The Simpsons Movie

Half-hour TV sitcoms rarely make an effective transition to the big screen, but director David Silverman's The Simpsons Movie proves to be an exception, boasting the same satiric bite that fans have come to expect from the long-running Fox-aired series. The plot finds the Simpsons' hometown at risk: when Homer dumps a tank of pig waste into the river—increasing pollution to toxic levels—the EPA orders Springfield covered by a huge dome of shatterproof glass. Before the angry townspeople can lynch him, Homer manages to escape through a sinkhole with Marge and the kids, and the family heads north to Alaska to begin a new life. But when the government orders Springfield bombed into rubble, the Simpsons return to save their friends and neighbors. Series creators Matt Groening and James L. Brooks head a large team of writers, who present a cheerfully subversive view of government: Arnold Schwarzenegger (voiced by Harry Shearer) is the president, and a none-too-bright one at that, while the chief villain is a power-mad EPA chief (voiced by Albert Brooks). Speaking of voices: the familiar TV cast—Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, and Hank Azaria—contribute dozens of them, and Tom Hanks plays himself in a neatly self-deprecating bit. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one with writers-producers James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, and Mike Scully, director David Silverman, and voice cast costars Dan Castellaneta and Yeardley Smith; the other with Silverman, and sequence directors Mike B. Anderson, Steven Dean Moore, and Rich Moore), six deleted scenes (5 min.), a “Special Stuff” section with various TV appearances (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a surprisingly small extras package for a fine big screen adaptation of the long-running small screen series.] (E. Hulse)