one was hell to work on so it isn't too much of a surprise that 2 is taking so long

[@joni1405]

The people from the church running to the bar and the people from the bar running to the church when the dome is coming down is one of my all time favorite Simpson's gags

[@TheDrexLord]

I really wish that when Disney finally lets the Simpsons end they do it a sequel to this movie

[@stealthmonkeydc2869]

The bomb disposal robot bit was one of the best jokes the Simpsons ever did. I remember laughing so hard at that.

[@TheMrFabian1]

The joke about the worst day so far has turned into a meme that now (among other uses) explains elections in Europe in 2021. That movie really did leave a mark.

[@mr.moviemafia]

I’m going to be honest, I forgot that the President in this film WASN’T Rainier Wolfcastle

[@cancerstinks1]

Same

[@allpeoplearemorons]

I still sometimes use the line 'I was elected to leead not to reead' .. instant classic for me. But have to admit that having Wolfcastle instead of Arnold in the position, might have been more consistent with the universe

[@aaronworthing1023]

I will say I’m about as old a fan of the Simpsons you could find. I even saw a few “life in hell” comics before we had the first short, and yes, I enjoyed them even in their first shorts on Tracy Ullman. I think the movie is one of the funniest Simpsons things in a while and while early on the show was much better, this was still legitimately funny as hell and had some legit clever moments. I don’t quite want the Simpsons to end, maybe just bc I love the characters so much, but I recognize theres a lot of merit to the idea that this would be a great place to end it. And yes, I miss the crappier art style. To me comedy usually works better when it’s a little crappier. Like SNL got worse the slicker it got. There are exceptions but it’s a good rule of thumb

[@primustorus5116]

People are like that. The more money they get, the less creative they become. The duration of a show that is successful will naturally upgrade its material (in any way) . I agree that animation works well with unrealistic, elastic movements, but this rule of the thumb is all about correlation.

[@aaronworthing1023]

@@primustorus5116 fair theory, the idea that it’s about correlation not causation. Also to me an obvious dummy being flung around is usually more funny than a realistic person. Sometimes the fakeness helps.

[@danielebowman]

The movie was better than the show at that period, but I'd call it "good but not great". It should have been funnier. When Bart and Homer jumped the cliff together though was a real touching moment that harked back to the early years. Nice touch.

[@daniellauricella5132]

"A surprise...but a welcome one."

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

As a fan of the show from the early years as a kid, i stopped watching the show for years til college in the early 2000s. When this movie came out we watched it so many times I could recite it by heart. I felt the love from the writers everywhere & I still love it. It definitely was the alst gasp of good writing for the series. Now I just rewatch the first 8-12 seasons maybe.

[@FigWidIt]

I remember Burger King having toys for this movie, and there being a rare Golden Homer toy that no one I knew at my school ever being able to get lol

[@scoticvsgossage9378]

I actually managed to get one and I remember being so jazzed at the time XD

[@tedioussugar384]

My favourite joke from this movie was Bart’s nude skateboarding one. It works so well as a joke not just becuase it’s crude and unexpected, but becuase it also has a huge buildup and payoff as a left field visual joke in a movie primarily based around either verbal or physical comedy.

[@pirkage]

I thought that billie needing a monitor to read out "Na-na-na" is pretty giving how some of the green day songs go.

[@WolfvineGaming]

I used to watch this movie in my rich uncle’s theater room with my cousins every Thanksgiving, it brings back good memories.

[@pissqueendanniella4688]

I think it speaks to the power of the movie that even though I've never seen the movie, just the visual gags you have in the background (specifically the church/bar switch a roo) are making me laugh alone

[@theriresa]

As an Austrian I have to say I really loved that schwarzenegger placement, especially in the German language dub because the delivery of his lines in austrian dialect were just iconic, very quotable

[@randomninja]

As a huge Simpsons fan, I couldn't wait to go see this movie. I feel asleep in the theater and missed the ending. It didn't really do much for me. It was just ok.

[@forgettablelisa]

Not as good as the good seasons on TV but better than what the show became. Imagine a loved one lost to dementia snapping out of it for a few minutes of clarity before going back into their daze. That’s what the movie was for me as a Simpsons fan.

[@craighorrocks5021]

This was a really fun video! I have recently become a Simpsons fan and I actually quite like this movie, although I do agree its not as good as the show when it was at it's best. Also, I would love to see a video on your favorite episode of this show like you did with community.

[@outsideMax]

Early Simpson years were some of the best TV ever. Can't wait till my son's old enough so we can watch it together.

