AllMovie

Television devotee Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) is settling in for an exciting evening of new mid-season replacement shows when he watches the premiere of an action drama called Police Cops and is pleased to discover the suave and fearless lead detective is named Homer Simpson. The coincidence gives Homer a boost in self-esteem until he sees the second episode, in which the Homer Simpson character has been reworked into a half-bright bumbling oaf. Homer appeals to the producers of Police Cops, who refuse to reconsider the character's new direction, so Homer changes his name to Max Power. Homer adopts a new personality to go along with the new name, and energetic and ambitious Max Power makes friends with Trent Steel (voice of Hank Azaria), a member of Springfield's moneyed elite. Homer and his wife Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) enjoy traveling in new, posh circles and meeting the town's most important people, but when his new pals want him to take part in a protest to protect a forest scheduled to be clear cut, Homer isn't so sure he feels like being arrested for his new friends' principles. Featuring a voice cameo from actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. (who recites the classic line "It's a go-cart powered by my own sense of self-satisfaction"), "Homer To The Max" first aired on February 7, 1999.