*** Official THE SIMPSONS MOVIE Review Thread (1 Viewer)

I want to apologize in advance if there is already a thread for this, I looked for it.

Here's my review:

The following is a review for the Simpsons Movie. It contains some minor spoilers, mainly in regards to jokes as told from the trailers.


From that true-blue to the tee meaning of a "teaser" trailer from March 31, 2006 with Ice Age: The Meltdown, hearing that the Simpsons Movie was in production was about any fan's wonderful dream. It's what only was thought to be impossible. A feature-length film about the family we all have come to love over the better part of a quarter-decade? Was it for real? Was the rumor that once the movie was announced and eventually released – that the show would be cancelled? Hurray, Yes, maybe – but not at the moment.


In the first big-screen adaptation of "The Simpson's" we find the classic American family of The Simpson's knee deep in a big-scale crisis in a small town in ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" />Springfield. Pollution has become an epidemic in the local lake and Lisa takes initiative

to gain support from the local townspeople to make a change while trying to make a dream come true in having a relationship with fellow supporter and not Bono's kid in Irish kid Colin. But that's not even the worst of the Simpson's problems! The main plot of the story is Homer's inability to realize the before-and-after's of his polluting, his penchant for a pig, and his ever-fading relationship with Bart – who wants to have a positive father figure in his life. And that's not to mention that something that Homer did caused a sort of martial law to be taken on Springfield.


When you think of classic television, you think of the Simpson's. It's the kind of show that everyone in the family can find something to appreciate. From little Sally who likes the funny looking characters, to Davey who likes to see Bart get the best of his dad Homer, to Mom and Dad who like to see real-life arguments fought between and quickly resolved between Homer and Marge. Oh, and yours truly who loves the Comic Book Guy and his obsession with comics. There are so many iconic characters on a show that has reached the peak of superstardom. What more can a show do after almost TWENTY seasons to prove that it is just that good? How about making a movie?


Sounds like a good idea. You've got my bucks right there. All I need to hear is that you've got the entire original cast and you're keeping the Simpson's yellow and I'm in like Flynn. We all know that the average 22 – 24 minute episode of "The Simpson's"

has an A and B plot with sometimes a third to add even more to the general story. But can the show keep an audience in a theatre happy for about an hour and half? My personal opinion would be a resounding yes. Maybe it was the whole idea of seeing "my" show on a three story screen, or maybe it was the ingenious humor, the fact that most of the same writers from the show worked on the script for the movie, but doggonit if I did not laugh harder, more often or longer at this movie than nearly any other episode I've seen. Not once did I feel the storylines were drawn out or to far-fetched (HA-HA!)


The only negative would be that it was not long enough and did not feature more characters! (SEQUEL!) In actuality, there are about 95 original characters featured throughout the film, whether we large and integral roles or just background doing something goofy like Ralph picking his nose. Every minute of this film looked beautiful. Since the television series went completely computer animated a few years back, the movie reaps on the benefits. The animators already have a top-notch structure to reach from and it only looks better here in this feature. There are more and more 3-D elements featured and it just looks wonderful.


It is so hard not to just expel one of the millions of jokes and one-liners featured throughout the movie. This is not one of those movies that suffer a case of "everything funny was in the trailer." It's as packed, if not more, than any normal episode of wall-to-wall irreverent humor and "preaching." There are also those subtle jokes like the Moe's being next door to Reverend LoveJoy's Church and them switching places for a moment, or the ticker advertising for a new show in a movie, or heck, even Itchy & Scratchy doing what they do best. (Here's a hint, it's not chasing dust bunnies.)

This movie proves that the show is still a viable commodity. Even if the creators decide to bow out gracefully of a primetime slot for a sitcom, a feature length film every few years or so could still work out very well. The film is fast-paced, incredibly funny, looks great and above all else, has that same heart-warming appeal that that makes the show work so well. It's a truly wonderful addition to one of the most extensive, respected and loved collection of comedy in the history of television and film. If you like the show, you'll love the movie. If you love the show, you'll love the movie. Plain and simple.


4/4 - **** | ****



Ryan Anderson 07/27/07

I couldn't agree more with the above. For an old school fan who jumped ship around the 10th season, this film was like going through a time warp and landing back in an era when The Simpsons was still one of the most brilliantly hilarious and original shows ever to grace the television screen. The first 15 minutes alone was worth the price of admission and had me in tears from laughing so hard.

I echo the criticism from above about length and underused characters (but that's just me wanting it all), but I would like to add the fact that there were no trademark musical numbers.

All in all:

:star: :star: :star: :star: / :star: :star: :star: :star:



Fox better start releasing Blu-rays again 'cause I've already got a space reserved on my shelf for this one.

I'll be 100% honest...I came in expecting something so amazing that it would be pretty much impossible to meet my expectations, let alone exceed them.

And yet it did. I can't remember the last time I saw a movie that I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed The Simpsons Movie. The surprise guest star didn't let me down, and the story was surprisingly fast-paced yet nothing felt stretched or senseless. And there was some great foreshadowing that I couldn't believe I didn't connect and think "That'll play a part later." Even after 20 years they still can pull a fast one on me.

And I won't spoil it, but the movie adds a classic new line to the wit and wisdom of Ralph Wiggum.

SPOILER:



There is one loose end that I don't feel was finished off--what happened to the pig? As soon as Homer dumped the pig crap, the pig disappeared and was never mentioned again.
Other than that, I loved the movie and hope that Maggie's right about a sequel.

