They've been talking about a Simpsons movie for over half of my life now. I've always wanted to see the Simpsons on the big screen but could never imagine what such a movie would look like. What kind of story would be big enough to sustain what is essentially a sitcom (although a much more flexible one) for well over an hour? Apparently those are the same questions that kept the movie from being made any sooner. But now it's here and I've seen it and maybe I can get on with my life now.
The movie is hilarious, as I knew in my soul it would be. And the story is epic without feeling like a bunch of episodes strung together (*ahem* Family Guy movie). Elements of the main plot are introduced immediately and build to a satisfying climax. However there are plenty of distractions and B-plots that keep you wondering where the movie is going.
Moments of the movie can stand right alongside some of the show's best episodes. Homer's "This book doesn't have any answers" is as classic as any line he's ever uttered, and will go in many a nerd's repertoire of quotes. Some of the movie understandably falls flat (Homer's vision, for example, isn't nearly as wild as some of the trippier moments of the series). But the good strongly outweighs the bad.
If there is a major flaw in the film perhaps it's the fact that it doesn't really push the boundaries (other than scale). But The Simpsons haven't really been about pushing boundaries for some time. Maybe that's why many fans site the decline in the show's quality. There are still the requisite jabs at right-wingers, pop culture, and religion, but they seem less edgy. I think that has more to do with a general change in our culture rather than a decline in the show. Every character on The Simpsons has a solid core which they rarely (if ever) deviate from. The Simpsons are as edgy as they've ever been but we've been conditioned by shows like The Simpsons to expect it. Oh, the irony.
There was a discussion at the Onion's AV Club this week about whether or not the series should hang up its hat, lest the recent episodes tarnish the legacy of its glory days. While I can see both sides of the argument I tend to fall on the side of keeping the show around. I don't watch as frequently as I used to. But I do think it's still one of the best shows on TV. Family Guy might be getting all the attention right now, and it is capable of going to "edgier" places than the Simpsons is able to, but the characters never had the integrity that the Simpsons do. There are no great stories in Family Guy because the stories are just excuses to string together a series of unrelated jokes. The setup for every one is "It's just like the time we [blank]". When it comes to lampooning major events in America I still want to see it done Simpsons style, because it will be done in a way that will be watchable long after the event is news.
I don't really have much else to say about the movie other than "go see it". Oh, and "Bye, Doctor Nick!"
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