Hans Zimmer

One thing is clear from the soundtrack to The Simpsons Movie -- the long-awaited silver screen debut of Matt Groening's timeless cartoon family is not a musical. It may not be a musical, but it is surely the soundtrack to a big-screen spectacular, meaning that the zany, zesty work of Alf Clausen has been traded in for the lush, symphonic touch of Hans Zimmer, who manages to retain enough of the spirit of the show but gives it a full-fledged widescreen makeover. In other words, this soundtrack is a traditional score -- even "Spider Pig" is sung by a choir, not the characters, and only the ending tongue-in-cheek electro-dance of "Recklessly Impulsive" breaks the symphonic spell -- and even with titles as wacky as "Doomsday Is Family Time," "Thank You Boob Lady," and "Why Does Everything I Whip Leave Me?," the soundtrack doesn't sound all that humorous. It merely sounds like the sweeping yet sensitive mood music to a movie. And on those terms, The Simpsons Movie is a very good soundtrack -- perhaps not as clever as Clausen, but it's still light on its feet while having enough pomp and circumstance to justify being shown on such a larger screen. [A limited edition (in special packaging) was also issued in 2007.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide