SHORT REVIEW: THE SIMPSONS - THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

4/5

Terwilliger All Along

3 Mins. Starring: Kelsey Grammar, Maurice LaMarche & Nancy Cartwright. Screenwriters: Broti Gupta, J. Stewart Burns, Dan Greaney & Al Jean. Director: David Silverman. On: Disney +.

What a time to be alive. When your Disney home means you can send up Marvel, 'Star Wars' and even 'Bambi', and not get it in the neck. Kelsey Grammar must be raking it in. Not only has this Beast of an actor (with no CGI needed for all that chest fur) made his 'X-Men' cameo appearance in the M.C.U., post-credits for 'The Marvels', he's also rebooted his fond family sitcom spin-off, 'Frasier' to the cheers of a second season (but can we get a Sideshow Cecil?). And now, it's 'The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year' in the Crane household. As the voice and "eugh, er, eugh, er, eugh, er" as iconic as his radio shrink stars in the latest 'Simpsons' short to celebrate their 36th season and the evil tidings of the season of the witch. Riding in on his own worst enemy (no, not the back of, the Bart...the) like it was 'Agatha All Along'.

'Tis the season to be stabby. Ow-a-ow-a-ow-a-ow-ow-ow. We aren't talking about candy canes and mistletoe, but the real end of the year season that has people falling all over themselves, wanting to leave the pumpkin on the porch until it's as rotten as eggs left from Easter. The trick to this latest short from 'The Simpsons' is that it's like an added extra bonus to their latest, iconic, trademark season starting 'Treehouse Of Terror'. And what a treat as Kelsey G-G-Grammar breaks into song, even more than he tries to break Bart (the "I still can't believe she's not a boy", Nancy Cartwright). And that's not the half of it. Just like the legendary Julie Kavner fronted 'May The 4th Be With You' (for that other most wonderful time of the year) featured all the queens of Disney, Marvel and 'Star Wars', this one caters to all the villains. No matter how many times Thanos (Maurice LaMarche filling in nicely for Josh Brolin) clicks his fingers. It's inevitable that this Plus property will give you plenty of cameos that would look like shameful product placement if it wasn't for the sharp screenwriting of Broti Gupta, J. Stewart Burns, Dan Greaney and Al Jean. 

Tossing salads and scrambling brains. All to give us one of the best Disney designed shorts yet, directed by David Silverman. Come for Darth Vader, stay for those classic closing credits that have become as popular and sought after as 'The Mandalorian' concept-art crawl. Grammar's Bob is the bard that will make this comedy a classic again, instead of the Shakespearean tragedy of this lifetime running achievement of an amazing animation, getting it from rapper J.Cole as he dissed Kendrick Lamar...and then walked it all back like Homer in the hedge. Dubbed as, "music, mayhem and madness", all with a little mirth. Trump on an escalator, tiger's going tiger as Chris Rock said, and Osaka flu. 'The Simpsons' have had a way of Nostradamus-ing some of life's events. And right now it's on the money, riding with the Grammar rodeo that is Kelsey's career-resurgence calling again. And Bob's your uncle. Happy Halloween, Springfield, we love you. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Scaring: 'The Simpsons: Treehouse Of Terror', 'The Simpsons: May The 12th Be With You', 'Frasier'.