[@malcontender6319]

The fact that the Mouse now has the rights to things it should never have is a harrowing sign of the end-times. And yeah, Simpsons died after season 10. Remember: The world you grew up in no longer exists.

[@thesixfootsixexperience8781]

It’s funny hearing you talk about where you were in life when certain things were released and realizing you and I are must be the exact same age.

[@therealCrazyJake]

While watching through the entire series a few years ago, by the time I got to rewatch the movie, the song “close to you” carried so much weight to it that its use in the movie was a much more powerful emotional gut punch for me. Viewing all the ups and downs of Homer and Marge’s relationship up to that point, and knowing the emotional significance of the song used makes that scene of Marge having taped over their wedding video, followed by Homer desperately running out of the cabin in a panic as the music starts just hits you like a ton of bricks! I personally felt something when rewatching it with the added context of everything that came before it.

[@peperle]

This movie is literally part of my family's "culture" we watched it at least a dozen times and wewould quote him all the time. I never got around to watch all of the simpson's episodes, but this movie will always be part of me and my childhood

[@savioblanc]

I remember going to watch this movie in the cinema with a friend - both of us were fans of the early Simpsons, grew up watching it and whilst we could see the decline, still enjoyed the occasional episode. I remember leaving after the credits and neither one of us said anything to each other walking out. Finally I had enough of the awkward silence, stopped, turned to my friend and went, "So.. um.. I didn't enjoy the film. Did you?". You could the see the relief in the poor man's face when I said that to him and he agreed, the movie sucked overall but had a few good moments. It was as though we witnessed something sacred not being defiled but becoming irrelevant and trying really hard to still stay relevant. It was not anger we felt It was pure disappointment We had hoped for something that we would remember for years to come - a shared bond about a movie experience for a show we loved. Instead, all I remember all these years later is just the feeling of sadness, the realization that I was officially done with a TV show that had long overstayed its welcome.

[@stussysinglet]

That was my experience too

[@domjfante8140]

Nailed it, that’s how I felt at the time too but didn’t know how to describe it

[@lmc7233]

The people running from church to the bar is still one of the best adult jokes ever

[@cloudwalker9572]

Took me awhile to understand that the drunks went to seek god in the apocalypse and the believers to drown in alcohol. xD

[@taterboob]

I hadn’t been a regular watcher of the show for many years by the time the movie hit, but one thing that really kind of bugged me about it was how it basically turned Homer into a Looney Tunes character. I used to love listening to the creator commentary tracks on the DVD sets for the earlier seasons, and one thing I recall is that they had a hard rule in those earlier years where while the show was technically a cartoon, they were not cartoon characters.

[@ionasmith1998]

To be fair the whole Green Day set up was really just them performing the intro and highlight that the Springfield population doesn’t care about the environment.

[@ElliYeetYT]

The Simpsons movie actually made me like the Simpsons. I still like the early era from Season 1 to 8 but this got me into the Simpsons.

[@StandardGaming]

Long ago, I was the Scholastic Kid Reporter assigned to the release party of the Simpson's movie DVD at Bryant Park in NYC, and at the event they had a full choir come out and sing the Spider Pig theme song every 5-10 minutes. I got to meet a bunch of the cast members and creators but the fucking 800 performances of the Spider pig theme song haunts those memories

[@marcosj.j]

8:59 Homer failing to put the cassette on the first try... that's an awesome detail

[@AlexJones-ue1ll]

"We can't just halt at every Sop-sign" That gag never fails to make me laugh. It was so unexpected and out-off normal moment that it was a true Simpson moment. When I first heard of the movie and saw the first rough skids, with Homer whipping the sled dogs ordering them to run, jump and finally rest - it was weird and felt funny yet worrying at the same time. But the movie by itself was rather good. I liked the emotional part between Homer and Marge mostly because it felt natural enough to be impactful. Unlike current Simpsons, which I have not watched in ... years, actually. It was a fixed time of the day to watch Simpsons (TV station here broadcasts 2 Simspons episodes every workday on an infinity loop, expanding the loop over time with every new season added. But at some point in time I just no longer watched it, even the old episodes).

[@KasCalwein]

That scene hen the churchgoers enter Moe's tavern and vice versa when the dome approaches is probably my favorite gag of the movie.

[@JmsNmnn]

@5:36 “most of the spotline” Boy, I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder

[@wisethirtyseven]

Top tier reference 😂

[@youcantshimshamthezimmzamm5712]

My dad loved the Simpson’s and the Simpson’s movie was the last movie we went to see in theaters before he passed away. I never really watched much Simpson’s after that but I still have a love for it to this day

[@domibark]

The scene where their house gets devoured by the sinkhole Homer neglected to take care of always really stood out to me animation-wise. (You can actually find some test footage here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHqngJpnod58bqc ) I only recently started watching the actual series from the beginning, so now that scene hits me on a whole new level considering the series takes place in that iconic house for a majority of episodes.

