Twisting Into Krustyland
The New Simpson’s Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood
By Tim Wassberg

Animation continues to evolve through the multiplexes and beyond. In the latest offering, Springfield is closer than you think. With the new "Simpsons Ride" (www.simpsonsride.com/) at Universal Studios Hollywood (www.universalstudioshollywood.com/), interactivity and a sense of humor go a long way as an old favorite is both reinvented and maintained. In the space formerly occupied by "Back to the Future Ride" and refashioned as "Krustyland", "The Simpson’s Ride" attempts to heighten the home experience by placing the audience in one of their favorite family's adventures. In using the demented clown's sadistic and highly unstable amusement park as both a backdrop and a vessel for evil in the guise of Sideshow Bob, the new ride makes use of all the abilities and sardonic humor at the animation giant's disposal. From the beginning, entering through the giant open mouth of Krusty himself, the waiting area formulates the ambience through the use of new animation including barkeeper Moe sneaking beers into the park to scalp to customers to the crazy clown formulating new plans of disaster. One of the very best sequences involves one of the animated scientists involved in creating this new theme park going back to the past in a familiar DeLorean to find out what happened to Doc Brown (who is again played by Christopher Lloyd). The results are an ironically "Simpsons" moment.

Entering into the lower level of the giant structure (formerly known as "The Institute Of Future Technology") by way of Universal Studios' "Front Of The Line" pass, a wonderful invention, the secondary waiting room of "The Simpson’s Ride" is populated by animated theme park storefronts with everyone from Marge's sisters working the lost and found to Apu selling moldy ice cream at the concession stand. The animation lead-in before the audience is escorted to their doom has Krusty informing the riders that Sideshow Bob has escaped prison and is somewhere in the park. Bob has only one mission: destroy the Simpsons. In true form as soon as you enter the portal to get on the ride, a nuclear reactor has a misfire, Maggie becomes a mutant and Bob takes over the park. Homer, of course, says that he has been waiting in line for an hour and he is going to have some fun.

The actual ride, much like the "Back To The Future" adventure, is a mega-IMAX type simulator using 4D components ranging from water in a splashdown sequence to Maggie's spit interrelated with digital animation. The ride is non-stop to be sure. From the beginning vertigo-inducing roller-coaster where Homer becomes the focal point of a massive wrecking ball to the consequent crashing of various other rides including "Captain Dinosaur's Pirate Rip-Off" with its Caribbean-type feel to the kiddie ride "Little Elves in Panda Land" which goes terribly wrong with the introduction of Bob's bionic bear bonecruncher, the pace and intensity don't let up. Subsequent visits to the "Hot & Smoky Stunt Show", Hell and eventually a Death Drop bring us back to a homecoming in Springfield which its own requisite Universal backlot including the infamous Clocktower from "Future". The energy is palpable despite a somewhat antiquated technology. The animation uses digital effects that make the characters themselves seem slightly out of place in their 3D form but allows the actual breakneck visuals in the background to function smoothly. The way the structure of the screen is set up creates a separate essence of experience in different seats but also a blurring of sorts on the far edges of others. The best seat is center in the back of the vehicle but for slightly taller people there is a head obstruction which requires angling of the body for optimum enjoyment. Different ages reacted similarly different. Young kids were agog. Tweens and teenagers, who were at first skeptical, were screaming and hollering by the end in delight. Older fans enjoyed the humor that permeated the ride because, in listening beyond the visuals, there are some great one-liners zinging around. The ride, to its credit, has the ability to satisfy all ages allowing "The Simpson’s" to again conquer another medium with the same amount of humor and sardonic wit that have made them timeless for almost two decades.