The Simpsons Movie (2007) August 19, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Cinema, Recently Viewed , trackbackDirected by: David Silverman
There’s no denying the influence that The Simpsons has in modern culture. They are an unavoidable force of celebrity and you’d be hard pushed to find anyone who didn’t recognise the unique design of the characters. With 18 seasons under its belt, the show no doubt deserves its unrivalled success, but after almost two decades of reigning the small screen, the world’s most famous family have made the leap to theatres – the only question: is it too late?
Announcement of the long-awaited Simpsons movie brought with it a mixed reaction from fans. Many felt that the show had run its course years ago, with recent seasons merely a pale imitation of those that came before. While others noted the fact that, by this point, there is surely no story that the show hasn’t touched, making it decidedly difficult to come up with a tale significant enough to warrant a theatrical outing. All their concerns were valid and even if you don’t agree with them on all points, there’s certainly something to be said for this movie being 10 years too late.
Despite the apprehension, there is a solid plotline to the film. When Homer gains a new pet pig, a series of events leads to him turning Springfield into an ecological danger zone by dumping waste in the local lake. The town suddenly finds itself contained under a giant dome by the government, while the Simpson’s escape to make a new life in Alaska. But when they learn of plans to have their hometown wiped off the map, the family must overcome their differences to save their old friends in Springfield.
The story does contain some flashes of originality as well as a beneath-the-surface comment about modern society’s attitudes toward the environment. Ultimately however, it hits all the familiar bases: Bart renounces Homer as a bad father, Marge questions her marriage and Lisa is infatuated by a perfect crush. Hardly breaking new ground. The only Simpson who really gets to breathe is Maggie – her transition from needy baby who falls down a lot in the early seasons, to the confident, sarcastic character of today, is fantastic.
Anyone who saw the trailers may well have seen Moe proudly presenting the Simpsons movie as “in 2D!” while that famous movie voice-over called it a film that “dared to be ugly”. In fact, the finished product is neither of these things. The vibrant colour palate of the Simpson’s universe plays nicely on the big screen, while the heavy use of 3D modelling effects like those seen in Matt Groening’s other animated production, Futurama, give some sequences a distinctly 3D feel.
It’s almost needless to say that the voice acting is spot on, as all members of the main cast (Dan Castellaneta, Harry Shearer, Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Julie Kavner and Yeardley Smith) have been performing these characters for years. It doesn’t resort to leaning on a needless amount of celebrity cameos either, with only a couple from punk outfit Green Day and Oscar winner Tom Hanks making brief appearances.
More important than all of this though, is the humour. And the film certainly contains that, managing to sustain an impressive joke per minute ratio that equals that of the series. However, and it may just be my comedy taste, but I actually found myself disliking the big set-piece gags and instead enjoying the slightly smaller dialogue jokes that fill the spaces. One such scene – Homer vs. the wrecking ball – is followed by a really nice line from one of the truck drivers, which was no doubt lost to opening weekend audiences under a fit of howls from a sequence that everyone saw in the trailer anyway.
And that’s really the film’s biggest problem: a lack of outstandingly funny moments. There are plenty of sly gags and self-referential material (including Homer berating a cinema audience in a move that seems almost too easy for The Simpsons), but nowhere near enough stand-out classic moments – no, not even the ‘Spider-Pig’ material, which has lost a lot in its over-exposure. Some of its funniest moments come from gags that might be considered too adult for TV, but ironically, in the UK at least, the certificate of the film is the same as the TV show: a family-friendly PG.
So here’s the deal: it is funny. Far funnier than most animated movies probably. But what it doesn’t quite manage to do is to live up to the reputation the show sets for itself, while sticking too heavily to the ‘safe’ format of the series to try and ensure success. For me, the reason the South Park movie works is because they used the opportunity to take the series one step further than they could on the small screen. Here, we get what has been all-too-often described as an extended episode. But fear not Simpsons die-hards, the film is not the horrible mess prophesised on its announcement. A little late coming? Maybe. Too late? Never.
Comments»
I agree with you on some points, it was a really hard bet to do a good Simpsons movie, cause the series is a hit. I was really disappointed when i saw this one tho. It was funny, but the quality we know the Simpsons for wasnt there. The storyline wasnt really developed, and that was what disappointed me the most i think. When i got out, i just felt like i should have stayed home to watch an episode. I guess we all had expectations cause we grew with the series, but i didnt quite like the movie. Disappointment.
I don’t have as much beef with the movie as the series in general. Yeah Maggie’s developed for the better, but as one guy put it, Homer’s become too proactive. I watched a Treehouse of Horror marathon yesterday and you could see the subtle change. Homer used to talk less and have that dumb stare and open mouth. And while he still has the trademark catch phrases “Doh!”, “Woohoo!”, and his shriek when he’s terrified, I don’t really like his prolonged whiny “Awwww!”, which has been around the past 5 or so seasons. And if you noticed, a lot of the recent episodes have been 90% Homer (or Homer and Marge) and 10% Springfield. Where’s the variety?
Plus, the jokes seem to be more evident and less subtle. Like when we thought Bart was referring to his penis before showing the frog under the table, the joke could have stopped there, but instead they had to have the frog say “I thought he was referring to his penis”. A classic subtle joke back in season 1 was Homer in negotiation talks with Burns to call off the union strike, and Homer thought Burns was coming on to him. Or in the episode Lisa On Ice, where Kent Brockman describes the tragedy of a brawl at a hockey rink.
I miss Conan O’brien’s writing and Phil Hartman’s voice. They made the show really watch-all-over-again funny back in the 90s. But I’ve been a Simpsoniac since I was around 8 years old and I ain’t turning off the TV for nothing.