[@DerkaDerkaMuhammondJihad]

I started simspons over again from epsiode 1 im up to season 16 now still loving every episode. You definitely appreciate it more when ur older.

[@kasrakhatir]

Had they just released a movie like this per year for the past 15 Years it would've been great instead of the boring series we got.

[@dyldragon1]

A yearly movie release would probably wear the writers out eventually, even if they retained all these all stars from the writing room and were able to get back some of the greats like Conan. This movie was also in development hell for a loooong time. Something like nine years. I'm sure we only got the best ideas from that huge time period. There was probably a good amount of crap that got cut.

[@jazzingpanda3190]

That exact scene at 4:00 came to mind when you started mentioning the pig, that and the “look Marge he can do you” bit aha

[@starkingbiker]

i was like 11 when this came out and i remember everyone was obsessed with this film

[@TheDiplomat717]

Love your videos! Keep up the amazing work and thank you for making them.

[@rapbattlefan2008]

If this show had ended with the movie, it would’ve gone down in history as the greatest show of all time.

[@ThadonutRs]

The guy that got crushed by the dome is one of the animators. I think the Corridor digital channel had him talk about it

[@mrbearbear83]

"The epiphatree!" And then tucks a bill into it and tells it to buy itself something nice. 😆

[@BeardofBeesPool]

Around 2003-2006 was right around the time where I waited to for The Simpsons to be funny again. The movie was the final nail in the coffin.

[@CorazonMexica]

Same here.

[@abdelali9279]

I remember using the spider pig theme song as a ringtone, hell everyone did, shit was crazy in the 2000's, oh BTW, Grand Theft Walrus II when R*?

[@JohnDoe-xp4iy]

When I had 2nd and 3rd degree sun burns on my back, and no internet/cable or a catalogue of movies, I watched the Simpsons Movie on repeat for a couple weeks straight. I memorized it word for word, still one of my favorite movies.

[@rommix0]

I have a similar relationship with this movie. I wasn't allowed to watch Simpsons growing up, and this movie was the gateway to me becoming a lifelong fan of the show.

[@15-Peter-20]

Wasn't allowed hahahahahahaha

[@petofiarkwright3236]

The nostalgia of this movie is insane to me, I still rewatch it and rephrase it and find it unironically funny, especially in the dubbing of my country. And don't get me started on the soundtrack. Fenomenal. "Giddyup Suite" has to be my favourite one of them, I could listen to that on repeat and shed a tear everytime, gives me chills.

[@nomercyformayhem2238]

The Joke at 8:27 is actually a reference to the Leslie Nielsen Movie "The Fugitive"

[@shermikeman]

PSA: John Swartzwelder has had a hilarious book series out centered on a bumbling, dunce private detective.

[@aivokallo77]

"In the future," I informed my slack-jawed audience, "there will be gas pumps that talk." "What will they talk about?", hushed voices would ask. "Gas."

[@dack]

I never realised that the president was actually Schwarzenegger, I was always under the impression that it was Wolfcasfle

[@UlyssesSGrant-bi2lf]

'The Simpsons' has had a clear decline in quality. However, considering it has had 30 seasons, I think has held up its quality very well.

[@austenmoore7326]

Yeah it’s not great anymore but it’s still a decent show.

[@andrewdevine3920]

Does anyone still actually watch it?

[@PlanetZoidstar]

One MAJOR issue I had with the movie was Marge deciding to take the kids and go back to Springfield...The town that tried to KILL THEM ALL. Nevermind she has NO plan and is basically bringing her family back to DIE when the bomb goes off. This was purely there so Homer would have motivation to go back..Somehow he manages to get back from ALASKA shortly after the family gets there...By car.

[@Attmay]

I only half agree with you. It would’ve been great if it had been released 10 years earlier. It’s still better than pretty much anything they’ve done in the last 20 years.

[@NibbleFL]

I loved the part in the episode where burns loses his memory, where he gets it backs it back and he hires eba to place another dome, but the town just comes back with: "That's already been done."

[@lilliebobson3146]

I used to think my disinterest in the Simpson's as time went on was because I was getting older. Now I understand that the quality has been poor and tripe and everyone else sees it too. Btw I was born late 80s so the Simpson's was my childhood.

