Rating of
2.5/4
The Simpsons Return to Form
jkownacki - wrote on 08/04/07
As longtime Simpsons fans, my girlfriend and I were dubious of seeing the Simpsons movie for one key reason: distrust.
Most fans will acknowledge that the series itself has been less than stellar since the 9th or 10th season, as the current creative team has been less interested in the emotional connections between the characters and more interested in pushing the shock value comedy envelope. As such, the series no longer resonates the way it did when it was introduced, because the characters tend to be more like caricatures.
Fortunately, the movie celebrates a return to form for the Simpsons that walks the line between heart and humor. Homer, Marge, Maggie and Bart are all written as complex, well-rounded individuals who manage to stay in character while whipping from one extreme behavior to another. And the plot -- which involves a healthy dose of skepticism about the government, society, media, family and theology -- feels just "big" enough to justify the existence of the feature film while also satisfying the need for nonstop laughs.
About the only major drawback is the lack of screentime for some beloved characters (especially Apu), but considering the film boasts a cast of dozens, surely someone's favorite is going to be shortchanged. However, this is somewhat remedied by the fact that every character contributes to the story in a way that's both appropriate (or perfectly inapproproate, as the case may be) and meaningful. It's been awhile since "meaningful" applied to the Simpsons, and that's refereshing.
Recent Comments
Josh C - wrote on 08/04/07 at 04:40 PM CT
The Simpsons Movie Review comment
I agree with your review, but grew to love the latest seasons of the Simpsons too. You are right, around the 10th season I lost interest and stopped watching it for years, then a few years ago I started again and it was great to see them doing more with "real" current issues. I loved the simpsons for different reasons when it started, but as time changed and I changed to I was glad to see that the Simpsons changed too. Otherwise the series would have never lasted this long.
