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