New Trailer for Inside Out

Just saw the new trailer for Pixar's Inside Out. It was fun. But I'm also a little disappointed. I had wanted to see more of the heart of the movie, not just the comedy. I don't doubt there will be heart in the movie, but I fear it will be pushed aside and the comedy will take over, like another movie directed by Pete Docter. Do all animated movies these days have to be advertised as comedies? Will people not go see them otherwise? And yes, I am aware that it's supposed to be comedy.

We don't really get to see a lot from the characters, other than Riley being a typical older child/going on teenager, the mother being the understanding caring one disappointed in the husband, and the neglectful husband who doesn't really pay attention. How many times have we seen that before? I hope there will be more in the movie that makes them unique.

The emotions are kind of fun. They are bringing a lot of energy, but I'm wondering if the whole movie will be like this. I'm going to guess no, but that leaves us with nothing as for how the movie will go, what the story is. We don't even get to know who the main character is, which you would think they would reveal in the second trailer.

The designs are good and the emotions are fun, but other than than I'm hoping that the trailer is not representative of the movie.

Christmas Present Ideas For an Animation Nerd

It's that time of year again. Brace yourselves, Christmas is coming. And with that all the Christmas presents. You might really enjoy giving presents to other people, or you might hate all the stress and wish you could just give hugs. Whatever your feelings on the matter is, I'm here to give you a little help with ideas. This blog post will be a gift guide for all of you that have someone in your life that's into animation. (Disclaimer: if your present receiver is a huge nerd, they may already have all the things listed below. You might want to consider a scarf.)

The Art of The Incredibles by Mark Cotta Vaz

First off, this is a beautiful book. The cover is gorgeous and the art inside it is very interesting to look at. It has forewords by John Lasseter and Brad Bird, and about every other page has some insight to the creation of the characters and the world. This is a must for anyone who is interested in the design or is a fan of The Incredibles.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Steve Jobs knew he was going to die and asked Walter Isaacson to write a biography about him. A very Jobs-y thing to do, and you'd think that's a setup for a glorifying biography about the genius Steve Jobs. But it really isn't. Isaacson was allowed to write about both the good and the bad sides of Jobs character and life, which makes it a very well-rounded portrayal. I'd suggest this book to anyone, it's so interesting and really sucks you into the story. If you know someone who's interested in technology or Apple this will be the perfect book to give them, but I think most people can enjoy this one. It's a pretty long book at over 600 pages, but well worth your time.

The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company by David A. Price

This is one for all Pixar fans. Do you want to know how Pixar got started? This is the book for you. It starts back when Ed Catmull was studying at the university and moves through time to the production of Ratatouille, though an updated epilogue goes further. This book is really good, it's so fascinating reading about everything that contributed to Pixar being just Pixar. It's relatively short at 258 pages excluding epilogue, which is noticeable in some parts where they look over a few things a little fast. But it's good for those that aren't fans of very long books. I think it's a good marriage between too long and too short, but I would recommend the Steve Jobs book for further reading on Jobs part of it. All in all, a very good book.

Pictures from here, here and here.

The First Trailer For Peanuts

So, the first trailer for Peanuts, by Blue Sky Studios, is out. I gotta say, I feel pretty excited. I have to mention the look of the movie first, it's incredible! They really went in a hundred percent to make it look like the old cartoons, something that seems quite impossible with 3D. But they somehow succeed. It looks like a mix of 2D, stop motion/claymation and 3D animation, it's just wonderful to look at and it feels fresh. I think a lot of 3D-animated movies nowadays tend to have a sort of similar style, you know that "3D-style", especially if it's not from the big three. It's so refreshing to see something different, something new.

The classic Peanuts music is of course there and really sets the mood, but the other song I'm not crazy about. I don't think it fits the mood or action that is going on. If they wanted to go with the happy song, they could have gone more out with it. The few voices (okay there are only two) we hear sounds like the old cartoons, indicating that they have done a good job with finding voices.

