I can't believe we're paying to see something we get on TV for free. Everyone in this theatre is a sucker!
So I just got back from The Simpsons Movie. Was it the greatest experience of my life? Not quite, but I sure had a fun time.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
Following the delightful gag of Ralph singing the 20th Century Fox fanfare, we get an Itchy and Scratchy short which Homer complains about having to pay to see on the big screen (and points his finger at all us suckers in the audience). Then we get a revamped version of the classic opening titles, with more detail and movie-related gags.
The first 20 minutes are so are as funny as anything in the show's golden age. Bart skateboards naked (we get a flash of his little winky) and Homer adopts the lovable Spider-Pig (or Harry Plopper). When the plot finally kicks in it's pretty much the same kind of environmental catastrophe we've witnessed on the show before, just on a bigger scale.
President Schwarzenegger (they never comment on why he looks and acts just like Rainier Wolfcastle) unwittingly orders Springfield to be enclosed in a dome after Homer dumps pig crap in the lake and contaminates the whole town. Of course, the whole town then turns against Homer and the family are forced to flee to Alaska. Homer's selfishness drives away his family (Bart even considers Flanders as a father figure) but Homer becomes a hero by the end and saves Springfield from being destroyed.
The plot does take advantage of the big screen format with some epic landscapes and action scenes, but essentially it's a regular episode stretched to 87 minutes, which will undoubtedly test the patience of some viewers (though I was hooked throughout). The characters are all pretty true to themselves, and there's more heart than we've seen in the show of late. A regular character even dies at the end (though I suspect he or she will still be featured on the show next season).
Unfortunately, the focus on the Simpsons means that pretty much every supporting character gets ignored (Mr. Burns only gets two scenes and Sideshow Bob is nowhere to be seen, unless I blinked and missed him). Hopefully this means we'll get to see some great deleted scenes on the DVD, though. Albert Brooks can add another classic Simpsons character to his roster with the power hungry EPA head Russ Cargill. The other celebrity guest stars, which include Green Day and Tom Hanks, are pretty unremarkable.
Thankfully, there are some great gags that weren't given away in the trailers, such as when Disneyesque animals undress Homer and Marge before they make love and Homer's "Sop" signs, which had me in stitches.
If you go in expecting the funniest movie ever, you're bound to be disappointed. This is basically an above average episode of the show and it doesn't really push the envelope in any ways the show hasn't (the kids in the screening I saw seemed to love it, and there wasn't really anything over their heads). It's just a fun time with our favourite family on the big screen. Perhaps if they make a sequel, we'll actually get to see something new and exciting, but this is fine for a first attempt.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
Following the delightful gag of Ralph singing the 20th Century Fox fanfare, we get an Itchy and Scratchy short which Homer complains about having to pay to see on the big screen (and points his finger at all us suckers in the audience). Then we get a revamped version of the classic opening titles, with more detail and movie-related gags.
The first 20 minutes are so are as funny as anything in the show's golden age. Bart skateboards naked (we get a flash of his little winky) and Homer adopts the lovable Spider-Pig (or Harry Plopper). When the plot finally kicks in it's pretty much the same kind of environmental catastrophe we've witnessed on the show before, just on a bigger scale.
President Schwarzenegger (they never comment on why he looks and acts just like Rainier Wolfcastle) unwittingly orders Springfield to be enclosed in a dome after Homer dumps pig crap in the lake and contaminates the whole town. Of course, the whole town then turns against Homer and the family are forced to flee to Alaska. Homer's selfishness drives away his family (Bart even considers Flanders as a father figure) but Homer becomes a hero by the end and saves Springfield from being destroyed.
The plot does take advantage of the big screen format with some epic landscapes and action scenes, but essentially it's a regular episode stretched to 87 minutes, which will undoubtedly test the patience of some viewers (though I was hooked throughout). The characters are all pretty true to themselves, and there's more heart than we've seen in the show of late. A regular character even dies at the end (though I suspect he or she will still be featured on the show next season).
Unfortunately, the focus on the Simpsons means that pretty much every supporting character gets ignored (Mr. Burns only gets two scenes and Sideshow Bob is nowhere to be seen, unless I blinked and missed him). Hopefully this means we'll get to see some great deleted scenes on the DVD, though. Albert Brooks can add another classic Simpsons character to his roster with the power hungry EPA head Russ Cargill. The other celebrity guest stars, which include Green Day and Tom Hanks, are pretty unremarkable.
Thankfully, there are some great gags that weren't given away in the trailers, such as when Disneyesque animals undress Homer and Marge before they make love and Homer's "Sop" signs, which had me in stitches.
If you go in expecting the funniest movie ever, you're bound to be disappointed. This is basically an above average episode of the show and it doesn't really push the envelope in any ways the show hasn't (the kids in the screening I saw seemed to love it, and there wasn't really anything over their heads). It's just a fun time with our favourite family on the big screen. Perhaps if they make a sequel, we'll actually get to see something new and exciting, but this is fine for a first attempt.
posted by A.S. McDermott at 8:45 AM
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