3.5/5
First and DOH!
46 Mins. Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria & Harry Shearer, with special guests from the NFL. Created By: Matt Groening. On: Disney +.
'Homer3'. It was over thirty years ago, back in 1995, when Disney's Pixar were changing the game with 'Toy Story' from their computer animated chest, that we got to see Homer Simpson in 3D. All for a classic 'Treehouse Of Horror' episode ('VI') that paid homage to 'The Twilight Zone' as Homer entered the real world as we knew it, for something that felt like a halfway Evergreen Terrace House between 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' and 'Space Jam'. Bart briefly roped up some three-dimensions too, but now we get to see the whole family like this, not to mention all the cast of characters in 'The Simpsons' for some 'Funday Football', courtesy of the NFL and Sony's Beyond Sports Technology.
Last month, Christmas came early for football fans, all before the NFL went head-to-head with the NBA for some Christmas games, highlighted by a 'Beyoncé Bowl' half-time show that could rival the Super Bowl one to come from Kendrick Lamar in New Orleans. All as Netflix, streaming these games, went head-to-head with Disney Plus that broadcasted the Cincinnati Bengals against the Dallas Cowboys, albeit with a cloud cover in the sky difference. 'The Simpsons'. Chalking up the best play on Bart's board, this real-time animated game that felt like something out of Madden's playbook, streamed live at the same time as the real football took place. Forget the field, the digital one had Bart's Bengals taking on Homer's Cowboys...a team we all know he once owned.
Live from Springfield's Atoms Stadium like the Hollywood sign, this was the best Simpsons movie since the Spider-Pig one...and that pigskin was on hand off too. Ever since Matt Groening made his Walt Disney deal, 'The Simpsons' have given us many shorts in conjunction with Star Wars, Marvel, Mickey and all of them. To close out this year, alongside their own thirty-fifth (WHAT?!) season, the canary family gave us a goldmine of seasonal treasures. Starting with the Halloween special of 'The Most Wonderful Time Of Year', starring none other than 'Frasier' Crane, Kelsey Grammar raking it in as the fantastic Beast's second most beloved (to hate) character. And ending with a mind meld of the Derren Brown manipulated 'O C'mon All Ye Faithful' that was like a miracle on Evergreen Terrace. Homer thought he was Santa there. Here, he and Bart think they're the Manning brothers. They, and more NFL guest stars than diamond ones when Simpson was playing softball, show up too.
Not to mention a crack cliché commentary team, and a scenery chewing show steal from Stephen A. Smith with the interception (this family guy, Homer Simpson, is a close, personal friend of his). 'Funday Football' made for a fun festive game, like the 'Squid' one that had everyone falling over themselves on Boxing Day. Starring the usual suspects of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer, and everyone from Moe to Grandpa Simpson, with better banners than "Bring Back Wagon Train", this slice of National Football and nostalgia is something to be grateful for and Thanksgiving is even more notches on the turkey and trimmings trousers belt (wowzers) than Christmas...and we're already later than the New Year's party to this. But before you get ready for the Mardi Gras that will be this season's Super Bowl with Kendrick, this one with the family that is not like us, is a real touchdown. Meet The Simpsons again on the Gridiron. This is a Hail Marge play. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'The Simpsons', 'The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful', 'The Simpsons: The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year'.
No comments:
Post a Comment