IIRC, Maggie’s “first word” of “Daddy” (as voiced by Liz Taylor) wasn’t really her first word, it having been spoken in a previous episode some time before this. Also, if you count (which most people don’t) the Tree House of Horror episodes, then there was the time travelling one where she (as voiced by James Earl Jones) tells Homer that the current time line wasn’t safe for him. I think that there might have been another instance of “Maggie’s first word” but I don’t remember any details.
Some time before what?
Coincidentially, I have here a copy of Chris Turner’s Planet Simpson, which lists the other four times Maggie could have considered to have “spoken,”- twice in a dream sequence/hallucination (probably don’t count) and twice in Halloween episodes (which also probably don’t count):
-Dream sequence in “Bart vs. Thankgiving:” Says to Bart "It’s your fault I can’t talk- without moving her lips.
-Hallucination in “Flaming Moe’s:” Homer hears everything as “Moe.” (“Can we moe to the moevies?” “Of course. After all, all work and moe moe makes Moe a moe moe.”) Maggie takes out her pacifier and says “Moe.”
-Treehouse of Horror V: Says “This is indeed a disturbing universe” in James Earl Jones’s voice after killing Groundkeeper Willie.
-Treehouse of Horror IX: Says “I’ll drive” and “I need blood” in Kang’s voice, Kang having been revealed on Jerry Springer to be Maggie’s real father. (Note that this episode aired after “Lisa’s First Word.”)
The Liz Taylor episode. Someone also needs to let Eve know that Yeardly Smith does not sing in the movie! I know how much that bothers Eve, so if she’s on the fence about seeing the film because of that, there’s no worries.
Thanks for spoiler boxing in a thread all ready marked (spoilers), because I simply never tire of dragging that mouse cursor.
I saw it on opening night. It had a very strong first act, but the Alaska scenes bored me. Maybe I’m just used to the half hour format, because I was ready for it to wrap up around the one hour mark. Overall I enjoyed it, and was pleasantly surprised given the show’s past ten year downward slide. My favorite bits were the church goers and bar patrons trading places, and the cats waiting for the birds to slide down the dome.
Now, at the risk of sounding like Comic Book Guy, here are my petty complaints:
Why was the president Schwarzenegger instead of Wolfcastle? That really bugged me more than it probably should have. I also wonder why they didn’t go after Bush himself, since they’ve already lampooned George Senior and Clinton.
Did we really need to see Bart’s doodle? I was seven years old when The Simpsons first aired, and I’ve literally grown up with Bart. It felt like my fond, innocent childhood memories were being… violated.
I didn’t like the choice of villain. They have tons of potential characters to play bad guy - Burns, Sideshow Bob, Frank Scorpio, Bumblebee Guy - why did they create a nobody who we don’t know or care about?
Lastly, I thought the Homer’s marriage is in trouble / Bart is taken in by the Flanders / Lisa falls in love side plots were pretty dumb. Haven’t they done all of those, like, ten times already?
Yes, I defnitely wondered that too. I can only guess they did it for continuity reasons: (1) Apparently Wolfcastle is a resident of Springfield, and (2) they can use him in future episodes without having the complication of him being a (former) president of the U.S. Plus, they got to do a Kennedy joke.
It probably would have been a good joke, if it hadn’t been spoiled by already knowing that The Movie Shows Bart’s Doodle.
Yeah, you know: "The Simpsons already did it!"
Saw the movie yesterday. I have watched every episode of The Simpsons but I would not consider myself a “fangirl” (haven’t had the urge to memorize anything or go through it with a fine-toothed comb)
I found the movie to be just like a 90-minute episode of the show. I wasn’t blown away by it and I didn’t laugh any more or less than I would have if I’d watched 3 episodes back-to-back. Of course, I did laugh.
I am pissed I didn’t stay for the credits - damn nicotine addiction!
My compadre and I came up with a list of the things that made it PG13:
- Bart’s wang (er, “doodle”)
- Homer flipping the bird
- Someone else flipping the bird (Maggie?)
- Marge saying “goddamn!”
