The Simpsons Movie

Just got out of the theater. Don't get me wrong, I was entertained throughout the duration of the film. But I rarely got any belly laughs out of it. And I just wanted it to be...well, smarter and funnier.

The animation and production values are awesome. Just seeing Springfield and all the characters on the big screen is enough to make this movie worth going to. But I was rather let down in terms of the comedy. It seemed like it was dumbed down to give it more mass appeal and that's disappointing. I also had annoying little kids sitting around me and their father refused to shut them up...which somewhat ruined the experience. The first 45 min are good, then it dips in humor.

In conclusion, while the South Park movie took advantage of the new medium by pushing the envelope and producing hilarious, brilliant satire...The Simpsons Movie seems to do the opposite, getting watered down in the process.

I'm an absolute fanatic of The Simpsons and have been watching it since it was on Tracey Ullman. I grew up with it. I was the exact same age as Bart when the very first episode premiered. Unlike a lot of fans, I've never turned my back on the show. I am not one who thinks each new episode is worse than the last. I do acknowledge that it's long past its peak, but I think almost every new episode is funny enough to be worth seeing. Once in a while, they'll produce an episode that's genuinely fantastic. But, really, I don't demand fantastic. I'll settle for a few good laughs and be at least moderately happy. Now comes The Simpsons Movie, which had been talked about for the last 15 years, at least. Much like when I watch new episodes, I wasn't expecting the movie to be that great. Unfortunately, it fell below even those expectations. It has a few good jokes and moments (the only time I laughed really loud was the Tom Hanks bit), but it doesn't do much right. Those who've long turned their backs on the show like to complain about recycled plot lines. It's true, of course, for pretty much every new episode, but the show has grown more manic and self-referential over time. Many don't like that, either, but I personally do like those kind of jokes. The movie just plods along with a predictable plot that's made up of some of the most basic of all Simpsons plots: Homer and Marge relationship problems, Lisa's environmental concerns, and Bart's loss of faith in his father. None of it here is done with the irony of the newer episodes. It's like it's part of the really early Simpsons, when we hadn't seen these plots a billion times. Except it completely lacks the perfect comic timing of the early seasons. In the end, the movie is only an occasionally amusing affair. Certainly it's worth seeing if you're a fan, but, unless you're the kind of nut I am, you can wait for the DVD.

For all the creativity crammed into one half-hour episode of "The Simpsons," I am probably not alone in saying that the show's creative apex bottomed out when it stopped being a "funny sitcom" and became a "cultural phenomenon"--it's been years since I've sat in front of the TV on a Sunday night with the primary interest of being wowed by Matt Groening's brainchild. When the show first began in 1989, the Bart-friendly T-shirts and pins seemed borne out of uncertainty over the show's staying power; these days, with the show's position in the TV canon firmly established, your Xbox games are designed for little more than feeding the "Simpsons" cash cow. That being said, I revisit the show every once in a while (via taped weekday-afternoon reruns of earlier seasons), and very much appreciate it--the sense of satire is sly, incendiary, and often very funny. Some critics cite horror films as being able to express social concerns that would be difficult to convey in other genres; "The Simpsons" would be another arena (and easily the more critically acclaimed).

So, after years of hype, this cultural phenomenon has spawned a film (aptly titled "The Simpsons Movie") that most fans will no doubt consider 'belated.' As a laid-back viewer with an appreciation of the show, the end result is frequently "LOL" hilarious, but not very endearing (honestly, I had forgotten most of the gags by the time I was out of the theater and walking to my car). The best I can say is, "it's like a really good episode of the TV show" rather than "a great film," though I guess that's complimentary enough. I will pick up the DVD once it's released, and be reminded all over of why the film succeeded in its primary goal of clever laughs.

It begins with an excellent jab at the film's own existence, courtesy of Homer ("Why pay for something we can watch on TV for free?" indeed!), then delves into a plot that is as incendiary as anything the yellow-tinged family has tackled: an environmental crisis strikes Springfield when Homer dumps a silo a pig feces in a lake that's been recently de-contaminated, inspiring outrage from the citizens and the government (headed by President Schwarzenegger, though I kept thinking "President McBain"), whose EPA liaison (voiced by Albert Brooks, who also guest-voiced the similar "Hal Scorpio" years ago) covers the contaminated city in a huge Plexiglas dome. Before you can say "Al Gore eats yellow snow," the Simpsons escape through a literal sinkhole and make tracks for Alaska as renegades from the law, only to find themselves returning to rescue their idyllic American home.

Which ultimately isn't much different than what you would find in an average episode of "The Simpsons." This is a film that knows its audience, but also successfully provides an initiation for those who (for some strange reason) have never seen the show. The animation is fluid, colorful, and uber-glossy, and the writing is on par with the better episodes (the mantra remains "anything goes" in "Simpson"-world); some intriguing character twists aside, the film overall neither exceeds nor diminishes the expectations of those who expect everything and those who expect nothing. It's a fun summer film, but not an outstanding blockbuster of endearing quality...you'll laugh heartily and maybe feel moved, but the relatively short running time is both a blessing and a curse--while you will be sufficiently guffawed-out by the end credits, "The Simpsons Movie" leaves a viewer yearning for more. I suppose that's as good an indication as any to go back to the tapes.

In this big-screen adventure featuring the lovable folk of Springfield, trouble brews for the Simpson family after Homer irresponsibly pollutes the local water supply with tons of pig manure. As a result of this thoughtless action, the town is encased in a huge dome by the Environment Protection Agency and, after angry Springfield citizens form a lynch mob, Homer and his family are forced to become fugitives.

How much you enjoy The Simpsons Movie will depend entirely on your opinion of the current Simpsons TV show: if you have loved the past few seasons, then you'll have a great time—the movie is as funny, if not slightly better, than your average episode of recent years. Those of us, however, who recognise that the show has long since passed its prime will feel underwhelmed: the movie is often amusing, but very rarely hilarious.

And that's just not good enough! When a series as successful as The Simpsons takes 20 years to make the leap from the small screen to the big screen, it had better be damn good—nay, it had better be exceptional!! Instead, this rather uninspired product just doesn't make the wait worthwhile.

5 out of 10, bumped up to 6 out of a misguided sense of loyalty to a show that has given me so much fun in the past.

Now I don't want to rag on the Simpsons movie. The Simpsons is one of my all time favorite show. I have seen every episode, most more than once, and own every season that is available on DVD.

I waited a long time for this movie. Ever since the preview/trailer last Superbowl I have been counting down the days until it's release. I hate to say, it wasn't worth the anticipation.

Homer saves Springfield after causing the trouble in the first place. Nothing we haven't seen before (ie. the Garbage Commissioner episode). I was really hoping they would do something outrageous to make it worth my $10, but other than 3 seconds of Bart's "unit" there was nothing here to offer.

If you are a fan, you should see this movie. If you only having a passing interest, wait for the DVD.

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