The Simpsons Movie (2007)

Since December 17, 1989 there have been 400 episodes, 8800 minutes, of The Simpsons on television. In its prime, it was a pop culture sensation; probably bigger than anything on TV before. Not only as the most popular show on TV, but the best show on TV, The Simpsons could have made a movie in the summer of 1997, and it would've easily been a huge hit at the box office. Now it's a decade later. The Simpsons hasn't been the same for the last five seasons or so and it is merely a television mainstay than a television phenomenon. Yet this is time for The Simpsons Movie and it will easily be a huge hit at the box office. But the question going through everyone's mind will be "Is it actually going to be any good?"

Well, it actually is. WOO-HOO!!

Since Blinky the three-eyed fish appeared in that classic season 2 episode it is commonly known that Springfield is a horribly polluted city. But it isn't until 17 years later that the pollution has reached the point of a toxic wasteland. And the boiling point is completly one character's fault, who I shall leave nameless as I don't want to play spoilers. Along the way the Simpson family finds themselves in Alaska, and the fate of Springfield from the evil Environmental Protection Agency is in their hands.

The plot holds up enough. It is zany and unrealistic but it is, after all, a movie. And a cartoon movie at that, so it works very well. The story holds your attention throughout its 87 minutes which is just enough to tell its tale and leave you satisfied. Anything less and you'd want your money back, while 15 minutes more would've stretched the plot too thin and cause it to drag.

However, the most important part of any animated comedy is always the laughs. By the looks of the last few seasons, that seems to be the biggest question mark walking into the theater. It may not be on the same level as a Season 4 episode, but it still delivers enough. Anything more would've been asking too much; you wouldn't demand a 40 year old Hall of Famer to play like his 25 year old MVP self. The Simpsons Movie may not be hitting home runs like the show did ten years ago, but it does have more timely doubles than strikeouts. Even if Homer has become too stupid lately, the movie doesn't allow itself to become "the Homer and His Crazy Antics Show." It has amount of stupid Homer comedy that we've grown to love without going overboard. Mixed in with great satirical jabs, sight gags, and funny one liners and the laughs come at you consistently. Plus, it's cool to see them do a few things that couldn't be done on TV. They hold from pushing the envelope too far, this isn't South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, but the spots are picked nicely and are great surprises.

The one thing that has always made The Simpsons something more special than your average animated comedy is its heart. You may laugh a little more at an episode of Family Guy or South Park, but there isn't the same connection to the characters that has made The Simpsons the best. The Simpsons Movie didn't forget the emotion either. Almost at the expense of most well-loved secondary characters (Flanders is the only one I can remember with a substantial role), it concentrates on the family unit. While I did want a little more Mr. Burns, I think that was the right way to go. A lot of time is spent on each Simpson family member. And in large part due to the always superb voice cast (one thing that hasn't dropped off in quality throughout the 18 seasons), we do care about their struggles.

Going in, I was so worried about this movie. As a huge Simpson fan I wanted to like this so much, but as a rational Simpson fan I was anticipating a disappointment. Luckily, the writers took their time for good reason and it actually is pretty good. Worth seeing for any devoted Simpsons fan (most Americans) or any casual Simpsons fan (everyone else in the world).

3 out of 5 stars

The UP Documentaries (1964-2005)

What do the things a seven year says tell you about their future? Do they drastically change or can you see that same little person when you revisit them in their teens, 20s, 30s, and 40s? Michael Apted has those same questions, and many others, in the making of this monumental cinematic achievement.

Back in 1964, a British television station set out to make a documentary showcasing the class differences in Great Britain. Their various teachers handpicked the lucky ones featured. There are kids in a state-provided boys home, from a crowded public school in a working class neighborhood, a farmer's boy in a school house, and upper class kids in posh boarding schools. You see what these kids think about eachother, love, and life at seven years old. Then seven years later they were revisited by Michael Apted (an assisstant on 7 Up) to see how they have changed and how they have stayed the same. And Apted kept coming back every 7 years until they were 49 in the latest installment, 2005's 49 Up.

For a society fascinated by reality T.V., The Up Documentaries present reality in its purest form. The thing that makes these so interesting is that these are just real people living their lives. There are no superficial scenarios that put them in competition for money or trapped with strangers or looking for love. They are regular people; you watch them go through puberty, go to college, start a family, get divorced, lose hair, get fat, and have grandchildren. Yet you can always see a little bit of the seven year old at each of them during any age.

While Up is a very fulfilling movie experience, it does take a major commitment. If you Netflix it, it takes up six discs on the queue, and they are pretty straight forward in style. There isn't a lot a stylish tricks to keep your attention (ie. This Film Is Not Yet Rated) or comedic relief (ie. Bowling For Columbine). You watch people talk with shots of them living their life interspersed in their interviews. But it is the people that hold your interest. You can watch and connect to particular people. As different things enter and leave their lives you feel joy for them or sorrow. When the credits role on each film you look forward to what has happened to them in the next seven years. And when 49 Up ended, I was left looking forward to 2012 to see what they are like at 56.

4 out of 5 stars (very interesting individually but as a whole... amazing!)