As for the story... Well, they're not telling any of the story yet, which I thinks works fine for the trailer. I feel like most people going to see this are going because of the old cartoons, to relive that magical time. Though I am very curios of how they will fill up 90 minutes of runtime (I'm guessing, no runtime released yet.) But I do have a lot of confidence in Blue Sky succeeding in that. They have worked so hard to make it look and feel like the old cartoons, so my guess is that the story will take the same approach, to just be very close to the original. I'm very excited for this, is it 2015 soon?

Review: Simpsorama

I watched the Simpsons/Futurama crossover episode "Simpsorama", and I thought it was really good. It felt a bit short, but many of The Simpsons episodes lately feel that way, I don't know if it has to do with the shortened runtime. And obviously it will feel shorter the more characters you have to focus on, and with a crossover episode there's quite a few.

The story is a pretty good one, simple but gives most of the characters something to do and let them interact with each other. It was very funny with good jokes, and only a few of them was a wink to the audience, wich was nice.

The characters interacting with each other works really well. How the characters react to each other is very believable and I think it suits both shows. The Futurama part I feel is slightly too far out for a Simpsons episode, but it's not enough that it bothers me. I still considered this an in canon episode, though it's sort of a mix between the regular episodes and a Halloween episode. The characters feel true to themselves, which is the most important part of a crossover.

It's hard not to compare this episode to the Family Guy/Simpsons crossover, seeing as they premiered so close to each other. Simpsorama is a much better crossover, mostly because The Simpsons and Futurama could be in the same universe, they are not that far away from each other (unless you count a 1000 years as far) in terms of comedy and how the shows approach subjects. I think Family Guy would do a better crossover with South Park, they feel closer to each other than Family Guy does to The Simpsons.

Simpsorama was a very fun episode, a nice send off to a show that ended to soon, and just a good crossover, so check it out if you haven't yet.

Image: Fox

Fearing The Four:Toy Story 4

When I woke up and read through Twitter I couldn't believe how many tweets had been written during the night. I didn't have to feel confused for long, as I read through the tweets. Pixar had released the news that they are making Toy Story 4, and everyone on Twitter was highly opinionated. I have landed a bit after the (though mild) chock, so I can now tell you how I feel about this news.

First of all, I do not think that Pixar is "dying". I do not think that they are running out of ideas. I do not think that they are just after money. I do not think Pixar is losing it's touch. With that out of the way, I really don't like the idea of them making a fourth movie. Pixar's track record with sequels is pretty good so far, the sequels have, in my opinion, always been as good or possibly better than the original. (I don't like Cars or Cars 2, but in my opinion they are equally not-so-good.) So my reasoning for not being excited about the new movie is not that I'm scared that they will do a bad job. And I'm not that against sequels, well okay a little, but I have faith in that Pixar has a story before they decide to make a sequel, not just because the original is popular and making a lot of money.

The problem I have with them making a fourth movie, is that the third one was so good at closing the series. They say goodbye to Andy, he moves out and they are left in the care of Bonnie. Unless they're going to make three more movies where we see Bonnie grow up, it's going to stick out like a sore thumb. I also wonder what more they can do with the characters. Woody and Buzz have already fought and had their differences and have come to like and respect each other. And Jessie already had her movie. This series, to me, is a finished chapter, and it feels very unnecessary that they are opening it up again.

With that said, I'm very curious about this movie. How can they progress the story and characters after such a good ending? But as for me, I would rather they'd just leave this series as it is, one of the best movie series.

