Buy it... if you seek a musical souvenir from the concept, adapting Danny Elfman's theme into a parody style consistent with the current techniques of John Debney.

Avoid it... if you expect to hear much, if any, of Hans Zimmer's trademark sound.

Zimmer

The Simpsons Movie: (Hans Zimmer and Co.) The inevitability of a screen adaptation of Fox's hit animated parody show "The Simpsons" has been a hot topic for a dozen years. In its 18th season and still drawing well in ratings, the show maintains a rabid following because its writers never cease conjuring their endless stream of fallacies of logic (which, not surprisingly, have actually been made the subject of graduate student theses for leading academic publications). Under the guidance of Fox, director James L. Brooks follows the show's unofficial rules of production down to almost every detail, ultimately resulting in a film that really functions like a long episode that could just as easily have been shown on television. Critics were generally positive towards The Simpsons Movie, recognizing it for what it is: a worthy addition to the series that has all the expected appeal for its fans. Most of the production values of the film would mirror those of the show, with very few aspects upgraded for the larger venue. One of those slight upgrades in size involves the score for The Simpsons Movie, a source of some consternation for series fans. Danny Elfman's theme is the most recognized part of the show's musical identity, of course, and, having been around so long now, it's difficult to find anyone in the younger generation that can't identify it. But the mass of work involving the show's music has always fallen on the shoulders of Alf Clausen, whose creative parody writing has graced several hundred episodes with consistent orchestral quality. If any mainstream composer other than these two were to be given this assignment, the most natural fit would have been John Debney, whose talents in this genre are unmatched during this decade. But Brooks turned to his collaborator and friend Hans Zimmer for The Simpsons Movie and immediately caused every film music fan to ponder how, if possible, Zimmer's typical compositional style would lend itself to the parody genre.

Zimmer himself confessed to having doubts about the assignment initially, being a fan of Elfman's theme and not wanting to significantly alter its personality for the film. But with Brooks involvement, among others, Zimmer was roped into the project and he proceeded to refer to his role on the film as an arranger of Elfman's theme. The extent of Zimmer's work on The Simpsons Movie is, as usual, unknown, for he would employ no less than six assistants in helping him conduct that adaptation. It has been widely reported that Zimmer's job on the score was concentrated in the incorporation of the Elfman theme and a direction of the supporting composers to the same end. However the balance of duties was ultimately divided, The Simpsons Movie contains the least amount of character consistent with Zimmer's career in a long time. Little of the composer's heavy-handed tendency is evident in the score, with the most lasting impressions established by a couple of outward parody tracks for chorus and Elfman's title theme. The memorable theme is heavily referenced throughout the score, in creative fragments and in its totality. Unlike the film's presentation of the title theme (which was interrupted by a song), the album offers an unbroken orchestral rendition that somewhat dampens the sharp tenacity of the original version. Much of the score functions in the same way, with the pointy edges of Elfman's rhythms and instrumentation glossed over for a smoother and beefier Zimmer treatment. This could possibly disappoint die-hard Elfman fans. The actual employment of the theme (and its fragments) is quite intelligent, though, overshadowing a couple of motifs that Zimmer (or one of the others on the score) composed specifically for the film. Both a family (or epiphany) theme and a motif for doom are provided for The Simpsons Movie, though they really can't compete with Elfman's original. Any new idea Zimmer conjured for this film was destined to be put at a distinct disadvantage compared to any fragment of Elfman's material.

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The mass of the underscore is entertaining in many of the same ways that John Debney's reliable comedy scores have become. There are enjoyable elements to each cue's presentation of orchestral mayhem, and the ensemble responds to the occasion with ambitious performances. In a larger sense, though, the work by Zimmer and his crew suffers from the same general anonymity when separated from the humor of the film. Individual cues that will leap out at you include the ultra-cool, rock-rhythmed "Release the Hounds," the faux-50's female vocals for "Bart's Doodle," and a frightful variation on the television "Spider-Man" theme in "Spider-Pig." Among the more traditional parody score tracks, the choral performances carry the score, especially in the mock grandeur of "What's an Epiphany?." Ultimately, perhaps the most interesting aspect of The Simpsons Movie is how little it resembles a Hans Zimmer score. Even the composer's works for previous Brooks comedies and dramas maintained a underlying Zimmer style that tied those (remarkably strong) scores to his career. Conversely, The Simpsons Movie sounds like a John Debney knock-off, with only occasional, slight references to the Zimmer "sound." Additionally, the score doesn't really remind you of Elfman or Clausen's styles, either, which is surprising given how hard the crew attempted to work Elfman's theme into the equation. It's difficult to determine whether this absence of Zimmer's style is due to the composer's attempt to consciously emulate another composer, or rather simply the fact that Zimmer may have written a few major set pieces and handed the rest of the score off to his half dozen assistants. The album may appeal to fans of the show who seek a souvenir, though it's difficult to know if even they will be able to tolerate the remixed garbage presented in the final "Recklessly Impulsive" cue. Score collectors and Zimmer fans will likely find the score moderately amusing during its playing time, but it won't beg for repeat listens. A limited edition version of the soundtrack comes in a donut-like package and is a commercial rip-off, with no additional music and an identical booklet. ***   Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Hans Zimmer reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.09 (in 80 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.08 (in 253,581 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.