Get ready for President Arnold Schwarzenegger and naked Bart.

The Simpsons Movie is here.

After years of anticipation, fans of the long-running cartoon that originated as a short on The Tracey Ullmann Show in 1987 have been rewarded with a feature film starring Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson, as well as their rag-tag group of friends and family.

True to form, The Simpsons Movie is packed with 87 minutes of sharp dialogue, copious sight gags and plenty of celebrity cameos. In essence, it is indeed an hour-and-a-half-long version of The Simpsons television show, however that's not to say the film falls completely short of the hype it has gotten across the U.S. in the last few months, including the conversion of a dozen 7-11 convenience stores to Kwik-E-Marts and a heated battle between the many Springfields spread across the country to host the premiere.

In the end, tiny Springfield, Vt. won the prize, but secondary premieres were held in other Springfields the night before the national unveiling.

Early screenings proved that The Simpsons Movie is not a ground-breaking film necessarily, but it's funny. And really, that's what will matter in the long-run, especially when the show ends in a few years.

Rather than resembling three or four episodes crammed clumsily together, it leans on character development (even Homer, who experiences an epiphany mid-film with the help of an Inuit guide) and a solid, truly Simpsons-esque plot to go the distance. Itchy and Scratchy make a memorable, delightfully sickening appearance to mix things up.

Rockers Green Day lend their voices to a punk version of The Simpsons theme song, and Tom Hanks also appears in a two-dimensional walk-on. But the danger of coasting across the big screen with the help of famous guest after famous guest is avoided, and instead the show's existing supporting cast bolsters the Simpson's adventures. Moe is still a misunderstood, taken-for-granted bartender, and Comic Book Guy still relies on his knowledge of the Green Lantern to get by, and we can do nothing but love it.

In addition, the film also offers a few new forays into the Simpson's world that television cannot allow. Characters don't drop gratuitous f-bombs or step out of their roles for the sake of a joke, but limits are pushed. That toxic fish in Lake Springfield now has a dozen eyes instead of three, for instance, and there are twice as many torches being held by the angry mob.

The gags aren't stale, the story is well-developed, and the laughs are many... that's the description of any successful comedy, and the best evidence that The Simpsons Movie has the legs to stand on its own as a full-length animated film, and to stand the test of time.

Its strong resemblance to the television show might turn off some audiences, and there are a few characters that could have benefited from some extra screen time. Monty Burns and his doting assistant Smithers are scarce, and Selma and Patty a virtually mute throughout.

But core fans will see and hear the heart of The Simpsons beating strongly. A new catch phrase is likely to surface regarding the film's break-out character, Spider Pig, and watercooler chat regarding a certain glimpse of Bart's Parts is unavoidable.
Stay for the credits for a final surprise from Maggie, which might also foreshadow The Simpson's future.

Bigger and Homer-ier? Sure. The Simpsons Movie might not take home this year's Oscar for animated feature, but it certainly breaks the monotony of Summer, 2007's long parade of sequels and trilogies with little more than great writing and plenty of yellow ink.

Learn more about this author, Jaclyn C. Stevenson.
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