My last review was almost a year ago but at least the set came out sooner (10 months between 11 and 12). It just took me a while to watch the entire season twice because I always go through it a second time with all the commentaries. To fill the gap I scored the conclusion to Duckman and latest from the Venture Brothers, both of which I’m well overdue on posting about.
The 12th season concludes Scully’s tenure running the show. He left to make a short-lived sitcom on ABC with Mel Gibson’s production company and then wrote for the later seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond while contributing to the movie. I think he still did a good job yet he admits to capitulating to pressure from the suits, hence the “Simpsons Tall Tales” episode in an attempt to capitalize on the success of the Halloween tradition and the Bible stories. There are some gems which have held up after eight or nine years: “HOMR,” “New Kids on the Blecch,” “Worst Episode Ever” and “I’m Goin’ to Praiseland;” and further gambles: “Trilogy of Error” (I always thought it was an imitation of the German movie Run Lola Run but writer Matt Selman said it was really based on Go), “The Computer Wore Menace Shoes” and “Simpson Safari.” The jokes remain strong even at time when the premise is weak, e.g. “Tennis the Menace.”
Fox decided to stay with the cheap, crappy foldout packaging again. I’m puzzled on why the cutting of corners over the show which pulled Murdoch’s money pit into a real television-marketing contender. You’d think the profit margins were raised enough through all the DVDs now made in Mexico…until they can figure out how to do it in the Philippines or Kenya. The features stay thin too. I know there were more commercials starring the characters around then. Comic Book Guy gets a montage tribute as Krusty did in 11, it’s watchable once. The fanfest from 2000 was amusing, especially when the writers are being stumped on the trivia questions.
Groening remains a scarce commentator which disappoints me yet he appeared on all four of the Futurama direct-to-DVD movies so this balances out. Scully acts as the MC on all of them in Groening’s place. This time around he brings in Joe Mantegna (Fat Tony), Chris Kirkpatrick (a member of NSYNC and Chip Skylar in The Fairly Oddparents), Phil Rosenthal (head writer of Everybody Loves Raymond and voice of the Grand Canyon dad in the movie) and Roger Daltry (his part was pre-recorded). Director Mark Kirkland steals the show on “Simpson Safari” by sharing his knowledge of Kenya with everyone: he went there as a teenager to help his father work on a movie in the early Seventies. It paid off because all the little details are present and Mark’s digs on the writers’ ignorance of Kenya’s geography was hilarious; listen to it to understand. Finally, there’s a deleted scene from “Tale of Two Springfields” which made me laugh and raise an eyebrow on Fox letting it happen.
Is this worth buying? Yes with no hesitation. Currently, I have no idea what the show is like now due to the TV situation at home and I haven’t made any effort to see anything beyond the new HD opening. I would prefer to be surprised when those seasons make it to DVD or Blu-Ray or whatever means will be around in the near future. I feel time has been kind to the show and the cracks I mentioned over 11 became a tad more noticeable but the writers, artists and actors continued to surprise me for a second time.