THE SCREENING ROOM
BLU-RAY REVIEW
By Bill Kallay
As I watched the first disc of "The Simpsons" 20th Season, I didn't like what I saw. I turned into "Comic Book Guy" for a moment. It seemed that the show I've loved since the beginning was old and tired. Upon re-watching it again, I discovered this season wasn't really that bad."The Simpsons: The Complete Twentieth Season" is now available on Blu-ray.
I can't imagine how difficult it must be to carry a show for 5 years with excellent writing, voicing, and scripting, let alone 20. In fact, "The Simpsons" managed to have a strong 10 year run with classic episodes. As for the next 10 years of the show, it's had its hits-and-misses.
The 20th year of the show also has it hits & misses. When I first watched Disc 1, I was thrown by a few things. On Blu-ray, and with more modern animation and filming technology, the the show is super bright and sharp to look at. The show has, for the last few years, used a more refined and shadow-based look. The characters and backgrounds are more slick than they ever have been. The show feels different from the relative crudity and charm it once had. It feels more serious in a way. Now it seems the show upped the quality a few notches. Not a bad thing, but I miss the crudeness.
Most of the episodes are good to very good. I've never been a fan of the Lisa episodes for the most part, though she's a wonderful character. They tend to be a little too dramatic and strange like "Lisa the Drama Queen." But I was taken back to the good 'ol days of the show's prime in "Eeny Teeny Maya Moe." Here's an episode that's both funny and sweet. The latest "Treehouse of Horror" is also great.
The Blu-ray picture is nothing short of excellent. Every frame is loaded with sharpness and bright color. It's worth noting that the show's second disc is in widescreen. Hard to believe that the show was shot in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, even during the early years of widescreen television. My first reaction to this was that the show lost its intimate framing. It does take a bit getting used to the wider frame with this show. But your eyes will adjust.
The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is excellent, though I read another review that complained about the lack of energy to the overall sound quality. Most of the episodes sound great, in my opinion. Even the DVDs of the series sound very good, so credit is due to the "Simpsons" sound department.
I began hating this milestone season, ended up liking most of it. Is it on par with the so-called classic years of "The Simpsons?" No, but it's far better than anything seen on "Family Guy."
Special thanks to Click Communications
Photos: © 20th Century Fox. All rights reserved.
| QUICK GLIMPSE |
|
MOVIE |
About | Site Index | Contact | Terms & Conditions | Links