[@JuLiAn31692]

Wait...the Green Day bit wasn't supposed to be a play on "Earth day"? That's how I always saw it.

[@chasehedges6775]

I saw that movie when I little. Really enjoyed it.

[@emilyreilhan]

I'm in the same boat, I still haven't seen that many Simpsons episodes but the movie was my first introduction into the world. I've always really loved the movie.

[@mrobbins5]

Been a long time since I watched this one. Perhaps this is a sign I should revisit

[@punkdoggo211]

As a MAJOR Green Day fan, I thought them playing the Simpsons theme song was DOPE, but I agree that it sucks that there wasn’t any jokes surrounding them (other than “American Idiot: Funeral Version”) or anything political.

[@LennyWhatever2]

This movie could've honestly worked really well as the show's series finale

[@11bg00]

I choose to think of it that way.

[@d007ization]

I'm not sure about the Green Day opinion. It riffs on celebrity cameos by having a band unironically sing "da da da da da", it riffs on the celebrity activism of those times (and the public's reaction to it) and it wraps everything pretty quickly by drowning them in seconds. And Lisa's love interest gives her something to do that ties into the environmentalism of the first act and the fact that it concludes with her decking Bart was always great to me. And gosh I never noticed the ambulance at the other end of the Springfield Gorge.

[@MisterDrBob]

Just watched this movie for the first time today after watching the first eight seasons on Disney+. Had never been much of a fan before, now I'd say it's one of my favorite shows. I decided to end at this point, just because I'm aware of how far and how fast it fell after season 8. I think "You Only Move Twice" has got to be my favorite episode, to me there's just no way you can top Hank Scorpio.

[@TheThingKing]

It's safe to watch season 9 which is still for the most part very well done. People only really have a problem with one episode from this season which admittedly does do unrecoverable damage to a famous established character's backstory, so if I were you I would skip "The Principal and the Pauper", but everything else is strong. Season 10 you can take it or leave it but don't bother with season 11. That's when the rot really sets in.

[@gavincurley2570]

Pretty sure the green day bit was a reference to rumors about their performance at lake Sacajawea having melted their barge.

[@evancookman9853]

I've been watching the simspons my whole life. I grew up with it and it is my definite favorite TV in all history. I really enjoyed the movie, I really loved it and still do. That is all.

[@joejohnson7032]

This was a great analysis. Huge points toward the middle of this about massive productions struggling to deal with being “contemporary” (Green Day, half hearted inclusion of Lisa/Colin) but these same people so effortlessly murdering jokes and what this show meant to people at the time. Hard to imagine shows with themes like this continuing now

[@mupty]

In the minority here: I think they made Homer too stupid and unlikeable in this movie which was somewhat in tune with the direction of the the show at the time. Had they made a Simpsons movie in the mid to late 90s when the show was at its peak it would have been way more amazing.

[@DeflatingAtheism]

When you have a character who's a dolt, that have to kind of keep one-upping themselves. Witness George Costanza's gradual Homerization over the course of Seinfeld.

[@slowpie]

@@DeflatingAtheism good point. He went from playing a woody allen esqe character in season 1 to someone who just yelled all the time....not theres anything wrong with that. lol

[@razkable]

i think they nailed bart's storyline and marge's character...lisa at first was solid but she kinda gets written out of the plot...the town is a bit subdued not shown enough and yes homer is at his worst here...maggie steals the show like always...and unpopular opinion but i like the villain..unbalanced is how i would describe the film..they nailed marge bart and maggie and the villain but they kinda did not stick the lisa stuff imo and the homer stuff is awful..and the town is handled ok but not shown enough so its mixed at best as a film for me

[@George2647g]

As a diehard early simpsons fan who grew up with it - i thought the movie was amazingly great.. i had super low expectations but the movie was so good i think even if i had high hopes i wouldnt have been disappointed. Great movie and story!

[@DCUniverse816]

If 11:14 actually does happen and I’d like it to be about the Simpsons old and grown (even though that’s been done in more than one episode) as they look back on their glory days from the 90s (or something like that)

[@ClemsContent]

I wish Sideshow Bob and Mr Burns had been the villains on the movie.

[@stussysinglet]

As a huge Simpson fan I wasn’t impressed with the movie…. it was sort of the final straw for me in loosing my passion for the show.. I think iv watched about 5 episodes made after the movie. Personally I think the humour and storylines from the first 8 seasons were a lot better than the movie. Who shot Mr Burns makes a much better movie than what was made…

[@CorazonMexica]

Agreed.

[@savioblanc]

As a 90s Simpsons fan, this movie was the end for me as a fan of the show