Image: Disney

The struggle is real: A nerd in Sweden

To live in Sweden, and be a huge animation nerd, it's not that easy. The amount of time we have to wait for some (and by some I mean most) animated movies from the other side of the Atlantic is ridiculous. For example, Book of Life, that came out now in October in the US, will not premiere here until April. That's six months! Let me tell you what is going to happen in those six months, in particular on the Internet. The first month is going to be a lot of hype around the movie. People will go see it, they will tweet their non-spoiler thoughts, and write reviews, most often non spoilers. The second month, people, and the companies, will start to slowly spoil the movie. They start to write more details, make and upload gifs and so on, so you start to get more insight into the movie. The third month, it's full on quotes, whole scenes in gif and reviews with spoilers. You start to get a pretty good idea about a lot of things happening in the movie. Then it's month four. Now the DVD and Blu-ray comes out. Then the companies start to release behind the scenes footage, which gives you more of the movie and now you're starting to figure most of the movie out. Month five, if you're unlucky you will read what the twist ending is because people don't write "spoiler" anymore, because now the movie has been out for ages. After that it's finally month six, and our turn to watch the movie. And no one really cares anymore. It's now time for the next animated movie to premiere over there, so if you want to write about the movie that just premiered here, it won't be current anymore. People will not care as much, and they won't participate as much and discuss it with you (they have probably forgotten what happened).

The Internet life certainly has it's up and downs, and I'm not blaming it for this. These six months of life the movies get is great, if you live where you're in the swing of things. Well okay, this is probably an extreme example, most recent movies are about two to four months. And once we even got it before the US, at least according to Imdb. Ice Age 4 came out a little more than two weeks earlier in Sweden. My question is why we always get the long wait. I understand that they need to dub and sub the movie and that takes time. But they can obviously do it faster and get it done earlier, so why don't they?

A second issue which will bug any nerd, is that it's very hard to find a showing that hasn't got a Swedish dubbing. Our dubbing, and weather it's good or not aside, I want to see the original voices, because that's the voices they have animated after. They are the people that have been part of the project for a long time, and they are the people who own these characters (in a "own the stage" kind of way.) But when I go to the cinema, I find maybe one of fifteen screenings that are in English. Most of them are in Swedish, the Swedish dubs get's the best times, the biggest screens. And it really limits my ability to go and see them in English. I know that countries like Germany and Spain has it even worse, they seem to get most things dubbed, but I still think we can get better at this. Now Sweden is a country that is pretty good at speaking and understanding English, since we learn it from early on. So I don't know why they have to force everyone to just watch things with Swedish voices. I get that small children need that, but as soon as they are pretty capable of reading, why not take them to movies with English voices? They will greatly improve their English skills, which is much needed in this day and age, and they will also be faster readers. I know it's about money, most people do go and see the Swedish version. But how can we make that choice if we're not allowed to make a fair choice?

Images: Disney

Review: The Great Bear

The Great Bear (Den kæmpestore bjørn) is a Danish animated movie that came out in 2011. It has English dubbing, if you would like to see it without subtitles. The movie is about Jonathan and Sofie, two kids who spend the summer with their grandfather, who lives at the edge of a giant forest. The grandfather tells them that they are not allowed to enter the forest. Jonathan is not thrilled to have his little sister hanging after him so he tries to loose her, but it goes a little too well. Sofie suddenly disappears and now Jonathan has to enter the forest to find her.

The first thing to notice about this movie is that the animation and 3D isn't really top notch, at least when comparing to the big animation studios in the US. It's made on a relatively small budget, therefore it could never compete with the big North American movies. If you're one who get bothered with animation that isn't great, this might be a hard sit through for you. Now the story isn't terrible, the problem is that we've seen it so many times before, it's the man vs. nature plot. This will not take any big risks with the story, there will probably not be any surprises for you. It's not a very big deal for me, but it does make the movie more boring and I lose attention because of it.

Another problem this movie has, is that it's a bit unpleasant. If you want to make a children's/family film that is a bit darker, you need to know how to do it right. This movie doesn't succeed in that. One thing you need in a dark movie aimed at kids is to have very happy and joyful moments, in the beginning, middle and end. The Great Bear tries that, but the moments are too short, doesn't give enough good feeling and are far between. It's too bad, because they do put in the effort.

