The Simpsons Movie
Grade: C

Though the beginning half hour of The Simpsons Movie displayed humor reminiscent of the earlier, or as I think, the "golden years" of the Simpsons, eventually the movie starts relying on sight gags, accompanied by Homer's stupidity and whining, for laughs. In this way it parallels The Simpsons television series that started to deteriorate in quality with each new season after around the tenth. As The Simpsons Movie progresses, it becomes less comical and fails to live up to the best of its potential.

After a brief search online, I found one site offering criticism of the series' later seasons, specifically beginning with season nine. Fans of the show claim that the show began to have an influx of "throwaway jokes" and chastise new head writer, Mike Scully, for his "reinvention of Homer" who had become "unrealistically stupid and uncaring." (1)

For fans of the series, who believe that the show did indeed "jump the shark" at around the ninth season, the movie will play out like one of the disappointing episodes of that era. Recycle plot lines (Lisa finding love with a boy who cares for the environment, Marge and Homer fighting and separating, the family as outcasts, Bart upset with Homer as a father figure, etc..), an obnoxious Homer and a few terribly mindless jokes may cause these fans to loathe certain aspects of the movie. Given, it would have been hard for the writers to revert back to the subtler, more realistic comedy of the earlier Simpsons episodes and still maintain audience attention especially since, during my viewing, the entire audience consisted of children escorted by slightly older children. Although the movie received a PG-13 rating, it seems that it was directly written for 14-year-olds and younger, with brief glimpses of the show's trademark witty, satirical humor.

These injustices mainly pinpointed by critical fans like myself don't mean that the movie isn't without its charm. Certain parts scattered throughout the film can still initiate a good laugh or even cause one to revert back to that joke at a later date and still find it humorous. Initial character development is so well done that, had the viewers not understood and loved the characters for almost two decades, they would have done both right off the bat. Also, at the bottom of everything there is heart and soul, which may be clich and predictable, but it's there at least; and that's saying a lot when compared to recent animated or computer generated movies.

As a stand-alone movie, without comparison to the characteristics of the series' better times, it is still a silly film that falls flat on too many occasions. For those who still enjoy watching the newer episodes of The Simpsons, this film will be satisfactory; it will offer nothing new aside from larger scale effects. As for those who revel in the "golden age" of the series, it's worth seeing, if only to make you realize just how much you truly love the old days.

_________________________________________________ _________
1. http://famous.y2u.co.uk/F_The_Simpsons_09.htm - Famous.Y2U.co.uk

Learn more about this author, Robert Matheson.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Movie reviews: The Simpsons Movie?
We want to hear your view. Write now!