Spango Dips

1. Sunburn

The Simpsons Movie ★★

Long-awaited big-screen episode of the legendary animated series feels like little more than a three-parter from the show’s disappointing later years, punctuated by the occasional cinematic gesture like a computer-rendered panoramic shot, or a “too hot for TV” joke. A few big laughs, but a few is too few, since no one will see this movie in the hopes that it’ll be anything besides funny.

(2007) C-87m. D: David Silverman. W: James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, George Meyer, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, John Swartzwelder and Jon Vitti. VOICES OF DAN CASTELLANETA, JULIE KAVNER, NANCY CARTWRIGHT, YEARDLEY SMITH, HARRY SHEARER, HANK AZARIA, MARCIA WALLACE, TRESS MACNEILLE, PAMELA HAYDEN, JOE MANTEGNA, ALBERT BROOKS, RUSSI TAYLOR, KARL WIEDERGOTT, MAGGIE ROSWELL, TOM HANKS. Digital Widescreen. [PG-13]

Transformers ★½

Brainless live-action film inspired by Hasbro’s classic 1980s toy line and corresponding cartoon, in which Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, collide with Decepticons, led by Megatron, catching a budding teenage romance and a mountain of bad jokes in the crossfire. By turns idiotic, condescending, disorienting, racist, and worst of all, boring; there’s no excuse for how bad this movie is, considering the potential of the source material.

(2007) C-144m. D: Michael Bay. W: Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. DP: Mitchell Amundsen. SHIA LABEOUF, MEGAN FOX, JOSH DUHAMEL, TYRESE GIBSON, RACHEL TAYLOR, ANTHONY ANDERSON, JON VOIGHT, JOHN TURTURRO, MICHAEL O’NEILL, KEVIN DUNN, JULIE WHITE, BERNIE MAC, VOICES OF PETER CULLEN, HUGO WEAVING, MARK RYAN, DARIUS MCCRARY. Panavision. [PG-13]