But now to the positive, I think the best part of this movie is the bear. First of all, the design of him is great, it's kind of a weird idea that they really pulled off. The bear also look very nice, you can see that this is what they put the effort and money into, to make the bear look good. The animation on him is also tremendously good, which is nice after very uneven acting on the human characters. You can always see what kind of mood the bear is in, without him turning too human.

Something else I really think they succeeded in doing was to create a child character. Sofie feels like a kid. She has a good sense of what's right and wrong to her, and she doesn't realise that she annoys her brother, she just wants his company. It's nice to see a movie kid that isn't annoying.

All in all, this movie isn't the best. There are a few too many things that they don't quite succeed with and it takes me out of the movie. The story is pretty standard and doesn't really do anything new. But despite that I think it's worth a watch. You can tell that the filmmakers tried and were passionate about making a good film. It didn't quite work out for the best, but there is effort there. I might be a little biest since it's from a Nordic country, and it's exciting to see a movie produced in your own part of the world. But if you can find it on sale or for rental, I suggest you give it a try.

Images: Copenhagen Bombay

Trailer for Book of Life

The Book of Life is is starting to premiere all around the world, so it's time I tell you what I think about the trailer (better late than never?). The first thing I notice is the style, the design of the characters and the world. It's vastly different than anything else that is coming out right now, which is good. Many 3D-animated movies usually fall into a typical look, but The Book of Life have avoided that and gone all out with the designs. The designs and also the beginning of the trailer makes me think of The Road to El Dorado (Dreamworks), which might contribute to why I'm drawn to it, El Dorado being my favorite movie of all time. The designs seem to be influenced by the mayan art, and it looks incredibly good. The only design I don't really like is the one of the Princess, her eyes are so big that it looked ridicoulus and immediately took me out of the action. It goes for all the girls in the trailer too. Maybe I'll get used to it when I see the movie, we'll see.

As for the story goes, it seems like a fun adventure movie, with romance, villains and a rivalry. From what I can tell, it feels like it's going to be better than the average 3D-animated movies that comes out nowadays, apart from Disney and Pixar. Though one fear I have is that they will rely too much on comedic sidekicks, it looks like there are a few. I think the main characters looks funny enough to carry the comedy in the movie, so they should focus on them. The style of the movie is amazing, but I'm hoping they have put in as much effort into the story and characters. If they have, this could be a new Halloween Classic.

Netflix watch: The Tigger Movie

I decided to start a new category of blogposts where I recommend movies you can find on Netflix. These will be spoiler free, so you can read on safely. If you're not familiar with it, Netflix is a movie streaming service where you pay about 8 dollars a month and then you can watch all the movies they have on their site, as many times as you want. There are other sites but I think Netflix is one of the biggest, and they have quite a good selection of movies and series and constantly adding new things. Now they do have a different selection of movies based on where you're located. I'm finding my choices on the US site, so they might not exist on your netflix. But let's get into the movie.

The Tigger Movie focuses, as you may have guessed, on Tigger. When no one wants to jump with him he starts wonder if he has a family somewhere that are just like him, and decides to start looking for them. Winnie the Pooh and the rest of the friends tries to help, but sadly fail and make everything worse for Tigger.

This really is a great movie. The story is simple but powerful, dealing with family and loneliness, and how even the happiest guy in the group can have a hard time. The characters are all wonderful, you have a great time hanging with them. Even though this is Tigger's movie, all the characters get screentime and their "moment", something that can be difficult with a semi big cast but they pull it off well. But they also know where the focus should be, on Tigger. The animation is also really good, it's smooth and they manage to get a lot of expression out of the characters. The movie is heavy with emotion, so I will warn you, you might shed a tear. But it's also funny and very sweet, and if you have missed it, you should go and watch it now.

