THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

Director: David Silverman (Monsters Inc)
Starring: The voices of the Simpsons (Castellaneta, Kavner, etc, etc)

The opening scene of The Simpsons Movie shows Homer and family at the local theater watching the Itchy and Scratchy Movie. Homer stands up looks at the camera and says "All of you are suckers, paying money for something you could have seen for free at home". It's funny, but it's also true.

The Simpson's Movie will probably be remembered as a fine episode of their adventures, but there's nothing particularly special about this episode. It's nowhere near to the best Simpsons work, but neither is it the worst. What surprises me most was that I didn't find much to distinguish it as a 90 minute film versus the standard 20 minute TV show. Yes, the Simpsons family edges closer to breaking up than they ever have before, but I really didn't like that aspect to the story. The Simpsons are joyous because they struggle through their problems with love in their hearts. In the film, their troubles felt a little too real at times. You might think I'm crazy for saying that once I describe the plot, but I'm not talking about their plot struggles. I'm just talking about their marital troubles. It kind of hurt to see Marge leave Homer. Whoops, did I just let the cat out of the bag? Sorry.

So, uh, plot. Where to begin? In a nutshell Homers unloads a silo full of pig feces into Lake Springfield rendering it so polluted that the EPA decides to enclose Springfield in a giant plastic dome. They escape to Alaska (for some reason), break up as a family, and then in a big finale Homer saves the day.

The best of the Simpsons is usually in the hilarious moments - the funny phrases and quick non-sequitor jokes. Of course the best of the Simpsons hasn't been seen in quite a few years. This film certainly has its funny moments. Homer holding a pig to the ceiling singing "Spider Pig, Spider Pig ..."? Yep, funny. But the humor is not so much better than the episodes these days to be noteworthy.

In the end, I'm assuming you are a Simpsons fan. Because if you aren't, you won't like this movie. If you are, you probably will. That's all it comes down to. The Simpsons is at times hilarious satire, at others just hilarious. It always maintains its heartful sense of family. If you like that, great. If not, stay away because this film is not trying to reach a new audience. It's just selling tickets to an audience it already has, and has had for 20 years now.

Standouts: Funny, cute, at times heartfelt.
Blowouts: Nowhere near the level of the Simpsons best work.

Grade: B