There are many elements of The Simpsons that have powered it for 27 seasons now, and one of the most fun is the weekly couch gag. Those opening jokes can range from silly to spectacular, and we can never be sure of what we’ll get to kick off any given episode. The latest couch gag has been inspired by the unforgettable and timeless animation of Disney, and it’s wonderful to watch. Check it out!
This particular couch gag packs so much creativity into a single minute of video that it’s hard not to watch it a few extra times to make sure that everything sunk in. Maggie’s classic Mickey Mouse-era animation was a great way to kick off the clip, and Lisa’s magical transformation from little girl to princess a la Cinderella was just plain cute. Considering all of the messes that the rest of the family has made for her over the years, Marge definitely makes sense as the Snow White of the segment. Homer as Baloo from The Jungle Book managed to be both unexpected and entirely fitting. Bart channeling his inner sorcerer to the tune of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” was the perfect way to end things.
There's a reason this all looks so good, and it's because the couch gag was created by master Disney animator Eric Goldberg. He was the hand that brought Aladdin and Jasmine to life in Aladdin in 1992, and he took children on a tour through ancient mythological Greece with Hercules in 1997. More recently, he’s contributed to The Princess and the Frog, Wreck-It Ralph, and Moana. He’s an expert in animation ranging from hand-drawn to computer-generated, and there was no better person to bring such a Simpsons couch gag to life.
It’s hard for me to say which member of the Simpsons family had my favorite part of the Disney visual medley. I can relate to Lisa’s Cinderella moment, and I’m definitely going to have “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” stuck in my head for the rest of the day, but I think I’m going to have to give top prize to Homer as Baloo. There was so much charm in Bear Homer gathering his bare necessities that I had to smile.
Now, if you’re like me, watching the wonderful Disney-inspired couch gag may have instilled in you the need to take a trip down couch gag memory lane. We here at CinemaBlend have some favorites. The Simpsons going Ren and Stimpy was a fun one, and the family heading to Middle Earth for a Hobbit-themed intro was worth watching more than once. Bill Plympton’s film noir contribution was one of the more bizarre, and the Simpsons/Futurama couch spot is everything that we could have wanted out of a crossover extravaganza.
On the whole, the Disney-inspired couch gag isn’t the same barrel of laughs as others, but it’s definitely one of the most wonderfully nostalgic. I may dream a dream of VHS tapes and classic animation tonight, and it would be delightful.
Catch this gag on this week's episode, which airs Sunday night on Fox. To see what delightful TV you’ll be able to watch in the not-too-distant future, don’t forget to have a look at our summer TV premiere schedule.