Images: Netflix.com, Disney.com

Thoughts About Big Hero 6 Trailer

Now that the second trailer for Disney's Big Hero 6 is out I think it's time I gave my two cents about it. First I have to say, the trailer looks great. It makes me really excited to see the movie, like a good trailer should. I haven't really been on the BH6 hype train so far, but with this trailer I'm carefully climbing aboard.

I think this movie is gonna be a really good one. It will probably not do as well as Frozen, or be as good, but it will keep Disney loud and proud. Disney has undeniably a good thing going on right now, everything seems to click. The movie seems like it's going to be a really fun one, but with a lot of heart and of course, action. As long as they mix those right, it'll be a joy to watch it. Baymax seems like such an enjoyable character, funny and loveable at the same time. He will also probably kick some major ass.

My one worry about the movie is that the other characters won't get enough screentime or development. Except for Baymax and Hiro, there are four other main characters, that in the trailers have looked more like sidekicks. Since it's called Big Hero 6 I would assume that there are six main characters, but it seems like Hiro and Baymax will get all the attention and character growth. Which isn't bad, it's good to focus on a few characters and give them more screen time, but it's called Big Hero 6.

I also have to mention the designs, like everyone else already has. The city and the world looks incredible. I think this movie will lend itself pretty nicely to 3D, except for the fact that the glasses will wash out and darken the colors. I don't know if it will be shown in 3D, but I'm assuming that's the case. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to watching Big Hero 6, it looks like it will be a fun and heartfilled adventure.

5 Great Simpsons Episodes After Season 10 (Spoilers)

When you talk about The Simpsons with people, the general reaction is "I like it up to season 8/9/10" or "I used to like it but it's not good anymore". This is so common that I'm starting to think that people say that just because other people are saying it. I like proving people wrong so I decided to make a list of five great Simpsons episodes after season 10, not in any order. Obviously this is just a matter of opinion, but if you think Simpsons is not as good anymore, you might want to give these episodes another chance.


1. Alone Again Natura-Diddily (S11E14)
This episode deals with the death of Maude Flanders. It's almost never a good idea to kill off a regular, but if you want to do it, this is probably how it should be done. The episode focuses on Ned and how he handles the loss. It even makes him doubt his faith in God, and even if it's just a moment it shows that this is a big life changing episode for the character. This episode changed things for the character, and that doesn't happen to often in a series like this, where very few episodes directly follows the previous ones. But this is something they follow up on several time in the coming ten seasons. From mentioning Maude, to Ned doing things in her memory, to him start dating for real again. This episode also gives Homer a chance to be sensetive and it shows that he really does care about Ned, even if he's not very good at showing it often. It's very nice to see that side of Homer, and that the two of them do have a real friendship.

If you're after a lot of laughs, this isn't the episode for you. There are a few times you'll laugh but they mostly treat it with respect. Though it does move a little fast, it's a great episode, with some very nice writing and character development. The ending is also quite optimistic, which is needed after a relatively sad episode. This is one you should check out.


2. Hungry Hungry Homer (S12E15)
Homer discovers that the owner of The Springfield Isotopes are planning to move the team to Albuquerque and tries to tell everyone. When no one believes him, he decides to go on a hunger strike.

This is another episode that doesn't have a B-story. While it does take away time from the other characters, we get more focus and time for the main story which is welcomed in such short episodes. What I love about this episode is to see Homer so commited to something, and it being something good. He commits to standing up for the little guy, and doesn't give up, even when it's easier. He decides what he wants to do, and then sticks to it. This episode really shows on Homer's inner strength. The episode is also very funny, with plenty of jokes. If you want a funny episode and see Homer at his best, this is one for you.

3. She of Little Faith (S13E6)
In this episode Lisa decides to quit going to church, after it has sold out to corporate sponsors, and find another way of belief. She finds Buddhism and feels at home, though her family isn't taking it so well.

