The Simpsons Movie

When I was younger I used to live and breath the Simpsons. It will always be a cherished part of my childhood living in the UK I guess I was just the right age to catch the phenomenon. Even though the Simpsons started back in 1989 it wasn’t shown on the BBC until the mid 90’s, my earliest memory of the show was on a family holiday to America, but at the time I didn’t get it, or understand what it was all about. Once it had started over here I remember vividly when a friend of mine used to even tape the new episodes from Sky and I would watch the whole tape fanatically, even cataloguing episodes as they were shown on my own videos.

So why the long pre-amble? Well because the Simpsons movie is actually really difficult to review or quantify. The Simpsons are so ingrained in my life and modern culture that it is impossible to step back enough to judge. I really enjoyed the film, I laughed a lot, it was constantly entertaining with no lulls (something very difficult for comedy films) and it didn’t feel over stretched, al all. In fact the format fitted the big screen like a glove, something I definitely wasn’t expecting, the longer length allowing for more breathing space, something the series sometimes feels like it needs. But did I love the film because I love the Simpsons? If I went in with no knowledge would I have enjoyed it as much? Probably not, but even though the series is by general consensus not as good as it used to be, the movie transcends a lot of the recent seasons remaining its own beast entirely.

For the record I think series 4 through 10 are some of the most consistent and brilliant seasons of TV ever created for television, since then the show has gone downhill, but remains amusing and clever at times, but with a show that’s approaching its 20th birthday, the fact that it is still even remotely watchable is an achievement in itself. Say what you want about the show but to create a movie this chock full of gags, ambition and character and find something new to say about the town, the characters and the world after 400 episodes and do so in a way that is true to the TV series, yet befits the spectacle of the cinema screen, is a near miraculous achievement. The 11 (count ‘em) writers serve the story well and while it is a shame some regulars get so little time (Mr Burns for example) the sheer amount of people who they fit into the film and who are able to shine is remarkable.

However the film is not perfect, the main ‘baddie’ voiced by Albert Brooks (who did such a fantastic job with Hank Scorpio) is not nearly memorable enough and the expansive nature of the plot negates at times the small-town mentality that the series captures so well. It’s also interesting to note that in the movie world the ‘flexible reality’ that has long been a feather in the Simpsons cap can actually be a hindrance, a lack of continuity and consequence means that the emotional moments (and there are some great ones here) hit a little less hard, and threats and danger become less palpable. One of the things that separates cinema from TV is the ‘anything can happen’ mentality, no-one is safe, nothing is fixed, but in the Simpsons it is and the knowledge that more seasons are being made means that the chances of anything dramatically changing are slim.

But maybe that’s why the show works so well, these characters don’t ever truly grow or change, they remain slaves to who they are. Familiarity can be a valuable asset to an audience and the Simpsons movie harnesses 20 years of goodwill to provide an experience that is uniquely familiar. And at the end of the day in this ever changing world there is something immensely comforting about the little yellow family that stands firm amongst the chaos.

A success against all the odds this is a funny, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable movie that takes advantage of its big screen format whilst giving its giant cast equal room to shine. Clever, subversive and ultimately full of heart this emphasises what has always made the Simpsons so great, without tarnishing its reputation.