As one of the few human beings in America who does not regularly watch The Simpsons, I was looking forward to seeing the movie, but I was not a fan boy drooling at the opportunity to see my favorite characters on the screen. I have seen maybe 10-15 episodes of the series over my 23 years and liked it, but didn't watch the show on a regular basis.
Although I have now idea how the show's hardcore fans will react to it, but I was underwhelmed. Yes, the movie is funny, but it's not hilarious, and kept thinking that there's nothing here you couldn't see on TV. Usually, movie adaptations of TV shows try to offer something bigger or more daring than could be done on television. As far as I could tell, there is not much here aside from the widescreen aspect ratio that differs the movie from the show. In some cases, this makes it worse, as the bare-bones animation looks a little cheap on a big screen.
I doubt that anyone is going to go to see a Simpsons movie for the plot, but for the uninitiated, here goes: Dumb-ass father Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) pisses everyone in his hometown of Springfield when he places a silo of pig feces in the lake, which creates a toxic hazard so big that Russ Cargill (Albert Brooks), the head of a government environmental agency convinces President Arnold Schwarzenegger (Harry Shearer) to enclose Springfield into a dome. An angry mob causes the Simpsons to flee to Alaska, where Homer is finally happy. The rest of the clan learns that the government has plans to wipe their previous home off the map, which causes mother Marge (Julie Kavner) to take the kids and head back to help, while Homer stays behind. Will they get back together? Do you think the new season of the show is going to change the formula?
The movie is funny, but there is nothing her that is really thigh slapping, wocka wocka, hilarious. It's more endearing for some of the minor sight gags (such as Grandpa Simpson reading an issue of Oatmeal Enthusiast magazine) then for some of the major set pieces, some of which are somewhat mean spirited. I didn't find a naked Bart (Nancy Cartwright) getting humiliated in public amusing, and Homer is such a poor parent that at times it stops being funny and I sort of supported Marge leaving him. There is not much consistency either- character traits seem to very from scene to scene.
Nevertheless, this would be an acceptable rental on DVD, or as a TV special, but there's nothing here that would make recommend that someone make a trip to the theater and pay $6-$10 too see it.
The Simpsons Movie (2007)