Lisa is probably my favorite character and this is one of the best episodes about her. It feels so in character that Lisa would find her own way in religion, so I'm surprised this hasn't happened until season 13. It's really interesting seeing Lisa find more of herself and at the same time trying to be accepted by her family even if she chooses differently. You can see the struggle both her and the family is going through, trying to figure out this new situation. I also think this episode took a very adult look at religion. No religion is wrong here, especially Lisa points out that it's about finding what feels best for you. Not the funniest of episodes, but one that comes from an honest place. It's definitely worth a watch.

4. Don't Fear the Roofer (S16E16)
Feeling lonely after his friends and family are mad at him, Homer goes to a bar outside town. There he meets Ray, a roofer who agrees to help Homer fix his damaged roof. Homer and Ray quickly becomes friends, but when the rest of the family don't see any evidence that Ray exists, they become worried that Homer's new friend is imaginary.

The best thing about this episode is the friendship between Homer and Ray. They have good chemistry together and it's just nice seeing them become friends. The hints about what's going on are laid out early and planned out, so there's not really anything that comes out of nowhere when you find out the truth. This episode has a B-story, about how Marge is leaving Santa's little helper at the retirement home, to cheer up the senior citizens. It's a short one, but pretty funny. Overall it's just a great, simple and fun episode that you might enjoy.


5. The Italian Bob (S17E8)

The Simpsons goes to Italy to pick up Mr Burns' new car. After an accident involving cheese they end up stranded in a small italian village. They meet they mayor and shockingly discover it to be none other than Sideshow Bob, who's tried to kill Bart on several occations.

I was deciding between this and another episode, but I only made it halfway through this one before deciding that this episode has to be on the list. This is such a good episode. First of all, Sideshow Bob is always great, no matter which episode he's in, though this is one of the best. He's voiced by Kelsey Grammer, who has created an amazing voice for him. It can get so dark and menacing, but still incredibly dignified. And this episode is filled with jokes, it's a lot of fun. It's also great for the character of Bob to have grown a bit, he get's a family and it's not a one time deal, they will show up in a later season. I always enjoy seeing the characters move forward in their lives. And I just have to mention the theme for Sideshow Bob, it's perfect. You always get an "oh no" feeling when you hear that tune. Do not miss this episode, go watch it now.

Images: Fox

5 Reasons You Should Watch Bob's Burgers

Here's a show you might have missed, Bob's Burgers. It's okay, I hadn't even heard of it until my boyfriend
showed me. Well did you see the Family Guy/Simpsons crossover? Remember the third guy in the airplane with Homer and Peter? That's Bob. Owner of Bob's Burgers, a small burger restaurant in... well wherever they are. He runs the restaurant with his wife Linda, and their three kids, Gene, Tina and Louise. The show follows their adventures while running the restaurant. Don't worry, it's still running, on Fox. The fifth season is just about to start. You can find the first three seasons on Netflix, so there's no excuse for you not to start catching up on what you've been missing. Still not convinced? Well here are five reasons you should be watching this show.

1. The characters

The best thing of this show will end up as the first thing on this list. The characters are what makes you want to continue watching this show. They are funny, relatable, and you just have a good time hanging with them, no matter what they are up to. What I love about them is that everyone's pretty quirky but not to a point that it is unrealistic. They are a good kind of weird, that only original characters can be.

2. The plotlines

One of the things Bob's does really well in the episodes is making sure everyone in the family gets plenty of screen time. That's not an easy task when there are five family members. The plotlines are quite different episode to episode. One time it's about an assignment the kids have to do in school, next time it's about a talking toilet. Yes you read that right, there's an episode about a talking toilet. But it's never boring. You're always with the characters, you want to see how it turns out. You can very rarely say "oh I know how this is going to end", which makes the show feel fresh.

3. The background jokes

Bob's is filled with background jokes, and it starts in the intro. Every intro they change the store next to Bob's restaurant and the car that stops in front of it. They also have "burger of the day" written on a board in the restaurant, and the name of it is usually a pun or play on words. They are always funny and just add a nice extra layer of detail to the show.