*on a sidenote; the other day I watched my first episode of the latest season of The Simpsons, and the entire episode was a parody of The Up Documentaries! A British documentary director visited Homer, Marge, Wiggum, Professor Frink, and Moe every eight years for his films "Growing Up Springfield." The episode even had the exact same music playing over the end credits. Needless to say, I was very excited about the coincidence.

2006 Top Ten Response

After reading Nick's list of his top ten movies of 2006, I knew that I wanted to respond in my own post. I, however, did not want to respond ignorantly so I waited until the last of his top 10 worked their way to the top of my Netflix queue. All ten of Nick's choices are very good movies; as he already stated, 2006 was an excellent year in cinema.

So here's Nick's Top Ten if I were to rank them:
1) United 93
2) Apocalypto
3) The Departed
4) Little Miss Sunshine
5) The Prestige
6) Pan's Labyrinth
7) The Queen
8) Letters From Iwo Jima
9) The New World
10) Children of Men

Now, I'm only going to say a few words about each because Nick has probably already said most of what I would say, so here it goes.....

United 93 is one of the most incredible movies I have ever seen. But it is not a movie that could get you excited to see again and again. Everyone knows the tragic story but the realism brought to the event leaves you angered, moved, and amazed that someone was able to put a something so powerful on film. You're emotionally drained but it is an experience needed to be seen. Nick is right on with this pick.

Apocalypto is sheer entertainment that movies are meant to be made for. Beyond having the best action I've seen in a movie in a long time, this is more than just a fun adventure flick. It may be a simple capture-and-chase plot, it is touching with great performances that allow you to really identify with the characters. It also is showcase for Mel Gibson's excellent filmmaking skills. Visuals alone are worth watching it for. It doesn't look like a movie version of the Mayans, but rather like real life Mayans. I watched this movie 3 times and another time with director commentary in a week and could easily watch it many more times.

Scorsese is a master, and The Departed is no exception. Great style, great performances, and a great story make this a crime classic and well deserving of all the Oscars it won. As much as I loved United 93, I think Nick is shortchanging Scorsese by calling his win a "sentimental pull." It may not be GoodFellas but he deserved every inch of that Oscar weaving together that complicated plot with great style and entertainment. Excellent direction in an excellent movie.

Little Miss Sunshine is an hour and a half of pure fun. It's a sweet story with great characters and many hilarious moments without getting too slapsticky. And a castful of excellent performances make it feel real despite have many zany events that happen.

With The Prestige, Christopher Nolan is becoming a director where you are counting the days until his next release (Memento, Batman Begins). A cool story with great twists, but not the kind that make it impossible to follow. Also a good performance by someone who I think is one of the coolest actors in the business in Christian Bale. Now I can't wait for The Dark Knight next summer... you know it's going to be great.

Even though Pan's Labyrinth is a little lower on my list than Nick's, it is in no way a knock against the movie. Guillermo del Toro is able to bridge together a magical fantasy world with a horrifically realistic war zone in Spain in a fascinating way. A beautiful movie that gets more rewarding with each time you see it.

Everyone knows about Helen Mirren's superb performances in The Queen, but what gets sometimes overlooked by it is the interesting movie she gives it in. Watching England's struggle to unite the old traditions with the modern culture during a chaotic time is an interesting story that doesn't get much attention here in America.

Letters From Iwo Jima is Clint Eastwood's second Iwo Jima film of 2006, and I feel that it is the better of the two (that isn't meant to take anything away from Flags of Our Fathers, a good film on its own). The thing that made Letters so special was being able to see this story we know in someone elses shoes. Watching and sympathizing with the enemy sends the message that no matter the details of a war, we're just human beings on both sides of the line.

The New World is a beautiful treat for any patient movie buff. It may be slow, but getting wrapped up in the visuals is very special. It really feels like colonial Jamestown. And knowing that the actress who played Pocahontas was only 14 years old makes her performance even more worthy of taking notice of.

Children of Men is sci-fi done right with an interesting and unique story. But as Nick already stated it is the incredible cinematography that makes this special. Look into what he wrote about it because I agree 100%.

So there are my thoughts on Nick's list. My list, however, would have one addition to knock Children of Men to #11 (also Blood Diamond is a very close #12). So this is what my Top Ten looks like:

1) United 93
2) Apocalypto
3) The Departed
4) Little Miss Sunshine
5) *Stranger Than Fiction
6) The Prestige
7) Pan's Labyrinth
8) The Queen
9) Letter From Iwo Jima
10) The New World

As you can see, I added Stranger Than Fiction. That crazy romantic comedy where Will Farrell becomes the character is an author's newest tragedy. This is the more reserved Will Farrell and it is filled by other great performances by Emma Thompson and the lovely Maggie Gyllenhaal. I don't know exactly what made me like this SO much but I really did. It is very touching but not sappy and very funny but not silly. The story is unique, unpredictable, and very interesting with different turns that only improve then improve again on the movie. Everything you could want in a comedy is here, and it can be enjoyed by anyone. A sweet story and an enjoyable film; I loved it. (*also, the music is excellent... mostly done by the band Spoon. They were a band I had heard of, but it wasn't until I saw this move when they really peaked my interest. It's been very rewarding since because I have two great Spoon albums now, and saw them put on a very good show this year at Summerfest. Great band.)