"THE SIMPSONS: THE COMPLETE ELEVENTH SEASON"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Dan Castellaneta as HOMER SIMPSON Julie Kavner as MARGE SIMPSON Nancy Cartwright as BART SIMPSON Yeardley Smith as LISA SIMPSON Hank Azaria as VARIOUS Harry Shearer as VARIOUS Not Rated Studio: 20th Century Fox Created by: Matt Groening Back to DVD Review Home |  |
I’ve been reviewing films for more than six years. And I’ve been reviewing DVDs for about five. In all those years, encompassing more than a thousand reviews, there has never been a product that has been so hard to wrap my brain around than the DVD releases of “The Simpsons.”
It’s not that I don’t get the series. I get it. I’ve been getting it for years. However, now that the show has been on literally more than half of my life, it’s terribly difficult to look at a single season of 20+ shows and compare it to the others. It’d be so much simpler (and more in line with Homer Simpson’s laziness) to simply dismiss the entire series as genius and move on.
But I will do my best to be a good critic.
While it’s in its historic twentieth season, “The Simpsons” on DVD has only made it to Season Eleven. I imagine they’ll get through all of their seasons just in time to switch home video format to a cooler, higher-definition one in a few year.
In keeping with the tradition of the “Simpsons” DVD releases, season eleven comes in a creative box. The “cover” is the bug-eyed face of Krusty the Klown. It’s bulging from the box itself, making it nearly impossible to keep on your DVD shelf. Still, along with Disney’s 2-Disc Collector’s Edition of “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” it’s one of the most compelling DVD covers I’ve seen this year.
Inside, the DVDs are contained in a circus motif, keeping with the tradition of a few episodes that take the dysfunctional American family to community fairs and festivals. The DVDs are slid into the fold-out backdrop, which makes them a bit difficult to handle.
Also included is a booklet that breaks down each episode in detail, including a plot synopsis, scene selection and special feature highlights. There’s also a free ticket to The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida or Universal Studios Hollywood.
Because “The Simpsons” have become an American institution on television, by the eleventh season, the look and feel of the episodes have become standardized. Even in the special features, which have several spots about the evolution of some characters, we see how little they have changed over the years. So, it’s fair to say that this season is as good as any other.
The episodes continue to be irreverent, poking fun at themselves (as in the best episode of the bunch, “Behind the Laughter,” a parody of the VH1 “Behind the Music” exposes) as well as the marketing and entertainment industry in general (like when Homer teams up with Mel Gibson to remake “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”).
There’s some character evolution in the show, including the death of Flanders’ wife and the birth of Abu’s litter of children. But most of all, there’s Bart, Lisa, Homer and Marge (and Little Maggie along for the ride) getting in and out of trouble.
The special features are scattered throughout the four discs. They include a special introduction by Matt Groening, audio commentaries on every episode, deleted scenes, multi-angle animation showcases, original sketches and featurettes on the Simpsons star on Hollywood Boulevard, Krusty the Klown and “The Simpsons” in different languages.
Simpsons fans should rejoice with this DVD. It’s more of the same, with your favorite TV family. And the best part is that there are at least nine more seasons to go... at least at the time I write this review.