4. The voices

This could have gone under characters, but I felt it deserved its own place on the list. The voice acting on this show is magnificent. Every character has a distinguishable voice that goes incredibly well with the character. The casting is fenomenal and you can tell that the actors are giving a 100 % every time they record it. They give the characters a lot of energy, which makes them not only funnier, but also they feel more alive.





















5. This is not The Simpsons or Family Guy

I know what you're thinking. An animated show about a family with three kids on Fox, been there done that. While yes, obviously there are going to be some similarities, I find Bob's to be quite different from the other two. Family guy has always imitated The Simpsons, quite a few of the Family Guy writers have previously worked on The Simpsons, and yes, The Simpsons have probably imitaded Family Guy a couple of times. Bob's Burger on the other hand doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with The Simpsons or Family Guy. It's doing its own thing, has it's own humor. So even if you're getting a little tired of The Simpsons and rip offs, here is a show that takes another route. I seriously recommend you to check this show out, it might surprise you.

Images: Fox

Review: The Simpsons Guy (spoiler-ish)

I watched the Family Guy/The Simpsons crossover episode yesterday, and I'm gonna write down my thoughts on it. Though first what I think about the shows themselves. The Simpsons is my favorite show. It's funny, smart and heartfelt. I have five seasons on DVD and I've listened to all the commentaries on them. I've watched all the episodes up until about season 22. I'm a big Simpsons fan.

As for Family guy. I don't think the show is very good. I don't like the humor which often goes too far and is often pretty insulting. The characters are pretty unlikeable and mostly very mean to each other. That said, I do enjoy watching it every now and then when I'm in that kind of mood. Nothing deep, nothing emotional, just want something to take my mind of other things. I've watched maybe five full seasons of it, and many episodes here and there.














So when I go into this episode I feel a bit cringy. I expect it to be pretty bad. The first scenes feels like filler, everyone is just waiting for the part where they meet the Simpsons. I think the writers were thinking that too, which makes the first five minutes pretty boring.

When they get to Springfield, it feels pretty good. It feels home, when Homer shows up it's pretty funny, though I did question why he would pay for their doughnuts. Seing the families together is pretty surreal, as you would expect, but it's handled pretty well. The meetings are fun, especially Brians meeting with Santa's Little Helper. The dynamic between Stewie and Bart is pretty interesting, while the one between Lisa and Meg doesn't really do anything unexpected. Marge and Louis don't get anything to work with. The big focus is of course on Homer and Peter. It's fun to see how they get along and I find it pretty realistic, I'm buying that they could befriend each other, especially from Homer's side, since he has a habit of making friends (not always the best ones).

The conflict in the episode is basically symbolism for the Simpsons vs. Family guy argument and if Family Guy is copying The Simpsons. It's super obvious and that's how they want to runt it. And for a while, it's pretty funny. I laugh at just how many characters are so alike. The writers knew what to do with the episode, they knew it was just gonna be fanservice.

But then, that fanservice gets too far out, the last ten minutes. A long fight between Peter and Homer. I'm sure this is what most people have wanted to see for a long time, but it doesn't do it for me. It's ridiculous even in normal Family Guy episodes, but when Homer is involved it just feels so weird and wrong.

That's the core problem with this episode. Family Guy goes places where The Simpsons will never go. The Simpsons would never have those kinds of jokes, and although Homer has punched people, he has never gotten into this kind of a fight before. And that's where this episode loses me. The Simpsons are acting out of character, which takes me out of it. I know this isn't really Springfield, I know this isn't the real characters. It all feels fake. The Simpsons will never play on Family Guy's rules. The episode felt Family Guy-run, and it's a shame because if it had been run by The Simpsons it would have worked waay better. But as it is now, I was plesantly surprised, but it could have been so much better.

Images: Fox