Alright. I'm back and I just saw the movie, which means it's pretty fresh in my mind. So I'm gonna review this as quickly as possible so I don't forget anything that happened in it. Be warned, there are some spoilers in this post. Read further at your own risk.
Alright. I was an avid Simpsons fan for years. But something happened to me that pushed me away from the cartoon for quite awhile. I suspect it was the fact that the series started going somewhat downhill. And I think it happened gradually over time. The jokes became cornier, and the humor just wasn't as funny. I'm guessing this is the result of an attempt to tone down some of the content on local channels to a more acceptable level. I mean, they don't show the older episodes as often anymore and when they do, things are edited out of them. Trust me, I know. I have VHS copies of the first two seasons as they were originally shown on TV and I can name off MANY things that are now edited out of their syndicated broadcasts.
Now, before I go any further, I'll explain a bit about The Simpsons. Debuted in the mid to late 80s, The Simpsons was the first in a line of a new genre of television entertainment, called the Animated Sitcom. Out of all the shows under this genre, I would have to say it's been the most successful. And I suspect that this is probably due to older fans exposing their children to the show even today, which has caused it to maintain a steady fanbase over the years.
Well, when I heard that a movie was being made, I just thought, 'It's about time!'. I mean, it's been like twenty years, and finally we'd have a movie to go see in theatres. So of course I wanted to see it, and just today, I did. So with all the hype about this being the end-all, be-all movie event of the summer, the question on everyone's minds is probably, did the movie live up to all the talk? Well, yes and no.
The movie takes place in that lovable whacked out town of Springfield that borders four states (yes, it was finally established WHERE the show takes place in, take THAT, Sega). You're immediately introduced to Homer Simpson and his family, whom avid Simpsons fans should be familiar with by now. If you're not, then just stop reading this because you're in the wrong topic.
The Simpsons immediately bash you for paying to go see something that you can watch on TV every day for free. Then the movie finally starts, as announcements regarding piracy being illegal and turning off your cellphones during the movie are seen throughout Springfield, as more characters are introduced. Basically, it's what fans have come to expect from the family that never ages.
Without spoiling too much, I'll get right into the overall premise. Homer and his family have to save Springfield from imminent destruction by the EPA (as well as a moronic President). The city's domed, the residents are trapped, they riot and lay waste to the town, and finally the government decides to nuclear detonate a bomb to wipe Springfield off the map and create a new Grand Canyon. Most of this has already been seen in commercials for the movie. So, how did it rank up there?
Well, it was pretty funny. Most of the humor is actually what you'd expect from The Simpsons in this day and age, with many references to their old-school style. This, I was happy to see. The jokes went back to making fun of other movies and shows (Harry Potter, Bourne Identity, and even Evangelion are among the list of parodied franchises), and the material definitely made me remember the good old days. In fact, Bart even had a moment where he skateboarded naked down the streets with objects covering up his private areas. It immediately seems like they're gonna parody Austin Powers and the many movies that have done that before, but then they put their own spin on that pun. I won't say anymore than that, as that's just one example.
One thing that I loved was the fact that the major plot of the movie focused more on Homer than anyone else. And rightly so, since he's my favorite character. But the downside to that is alot of the supporting characters get left in the dust because of this. In fact, other than his family, you see very little of anyone else, with the exception to a few lines here and there. I mean, I know there are over one hundred characters and this was only a 100-minute movie, but they could've done more with some of the others. Especially Apu. I mean, they advertised the movie by turning a bunch of 7-Elevens into Qwik-E-Marts, so of course I was expecting him to have more lines, but they only give him maybe 5 lines in the whole movie. Also Burns. I mean, it's not like he was a minor character either. For a majority of the series he was like the main villain, so of course I was expecting him to have a bigger part. The one exception is the Flanders, who get a nice amount of exposure for once. In fact, there are a few scenes between Bart and them that go from cute to downright awkward. It's really bizarre and sheds some new light on Ned and Bart's characters.
Overall, the movie was still excellent. Was it the end-all, be-all movie event of the summer? No. Do I think it will win an award for Funniest Movie Ever Made? No. Was it still worth seeing in theatres? Yes. Definitely. If you're a fan of The Simpsons, or just a fan of animated sitcoms, definitely see this one. You'll be glad you did.
