With sharp wit in tow, The Simpsons finally make it in movie form after years of speculation. While the story has some loose ends, this is a funny, non-stop laugh-filled extended TV episode worthy of a theatrical release. Homer is always worth watching, and The Simpsons Movie provides plenty of him.

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While a step up from TV series DVD releases, the transfer has some noticeable issues. Compression is smartly avoided, though the overall look lacks a definite sharpness. It’s as if a layer of light edge enhancement was thrown over everything here. Colors are still bright and bold, and the look of the movie is intact. It’s hard to get over the feeling that this could have been quite a bit better.

There are numerous moments where this 5.1 DTS (with a separate Dolby 5.1 mix) track has the chance to shine. Bass is powerful when needed, and the subwoofer is called upon often. Surrounds are active at multiple junctions, and there are even a few fun examples of stereo work. There are no straightforward action scenes to use as demo material, but this is a fine piece of sound design.

Extras are a source of massive disappointment, and it’s obvious fans will be double-dipped later. The best of the lot here are two commentaries, one which stops the movie at certain points to pick out small details you probably missed while you watch. Both are necessary listening for fans.

Five minutes of deleted scenes offer brief gags cut from the film, though given the running time, having most of these in the movie wouldn’t have hurt. “Special Stuff” is a section that offers various promo appearances of Homer during promotion, including Tonight Show and American Idol. These barely last three minutes. Loads of trailers and a few short easter eggs (including one where Homer beats up the THX mascot) make up a whopping list of bonus features that come in under 10 minutes.

Spider-pig fans get the shaft here. The widescreen DVD has a picture of a partially eaten doughnut on the printed side of the disc. Those who want to crop the movie with the pan and scan copy get a wonderful portrait of Homer’s new sidekick. Life isn’t fair.