The Simpsons Movie Review
by Jerry Saravia (Faust668 AT msn DOT com)August 10th, 2007
THE SIMPSONS MOVIE (2007)
I came into the "Simpsons" phenomenon rather late. I had always seen posters and advertisements showing this cute, animated yellow family, including Bart, Homer, Lisa and Marge, and heard countless positive things about it. I came into this show so late that I started seeing "South Park" episodes before "Simpsons." Recently, I have had the benefit of a fiancee who knows all 400 shows by heart, so I was inducted into the "Simpsons" mania. Now there is "The Simpsons Movie" and I am happy to say it is as sharply funny, boisterous, smartly written, and emotional as the series is.
"The Simpsons Movie" starts off with an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon set in space before we realize that the Simpsons clan is watching this cartoon in a movie theatre. Then we have Homer yelling at us, as he stands up from his seat and argues that nobody should be stupid enough to pay to see this when they can see it on TV for free. It was at this point that I thought, uh, oh, we have yet another self-referential animated film. On the other hand, though this movie has its share of pop-culture references and pokes fun at itself, so does the series. So let's move on, shall we? D'oh!
Everyone knows the Simpsons clan. There is pot-bellied Homer Simpson (voiced by Dan Castellaneta), the patriarch; his wife, blue-haired Marge (voiced by Julie Kavner); the rambunctious Bart (still rather incredibly voiced by Nancy Cartwright); the ever so smart and sweet Lisa (Yeardley Smith); and little baby Maggie (Nancy Cartwright), who has been chewing on a pacifier since 1989. They all live in good old Springfield, a town where everyone knows your name. There is Krusty the Clown, good old Moe and his tavern, Mr. Catholic Do-Gooder Ned Flanders (Homer's neighbor), the Howard Hughes-like Mr. Burns, Comic- Book Guy, Chief Wiggum, etc. Most of the regular characters are on display, and others barely appear (Selma and Patty for one).
The story has Homer adopting a pig, and creating a song for it ("Spider Pig" is one of the funniest parodic songs I've heard in a long time). Most of the clan disapproves of the pig, especially when muddy pig feet prints appear on the ceiling. Of course, a pig has to defecate and, in typical Homer fashion, pig feces accumulate and are placed in what appears to be a missile silo that is kept in their backyard, and then promptly dumped in a lake! Of course, the smell permeates the entire town, and Lisa and a new male companion do their best to spread a global warming message which the town's denizens have zero interest in. That is until the goverment comes in and quarantines the entire town by placing an impenetrable dome over it.
"The Simpsons Movie" is silly fun and it made me smile. I was flabbergasted by how many big laughs there are in the film - I don't think I laughed as much as any film in the last couple of years. I love the moment when Homer screams out "Dome!" There is a hysterical "Austin Powers" gag where we see Bart in his birthday suit as he skates all over town, with enough objects blocking his little pecker (sorry Bart). There is the delectable Tom Hanks in animated form as a spokesman for the Grand Canyon. I love the sandbox that sucks you in and transports you from one area to another. I love the visual gag of the dome itself, especially the actually thrilling climax which has to be seen to be believed. There is also Albert Brooks as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, though he is not interested in helping the environment.
There is plenty to enjoy in "The Simpsons Movie" and I wouldn't want to give away any more of the delicious comic dialogue, visual gags and innuendoes. I will say that Homer is more dunderheaded than usual, and has just as much heart. Marge is still the devoted wife despite what Homer does or doesn't do. Lisa is still the smartest and brightest of the lot, whereas Bart still gets his kicks from laughing at his father's accidents (what a guy!). If there is a sequel, I want to see more of Apu and a few more digs at Moe's Tavern. Personally, I think I've had enough of Milhouse.
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