Doh! &The Simpsons Movie& delivers!

John Rickman / Media General News Service
Published: July 27, 2007

A Simpsons movie- I must admit I had my doubts. Could a show that typically packs more jokes into its 30 minutes than "All In the Family" and "The Cosby Show" combined stay fresh for as long as 90 minutes-

For some, "The Simpsons" television series reached its comedic peak more than a few seasons ago. It recently aired its 400th episode and is currently both in syndication and ready to roll out its 19th season this September.

So, wouldn't a feature-length film of the four-fingered ones be but a mere afterthought at this point- No way, man!

"The Simpsons Movie" sees Springfield's hilarious inhabitants — everyone from Apu to Milhouse Van Houten - graduate from the small screen to the silver screen with every funny bone and kooky quirk intact. Actual movie stars appear on screen, too, in animated form as themselves (I'm not telling), and as a wishfully fictitious head of state that looks and sounds strangely similar to Rainier Wolfcastle.

The plot of the movie is based around the townspeople's stubborn reluctance to clean up polluted Lake Springfield, where Bart once caught Blinky the three-eyed fish. Marge and Lisa, for reasons of their own, crusade for change but are roundly ignored until the government decides to step in. The feds, inept as Springfieldians are ignorant, concoct a hare-brained scheme to contain the environmental damage and the town soon revolts in typical mob fashion.

Of course, while everyone else reverts to panic-mode, the Flanders clan fails to flinch throughout the whole ordeal. Such a given, that Ned would stay faithfully resolute - and downright cheery, actually - sweetens the deal of experiencing the Simpsons cast in a theater setting and outside the television sitcom context; for a moment, each character and their day-to-day doings seem new again under the flickering light of film.

In "The Simpsons Movie," Homer is, of course, intrinsic to making a bad situation worse and ultimately responsible for making it right again. Alas, the movie contains a number of situations that may seem familiar to die-hard fans of the show.

The creative forces behind the movie (usual suspects Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, et al.), perhaps keen to ticket-holders' awareness that they may be party to a cash-in, reward viewers with new takes on classic Homer gaffes, cringe-inducing political commentary, and brand new funnies featuring Springfield's own sub-textural caricatures: Itchy and Scratchy, who outdo one another in all manner of violence, Bumblebee Man and his bemoaning of Murphy's Law, etc.

But it's not wholly predictable. For the first thirty minutes the jokes come so fast it made my head spin. Most allude to the television show, but they're funny even if you haven't seen the show. And who hasn't seen the show- Also, it goes without saying the movie is able to get away with a few things the sitcom never could! (Don't worry mom, it's a mild PG-13.)

"The Simpsons Movie" succeeds not by having a super-terrific story line or an intriguing plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, but by simply being a feature length motion picture - something new and different. "The Simpsons" formula, tried and true, regains its luster, if only fleetingly so, in celluloid. I wouldn't pass this moment up.