The Simpsons Movie

The Simpsons Movie (2007), directed by David Silverman, is definitely not the Simpsons at their best. Most of the things that make the Simpsons great on TV--the throwaway gags, the multiple plots, the zingers sent at the Fox network and at the U.S. government, and the incredible cast of supporting characters--are missing from the movie.

It's discouraging to realize how little David Silverman accomplished in the 87 minutes (basically four TV shows) with which he was able to work. Instead of giving us four times the fun, he gave us one quarter the fun. OK--the movie was overdue, and I guess any Simpsons movie is better than none, but this was an opportunity wasted.

After watching the film, I tried to understand what went wrong. The biggest single problem, in my opinion, is that the plot was too linear. The director and screenwriters forgot that we don't want the Simpsons plot to go from A to B to C. We want it to start at A and go to Q and W before it gets to C, if it ever gets to C at all.

Moreover, the movie makers chickened out. On TV they will take on any government institution. Here, the villainous government agency is the EPA. Plenty of government agencies are doing terrible things to the U.S., but I wouldn't exactly put the EPA at the top of the villain's list. As U.S. President, they chose a character meant to be Arnold Schwartzenegger. Now, there are plenty of ways to make fun of the Governor, but no one has suggested he's stupid and, furthermore, he's the one public character that can't become President. No real fun there.

So, if you're a Simpsons fan, and you have to see the movie, be warned. If you're not a Simpsons fan, buy the Season I DVD. Then, once you're hooked, you can safely see the film.

Let me just say I had my doubts. The last couple of seasons of 'The Simpsons' have been lackluster at best and I genuinely thought that their chance to make a great Simpsons film passed roughly 10 years ago. BOY WAS I WRONG!!! I am a huge Simpsons nerd and it is my privilege to say that "The Simpsons Movie" belongs in the very small group of classic Simpsons episodes ("Bart the Daredevil", "Mr. Plow", etc.) Very funny and very timely. Great animation and some nice cameos.

Really don't want to give any spoilers so I'll just say if you're a Simpsons fan: you will love this movie. And if you agree that the Simpsons lost their edge, you will be pleasantly surprised as was I. 8.5/10

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.

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.

Unfortunately i did not think the movie lived up to the hype. probably the most successful TV series/cartoon ever made, but not one of the greatest movies. I did think before watching the movie that the writers would struggle to find the perfect storyline to ice the proverbial cake that they have spent so many years 'baking', and they did. not the most original story line in history with some very random plot twists, and some very out of character decisions. A lot of the gags played on previous jokes from the TV show, which being a watcher i understood, but didn't find all that funny, but left the first timer guessing a bit. the movie as a whole had a surrealism about it, as though it had not been written by the same people who had previously provided me with hours of entertainment. very predictable in places, but awkwardly random in others. i must say i did find parts of the movie funny, and didn't wish i hadn't seen it, but that does not save the film. i feel this film has come 5 years too late, they should have made it in the shows prime.