I let out a nervous squeal when I’d learned of the upcoming Sex and the City movie; it’s serious stuff when successful small screen ventures get blown up (and often out of proportion) in Hollywood. If there is anything more dangerous than making a sequel to a box office hit, it’s making a movie out of material used to being cushioned by commercials in an easily tackled TV time slot. When I heard that the most beloved animation series ever was transforming itself into The Simpsons movie, I couldn’t even vocalize my anxiety; I’d rather filmmakers mess with Manhattan’s most fabulous than screw up Springfield’s favorite family any day.
Rising above 400 episodes of The Simpsons television series to create a feature length comedy was very risky business for director David Silverman and his crew of eleven writers. TV to movie transformation has already been mastered by series like Beavis and Butthead and South Park; as ancestor to both of these shows, The Simpsons movie had a lot to prove. I’d say that prove it did.
I had no idea what to expect of The Simpsons movie’s plot; the trailer wisely revealed very little. But I wasn’t surprised to discover that, forever keeping up with the mainstream, the house of Homer Simpson faced environmental mayhem in its feature flick.
Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta) has discovered and fallen in love with a pig which he swiftly makes the household swine. And though Lisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith) has rallied the town of Springfield to institute a new ‘no dumping’ policy in the resident lake, Homer just can’t help himself from adding a little piggy pooh into the already toxic water. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headed by corrupt government bureaucrat, Russ Cargill (Albert Brooks), won’t stand for the rest of the country to be polluted by Springfield’s mess, and decides to seal the town in an impenetrable dome. Never good at covering his impulsive, empty headed tracks, Homer is soon revealed as the perilous polluter. After the town tirades and his family leaves him, Homer reaches an ‘epiphany’ through which he discovers the salvation of true selflessness.
I’ve heard it said that kinesis is too often mistaken for true entertainment in film. But rapidly moving slapstick is precisely what sets The Simpson’s brand of humor apart from other animated series. The Simpsons movie doesn’t disappoint in its display of the famous farcical comedy responsible for making the TV show such a smash hit. And, just as important as its hilarious animation is the movie’s attention to the kind of cultural, political, and social commentary which is current, witty, and unexpectedly ominous.
My main gripe? The Simpsons movie came off just a bit too self conscious to sell its self completely. The film began as Homer reacts to an Itchy and Scratchy movie the family is watching in a theater by standing up and questioning, “Why would anyone pay to watch something they can see for free on TV?” The movie version of the TV show’s theme song shows Bart Simpson writing 'I will not illegally download this movie' on his trademark chalkboard only moments later. It seems that the movie gained confidence with momentum, but it set itself up poorly with a shaky start.
All in all, I was very pleased with what I saw of The Simpson’s movie debut. All cliché aside, this film certainly made me laugh; and at one particularly heart wrenching moment I almost even cried. The Simpsons was fast moving, cohesive, and entertaining is a very smart way.
Liz Licorish
Please direct comments to: LizFlix@elitestv.com
