Review of Simpsons, The: On Your Marks, Get Set, D`Oh

Introduction

The UK has already had the first five Classic DVDs on their shelves (The Simpsons Go To Hollywood, Bart Wars: The Simpsons Strike Back, The Simpsons: Too Hot For TV, The Dark Secrets of The Simpsons, and The Simpsons Greatest Hits). This volume is one of the remaining `previously released on VHS` classics.

It`s a testament to the popularity of this endless running series that it has such a devoted fan-base, and I`m guessing that this volume will go down a treat with the hardcore. With Season 4 recently released, these almost random episode samplers provide some solace to the serious collector (awaiting the remaining 12 seasons to hit the racks) as well as providing a fun taster for anyone else.

As one of the many `anyone elses` who laugh aloud every time I see an episode, but who has yet to feel the need to add any seasons to my collection (it`s rarely off-air after all), I found this 4 episode disc a real treat.

When you analyse the appeal of the `The Simpsons`, it`s difficult to understand how this anarchic cartoon series, full of hypocritical, dumb-ass yellow folk, can be such a universal source of pleasure. It`s essentially a cynical view of a hollow world - filled with transparently self-serving manipulative people who constantly beat up on the little-man (Homer). Of course Homer is a self-centred, self-serving fool in his own right, but as the underdog he wins us over every episode. But without falling in to the dreary trap of penning a post-freudian critique (of the `comedy`s a serious business` variety), I suppose its main appeal is that it`s funny. Damn funny! It`s funny to children who love its zany and anarchic humour and it`s funny to grown-ups who appreciate its dry and sardonic wit. It`s one of the few series that I find myself laughing aloud to.

So what does this particular disc offer up? Well, exactly the same as the VHS version with the same title which has done the rounds for a while. It also offers the opportunity to view the episodes in any one of half a dozen languages and I`ve got to say (yes - I tried it!) that the French Homer is brilliant. A dead ringer but in the francais. Needless to say it offers all the other advantages of the DVD format over the VHS too so now these are out there`s no contest.

The episodes on offer here are all worthy of the `classic` tag.

`Faith Off` in which Homer crashes the car into a revival meeting and whilst there Bart discovers that he has `the power to heal`. It`s a crazy episode that lurches every which way in it`s narrative but there are many laugh aloud asides that make it a blast.(For example, when Homer needs some grease to help remove a bucket from his head he finds that he can`t resist eating it all. `Can`t you use a non-delicious fat? Aaah! I just realised - there`s no such thing…`.) It`s an episode that culminates in a drunk Homer running over a star footballer with a parade float at a big match, only to have Bart attempt to heal him. Needless to say - it doesn`t quite work out that way.


`Homer They Fall` sees Homer dealing with the fathers of Bart`s bullies. He becomes a boxer and fights `Drederick Tatum` (a Mike Tyson Doppelganger) for the world title.

In `Lisa On Ice`, Lisa makes the hockey team and finds herself playing against Bart. Catch the classic moment where Homer tries to eat a pie (it`s in the way of his salivating mouth after all) but he ends up head-butting the grill in true slapstick wonder.

`Dancin` Homer` sees a drunken Homer cheering on the crowds which encourages the Springfield Isotopes to victory. He`s then offered a job as team mascot.

Video

Well, peculiarly - not as good as you might expect. The picture`s a little soft at the edges which is strange for this style of cell-animation. My guess is that this has been transferred from the US NTSC Masters. Shame. But probably a whole bunch better than the VHS versions of the same.

Audio

Perfectly good Dolby 2.0 Stereo. Every bang, every wallop, every mumbled aside is crystal clear - and sound is consistent throughout the episode set.

Features

Not much, other than a host of other language options which are hilarious in their own right. The language may differ but the voice remains the same…remarkable. There`s also a (very) brief featurette entitled `Good sports makes sports good` which gathers together a number of snippets with a sporting theme. They`re a little disconnected to be of much merriment.

Conclusion

This disc is a DVD version of a popularly available (and much bought) VHS from a couple of years back. The `classics` title creates a high level of expectation - and all four episodes on this disc deliver the goods. There are laughs aplenty here for converted and non-converted alike, and the episodes have been shown very rarely on the endless re-run trail too. Of course, the complete season box sets (often spotted for around £17 a set) have only just got around to Season 4, with another 12 seasons to go - so this disc, along with the others in the classics range, will go a long way to filling the void during the long wait for completion. It`s astonishing how the series continues to be both fresh and funny some 300 episodes in, though it`s been blessed with quite a team of writers (see technical details at the front of this review for the full-listing). Very worthwhile.