Despite being the longest running animated prime-time comedy, "The Simpsons" is one of the few animated shows to not make the jump into movies until now. Many other shows have come before and succeeded in the movies, from "South Park" to "Beavis and Butt-head". Can the predecessor to these cartoons now follow in their footsteps with equal success?

The town of Springfield's pollution problem has gotten out of control and the government has even taken notice. In an effort to shield the rest of the world from Springfield's problem, it has been decided that a dome will be placed over Springfield, completely enclosing the town. After the townsfolk find out that this was all inevitably Homer's fault, an angry mob comes after The Simpsons, forcing them to miraculously escape from their domed town and become fugitives. After moving to Alaska, the family becomes torn apart and Homer's continual lack of caring forces Marge to leave him to return to Springfield with the kids, in hopes of saving the town. Homer must somehow figure out what to do with himself and save Springfield at the same time.

For a TV show to truly succeed on the big screen, the storyline must obviously be more epic than the traditional 22 minutes we're given weekly for free. Also, since the rules of television are out the window, the movie must push the envelope by going where the TV show was never able to go. This movie succeeds greatly in both regards by taking advantage of its PG-13 rating whenever it can.

Despite the show itself being on television for such a long time, the comedy in this movie remains fresh and oftentimes hysterical. Even if you haven't seen The Simpsons in a decade, you will easily jump into this movie and find yourself laughing along.

Though the visuals from The Simpsons aren't as beautiful as a Pixar movie, they manage to do a few tricks with their animations that we wouldn't see on their average television show, which is a nice way to remind us that we're watching something a bit more epic.

As far as comedies go, the movie is much smarter than anything that has been released this year to date. For those who haven't seen The Simpsons at all, this would make a nice introduction. And for those who have enjoyed a Simpsons episode or two along the way, this is a must-see movie as it serves as a great reminder of why the show is as fun as it is.

Learn more about this author, Luke Gloeckner.
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