by jon bosworth jaxvillain@yahoo.com
B+ Rated PG13 105 Min.
“I can’t believe I paid money for something I can get for free on television,” Homer said in the opening scenes of The Simpsons Movie.
I was nervous when I heard there was going to be a Simpsons movie. I’m not sure why, it’s a natural fit. It is the longest running television series and has two generations of loyal audiences, but the writing has been changing in the last couple of years. Episodes have gotten racier and the issues have been dealt with a heavier hand, running the risk of turning from icon to trite morality plays through over-explained characters.
The movie does not do this.
Sure it’s riskier, Marge and Homer almost have a sex scene and Bart really does show off his “noodle,” but it is deftly handled. It is funny, rather than shocking, and not at all crass. I intend to bring my seven-year old daughter to see the film. The truth is that boys do have penises and since Marge and Homer are married, it’s far more morally-centered than Bratz the Movie is certain to be and not nearly as risqué as Shrek.
The Simpsons opens to a scene in the Itchy & Scratchy Movie, carefully parodying itself as this program always does. They even plug Fox programming in true Simpsons style. The comedy of errors that is Homer’s life finally gets all of Springfield in trouble when he ditches his silo of pig crap in Springfield Lake. That sentence alone lets you know that The Simpsons Movie is up to the same tricks that Simpsons fans have grown to love. The plot never unfolds in predictable terms, and ultimately free donuts leads to environmental catastrophe in Springfield while inept government response leads to the usual march of the townspeople with torches to the Simpson home.
There is definitely the usual thinly-veiled but topical jokes about American culture versus reason, but because the Simpsons writers mock everyone evenly, it retains the evenhandedness for which the show is known.
The adventure is spectacular, and when the film escapes Springfield, it escapes the trappings of being just another episode of the television show. But we’ve seen the Simpsons move away from Springfield before. Although the big screen and loud sounds make it feel more cinematic, the thing that really distinguishes the eighty-minute feature film from the standard show is the acting—voice acting, that is. When Marge leaves Homer (again), Julie Kavner voices a torn Marge’s heart-wrenching goodbye. But the real love story in this film is between father and son, as Bart contemplates what life would be like as a Flanders.
None of this is to say that the film isn’t funny or gets bogged down in morality drivel. Hardcore Simpsons fans will see every resident of Springfield at least once, get plenty of fodder for their Androids Dungeonesque conversations and trivia games, and the gags are as outrageous as they are clever.
In the end, I laughed a few more times than I do watching the regular series, but it didn’t meet my expectations. That said, it may well have been impossible to meet my expectations. An avid Simpsons fan ever since it was an animated sketch on the Tracey Ulman Show, my expectations were insurmountable. The movie was hilarious. Go see it, but don’t anticipate it too much. That’s what ruined Futurama. I expected too much from it when Fox originally aired it, but when I watch the reruns on Adult Swim, I think it’s a better show than The Simpsons.
The Simpsons Movie is worth seeing whether you watch the show religiously or have just laughed at it when you caught it. It is the show unleashed, but still not taking itself too seriously. It is almost a tribute to the greatness that the Simpsons once was. Bring the whole family. It’ll be like The Muppet Movie for a new generation. Or just go see it alone and have a good, smart laugh.
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