The thing about a Simpsons movie is that people have been waiting for so long and imagining what it would be like that it would be hard to near impossible for the movie to out pace the expectations individuals have inside their heads.

I don't know how they did it, but they pulled it off. They say you can't go home again, but they went home again. I really like Bart's story reminded me of classic family episodes.

I thought the voice acting was great in the film especially Marge taping over the wedding video.

I'll gladly see it again. 4.5/5, though I did wonder the same thing that AnthonyC mentioned in his post.

I thought it was okay, but not astoundingly great. Then again, I quit watching the Simpsons on TV after about 2 or 3 seasons, so I never really did find myself enjoying the show enough to keep up with it.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

I'm an obsessed Simpsons fanatic. I own the first nine seasons on DVD and I watch episodes all the time. I have never seen a Simpsons episode that I've blatantly disliked. I love even the "mediocre" recent episodes. I feel that this past season #18, was a very good season.

That being the case I probably would have loved the Simpsons Movie if it were painfully mediocre. Thankfully, it's not. It's a terrific movie that can be enjoyed by anyone from a diehard fan who's been watching since 1990 like myself, or a casual fan who's only seen a few episodes here and there. Right from the very beginning with Ralph Wiggum in the Fox logo, I was in heaven. Seeing these beloved characters on a movie screen is just exhilirating. I don't think I stopped smiling for the entire 86 minutes that the movie ran. It was glorious. The movie can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. By the way, I think the PG-13 rating is way off. There's no reason this movie should have above a PG rating. Even with .....


Bart's wang.


My only major criticism is the movie's length. It's too short!!! I didn't want the movie to end. I was dreading the ending and I was sad it when it finally came. (Told you I'm an obsessive fan). Hopefully the DVD will have loads of deleted scenes. My only other complaint is that with the huge cast of characters that The Simpsons has, there's no time to incorporate all of them. Meaning that many fans' favorite characters are reduced to mere cameos, such as Comic Book Guy, Moe, Barney, Krusty, Chief Wiggum. Even Mr. Burns and Smithers are barely in the movie. But there's no possible way to give substansial parts to so many characters, so it's just the way it is. Hopefully if there's a Simpsons Movie 2, we'll get to see more of those guys.

I would recommend the movie to everyone. It's a great time, it's hilarious, it's fun, it looks amazing on the big screen. It's definitely one of the best movies of the summer. I can't wait to see it again.

:star: :star: :star: :star: out of four.

I thought the movie was great - one of the few summer movies that did not disappoint. I liked the animation too - it got progressively better and more complex as the movie went on. The scenes in Alaska were great, and Homer's hallucination was one of the highlights in the animation.

The story was good too, with a nice environmental message (I would hardly expect Groening, et. al. to have a movie with no message at all). I enjoyed the extra screen time for Flanders and his kids - other than the Simpsons, they probably had the biggest parts.

Lots of great moments in the film: Martin hitting the bullies, Ralph getting bubbles in his eye, Otto and his bong, Chief Wiggum in the mob, and so on. The movie is really built on little moments like these.

I look forward to seeing it again on DVD when I can hear all the jokes without audience laughter -- and without annoying people who seem to show up no matter which theater I attend. (Last night: couple with a whiny todler in front of me; woman stood during the credits).

Just came out of the theatre. Loved the movie - especially the first act, which I felt was the strongest.

My only nit about the movie was the same nit I have with every Simpsons episode that contains this, is the Lisa subplot. I think the writers have no idea what to do with her and she becomes completely repetitive (in a Lisa annoying way, not in a Homer funny way).

Overall some very funny stuff!

"Best episode ever"

In preparation for the movie's opening, I re-watched my favorite episodes from the early seasons of the show (Moanin' Lisa, Dancing Homer, Last Exit to Springfield, Rosebud, etc. etc. etc......). The movie was as good if not better than any of these classic episodes. It was like going back in time 15 years to see The Simpsons in their prime.

The film avoided all the unfunny cliches that the TV show has relied upon for the last decade: 1) open hostility of the characters for one another, 2) cheap irony (where a character says one thing then does the exact opposite), and 3) god-awful non-sequitir plot twists. The humor in this film contained a lot of sight gags (which were genuinely funny) as well as character-derived humor and political, religious, and cultural satire. My expectations were greatly exceeded.

This is the first summer movie since SPIDER-MAN 2 which did not disappoint in any way. I've seen it twice already and can't wait for the DVD.

Rating: FIVE PINK DONUTS WITH SPRINKLES out of five

I haven't laughed out loud this much since Borat. I was screaming with laughter from beginning to end (and I mean to the end of the credits). Not only is this the Best Animated Picture of 2007 but also the Best Comedy. BTW, stay during the credits and you'll hear Maggie's first word (and I hope it comes true ). It was also refreshing to see traditional, 2-D animation on the big screen.

**** / *****

I thought it was an improvement from the current TV show, but they'd really have to try to make it worse. I don't think it was as charming or witty as the TV series in its prime though:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PDJJE4YyJ...page=1&t=t&f=b

Also the plot lines of Marge leaving Homer and Bart being alienated by Homer and being Flanders-ized are plot points that have been done before by the show and better.

The villain of the movie was also shoehorned in, Mr. Burns would've been a far better choice, as he's one of the show's best characters, but in the movie he's reduced to basically a cameo.

I would give it 2.5/5. Not terrible, but not great.