Seeing as I’m a 28 year old guy with a passing interest in comedy, I probably don’t need to preface this review with a description of my lifelong reverence at the altar of The Simpsons. It’s pretty much a given. Suffice it to say that I could probably tell you the names of a good 94% of the characters in this picture and let’s move on:
The prospects for the movie seemed promising – they rounded up an all-star team of classic Simpsons writers, guys like John Swartzwelder, Al Jean, Jon Vitti, and George Meyer, who collectively defined the idea of comedy to a whole generation of kids like me.
Yet despite my love of all things Springfield, I really hadn’t been geeking out in anticipation for the movie. I’ll admit to having bought a souvenir can of Buzz Cola at one of those 7-11/Kwik-E-Mart deals, but that’s really a drop in the bucket compared to the shameful things I’ve done for Star Wars – and look how that turned out!
To my great relief, The Simpsons Movie not only exceeded my conservative expectations, but all in all is about as good as I could ever have hoped.
In both story and sensibility, the hallmarks of classic Simpsons are everywhere, proving that after 20 years, there is still plenty of life left in these characters. The plot – which involves Homer’s selfishness alienating Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Springfield at large – resembles any of about 2 dozen episodes of the show, which isn’t really a bad thing. Instead of deliberately trying to concoct an outsize Hollywood plot for a family as well-travelled as the Simpsons, the writers stick to what they do best: holding up a hilariously skewed mirror to the squallid extremes of everyday popular culture.
In recent years, the show itself has been bogged down in a parade of pointless celebrity cameos and the transformation of the brilliant secondary characters into one-line walk-ons. As far as celebs go, the movie limits itself to a theme song by Green Day, a couple of choice lines from Tom Hanks, and of course Albert Brooks, who may as well be an official cast member by now.
Which leaves the issue of the secondary cast o’ thousands, one of the things which made The Simpsons so damn great in the first place.
The complaint I’ve heard – and I can understand – is “Not enough _______,” be it Moe, Skinner, or Krusty the Klown. I certainly wouldn’t have said no to a few more scenes with Mr. Burns, but it’s hard to fault the writers for making the movie so heavily Simpsons-centric. To do justice to all of the secondary characters would have required a 5 hour epic – which, of course, I’d have been all over. But that’s what sequels are for – the family Simpson has waited two decades to make it to the big screen, so its only fitting that they are front and center throughout.
So yep, aside from a few brilliant nudges at the PG-13 envelope – tell me you haven’t been waiting for years to hear Marge Simpson swear! – there really isn’t much different between The Simpsons Movie and The Simpsons, and I can’t imagine wanting it any other way. As any true fan knows, the best part of the show is re-watching an episode until you have every joke memorized – I’m sure it will be the same for the movie, too.
So yeah…someone buy me an illegal DVD!
July 31, 2007 at 1:57 am
Can’t say I’m really with you on this one, Traw East.
I thought the movie was OK. I’m not one of those dudes who, during the credits, started BOOing. I commend the TV to film transition. My main problem with the film was that the jokes just weren’t all that funny.
Nothing fell flat, really. Nothing truly shone either.
The jokes were all chuckle-worthy, but I wasn’t busting a gut for any of them and neither was the rest audience. I laughed more at some of the subtler stuff that escaped most of the average film goers. I loved the Comic Book Guy using his cell phone to video-record Grandpa’s rant in church. But I just didn’t laugh as much as I should of at this film.
Anyway, I’m not completely disappointed. And actually, on some level, I’m impressed that it didn’t suck. But that’s not praise. That’s years of dedication to a franchise simply keeping me satisfied by avoiding a trainwreck.
I heard someone somewhere say “it’s better than the last 6 seasons combined.” Well, that’s not saying much considering the real heyday of this show was pre-season 11. Seasons 12 and on are for the most part forgettable. If someone had said “this show is like seasons 4 through 10 all wrapped in a delicious 87 minute package” well then Conan O’Brien would have been involved.
Can they get him involved for the next one?
Please Conan.
Please.
Either way, I’ll certainly see the sequel in the theater as well and hope that now that the first movie is under their belt, the next will be funnier for some reason. Like how the second installment of a trilogy is always the best. (Empire, Two Towers, X2, and so on.)
And a pretty fair amount of gay jokes. Am I right?
“I like boys now.”
-Ralph Wiggum, ‘07
July 31, 2007 at 2:30 pm
What a sad thing it is that moving to Los Angeles makes you prefer Transformers to Simpsons!
I think Corzine will agree that our audience lapped it up throughout. I can’t wait to see it again, DEFINITELY can’t wait for the sequel…though to counter your examples above, I humbly submit Temple of Doom, The Matrix Reloaded, and Ghostbusters II.
July 31, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Ghostbusters is a trilogy?
I never said I preferred Transformers. I also wasn’t expecting Transformers to be funny and well-written.
July 31, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Are you fuckng kidding me “Shatraw”? Whats next, your going to become a scientologist and get beat up by a guy from CSI while on your TMZ rounds? I thought i knew you.
Fact 1: This movie was dope
Fact 2: Go see that skinhead movie and feel better about everythign, including youself. Your self hatred is the casue of your shitty feelings towards this awesome movie and I wish to fix it/you.
go to hell,
Corzine
July 31, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Good. Cause it wasn’t! Zing! Take that, Hasbro.
GB III exists only in my mind, but Chris Farley is HILARIOUS in it. Anyway, I think you’ll agree with me that Die Harder is also the weak link in that chain.