- Otto hitting the bong (our favorite!)
Anything else?
We were also kind of shocked AND disappointed that TPTB over at The Simpsons have put a ton of marketing money into the idea of the Kwik-e-Mart there was no Kwik-e-Mart. Did Apu even have any lines? Also just saw the Burger King/Krustyburger ads today - no Krustyburger in the movie either. Huh.
Actually we were disappointed that a lot of the town and the second-tier characters were left out of the show. Other than the above-mentioned, there was also too little school, no Patty and Selma and hardly any Moe’s. My reasoning was that it would have just been a huge clusterfuck if they tried to cram all of that in to the movie. The only thing they could do was to send the family on an “adventure” and at the same time get the entire town in some mob scenes.
I’d agree with whomever gave it a high 6 or a 7. Not a bad movie, not devoid of laughs…but it just seemed a bit lacking. Problem is, I have no idea what could have made it better 
Apu has no lines, but he is seen in the opening changing the expiration date on a carton of milk from 2006 to 2008. And although Burger King is not transforming itself into Krusty Burger, there certainly was Krusty Burger in the film- Bart skateboarded naked from his house to there on a bet, and it was at Krusty Burger where Homer first met Plopper (on the set of a commercial being filmed there).
For all the ads showing Homer eating a donut, did he ever actually do so in the movie?
Try as I might, I didn’t see the massive Olmec stone head (a gift of Mr. Burns some years ago) in the Simpsons’ basement as the house was destroyed by the sinkhole. Did anyone else? If anything had plugged the sinkhole but good, that stone head would have!
We never saw him eat a donut, but he presumably must have eaten a donut, seeing as the only reason he dumped the pig crap into Lake Springfield was so he could get to the donut shop while they were still giving out free donuts.
[Marge]Would you stop saying “donut” so much?[/Marge]
Apu had at least one line; he’s the one who asked Mr. Burns to look deep into his heart.
It wasn’t bad. There were some problems with them falling into the same ruts they’ve worn deep into the ground over the past twenty years (the depth of the new Grand Canyon at least), but when they were being witty rather than just predictably slapstick it was very funny.
When they showed the little clip beforehand asking patrons to bring their own trash back to the receptacles by the doorway, I could almost hear 150 people thinking, “Screw that!”
It was there. You could see it as the house spun around and fell apart.
Actually, given Homer’s bad luck, I’d think he probably arrived at the donut shop just after the last donut was distributed. So he would have befouled Lake Springfield, disappointed Lisa and endangered the town for no good reason at all. D’oh! Par for the course for ol’ Homer.
So in summary, based on these posts, if you don’t like recent Simpsons and don’t have a strong desire to see either Barts penis (was he circumcised is my only question), Otto actually inhaling pot instead of just referencing it, and Marge saying a bad swear, its not worth eight bucks?
What post are you summarizing that from? I don’t think anybody has said a single thing like that.
No, I’m saying these are the only differences from an average current TV episode? Like some TV shows made into movies maybe do something different that they couldn’t or wouldn’t do on TV, I’m summarizing from all previous posts that the humor is that of a current episode, and the only things you wouldn’t see on TV are the three I mentioned? Just trying to determine if I should spend 8 bucks now, 2 bucks in three months or four bucks in six months, no slam intended.
Is anyone else saddened by the apparent death of Dr. Nick? Dare I say it hearkened back to the death of Wash on Serenity? 
Boxed, since it contains a recursive spoiler!
I enjoyed the movie, some great bits, and not a disappointment or a failure…
In that sense, yes, there’s only so much you couldn’t see on a regular episode, although you wouldn’t see most of it due to the length. But almost all of the series’ classic writers were involved with the movie (plus a few extra), I think the only one missing is Conan O’Brien. It’ll be as funny in six months as it is now, but it sure didn’t feel like the finale of season 18.
Anyone else notice the painting behind marge and homer’s bed in Alaska? Marge painted it.
I was really disappointed that there was no “The Simpsons are going to Alaska!”, but I really love running gags.
I liked it, its definitely not all “new” simpsons.