No, none of them are Spider-Pig related.
Released in cinemas on 27 July 2007, The Simpsons Movie was met with a very odd reaction.
On the one hand, it was a huge commercial success ($536 million worldwide on a $75 million budget), it got a great critical response (87% on Rotten Tomatoes, 80% on Metacritic), and it was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes (which it lost to Ratatouille).
On the other hand, everyone expected it to actually make a lot more money (it made less than Shrek The Third, also released that year), it wasn’t even nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, and for fans of the show, it arrived in between seasons 18 and 19. In other words, at the time it felt like it arrived about a decade too late.
Having said that, the decade-and-a-half has been nothing but kind to the movie, representing arguably the last time that everyone agrees The Simpsons was properly funny.
So, to celebrate the anniversary, we’ve put together the five funniest moments from the film.
Should you want to check them all out (along with, y’know, all of the other jokes), The Simpsons Movie is available to watch on Disney+ right now.
ONE: Homer calls us all suckers
The movie kicks off with a movie-within-the-movie, as Homer takes the family to see The Itchy & Scratchy Movie, only to realise he could be basically watching the show for free at home. He points directly at the “camera”, calling us all suckers for paying to see The Simpsons Movie.
Of course, he wasn’t to know that 15 years later, we’re all actually paying to see The Simpsons (and The Simpsons Movie) again because we’re streaming them all on Disney+ now…
TWO: Mad without power
The great Albert Brooks – who previously voiced Marge seducer Jacques, the iconic Hank Scorpio, as well as Brad “I loved her in that thing I saw her in” Goodman – returns for another immediately brilliant character, Russ Cargill.
He’s responsible for trapping Springfield under the glass dome after the city is revealed to be the most highly polluted place in America, and he’s responsible for the movie’s most on-point one-liner: “Have you ever tried going mad without power? It’s boring, no-one listens to you.”
THREE: The rich white man is in control
If the movie does have one major flaw, it is that so much time is spent with The Simpsons outside of Springfield, and one of the main reasons we love the show is because of the character-rich city they live in. So every precious second spent with the Simpsons’ friends and neighbours is vital.
None more so than when Monty Burns asks for reasons why he should share his electricity with the townsfolk, with even Smithers trying to stop Apu from attempting to get Burns to “look into his heart”.
FOUR: The devil’s curly hair
To be honest, the line itself isn’t funny, but what is funny is the absolutely sociopathic way that Ned completely emotionally and psychologically demolishes his son Todd without a moment’s hesitation.
FIVE: The new Grand Canyon
While the sudden arrival of Tom Hanks – to put a friendly face on the upcoming destruction of Springfield – is in itself very funny (“It is nowhere near where anything is or ever was!”), the highlight is the ultra-spoiled teenager who is bored of the previous Grand Canyon – “It is so old and boring. I want a new one! NOW!”
Clips via Superjay, Dave Digmaw, Captain Seawolf, Roger Bradshaw & Frank Dux
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