July 31, 2007 at 10:46 pm
I can’t agree either, Mattraw.
I’m sorry.
I wasn’t disappionted, but I wasn’t thrilled.
It just didn’t have the same feel as one of the old episodes. It felt like I was watching a good modern day episode.
Which isn’t bad…..but it isn’t great.
I am a HUGE Simpsons fan. I own all the seasons on DVD, My room in New Jersey is FILLED with Simpsons shit.(posters, dolls, figures, pez dispensers, clocks, etc.)
So you’d think I’d want to see the movie in the theaters again, right?
Well, I won’t.
I have no interest to, and that makes me sad.
I saw Talladega Nights in theaters THREE times, for pete’s sake.
August 1, 2007 at 5:17 am
Hey, alright! the blog’s first Trawgument!
may I humbly submit Pirates II, The Lost World, High Fidelity II(8-track attack), and the Land Before Time XXXXXVII?
other best second movies of trilogies, T2, Mad Max II, Aliens(resurrection is not a movie), X2…
August 1, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I have to go with mattraw on this one, I thought there were more than a few unfocused moments but the ones that worked were insanely hilarious.
The Lamb
August 1, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Once again, Dewbey, you prove my point: Los Angeles is a festering cesspool of worthless nobodies which has ruined your good taste.
I still think Pirates II is every bit as good as the first one (which is about 2.5-3 stars), because Bill Nighy is dope. Lost World, apart from the trailer-on-the-cliff scene, was horrendous.
August 1, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Dude, that movie wasn’t less funny because of where Dewbey or I live. It wasn’t as funny as it could have been. It wasn’t bad. It just didn’t come close to its ceiling.
Although I was thinking about how hard I laughed at the Titanic Green Day stage sinking scene in the beginning.
August 1, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Meh. The whole reason you see comedies in the theater is so that the rest of the people laughing around you make the experience better. It was packed on 28th St, and the reaction was great. I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much in a theater full of humorless Hollywood wannabes either!
Incidentally, this is also why we should have seen The Descent in theaters, Dewbey Adams.
Or, actually, not at all.
Ugh. The Descent.
August 3, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Saw the movie last night, (late, I know). I thought it was pretty funny. The audience laughed more than I did, but it certainly chuckled a few times.
There were two 20-somethings in front of me wearing bart and lisa hair/hat helmet deals (at a thursday 10:30 showing, where were these people opening night?).
Also, this couple bought nachos, and about 2 minutes into the movie, you hear the nachos crash to the ground and the guy says “my nachos!” like when milhouse says “my glasses” in that one episode.
the best part of the movie, I thought, was before the movie during a preview for the new “Alvin and the Chipmunks” movie. Dave (jason lee) asks Theodore if he just pooped on a chair, and Alvin (in his helium funny voice) is all “No Daaave. It’s a raisin” and lee asks him to prove it, so Alvin throws it in his mouth, and lee leaves. Then Alvin spits it out and tells Theodore that he owes him big time.
Owes him because Alvin just put Theodore’s POOP IN HIS MOUTH!
hilarious.
August 3, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Also, the Dr. Nick thing towards the end was pretty funny, as was the whole Springfield scenario throughout.
So, Simpsons live action movie? I didn’t really think this through, I’ll leave it to the traws, but I found this pic and couldn’t resist.
http://www.parecidosrazonables.com/parecidos_razonables_aquellos_maravillosos_milhouse.jpg
August 6, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Saw it again last night, still loved it.
“Maybe *we* should kiss…to break the tension”
Brilliant!
August 7, 2007 at 8:41 pm
I don’t know what happened to you, Mattraw.
You used to have such a good sense of humor…. Where did it go?
August 7, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Yeah, I guess I should start watching Entourage, right? God, that Jeremy Piven!
I hear Sex & The City is a real Laff Riot, too!
August 7, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Come now boys. We’ve watched countless episodes of the Simpsons on DVD in our time as friends. There’s no point in accusing each other of liking Entourage and Sex & the City. I mean, we’re all friends here. Let’s not say things we can’t take back.
August 7, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Entourage? Sex & The City?
Those are both shows that I watch religiously.
In fact, I’ve seen every episode of Sex & The City at least 9 times. That show is so empowering.
Also, what about great shows like “Flavor of Love” and “I Love New York” and “Rock of Love” and “Someone, Please Fuck Carrottop!” Every one of those is a truly great achievement in television.
Oh, and if you haven’t see Two and a Half Men, I STRONGLY encourage you to check it out in syndication. Or better yet, buy the DVDs…you really need to follow the story from the beginning to truly appreciate the hilarity.
So AGAIN, I will ask you…..Where did your sense of humor go?
August 8, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Found it!
August 8, 2007 at 2:20 pm
Simpsons movie sucked. Plain and simple.
Oh, and Youppi, good call on the Alvin and the Chipmunks trailer. I was like…”Are you serious??? Did Alvin just eat shit???!?”
Movies blow nowadays.
August 8, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Wow.
STILL not funny.
Sense of humor is officially lost.
But I guess you can always change this, and make it say that I thought it was funny.
August 8, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Officially lost, eh? I didn’t realize that doing three minutes of poorly received stand-up to a crowd of 4 people qualified you as the Official Arbiter of Humor.
I stand corrected!
Or wait, is humor still subjective? If so, then I have to say that editing your pointless, insulting post into something a little more readable really gave me a good chuckle this morning. Actually, I just re-read it…”Someone, Please Fuck Carrottop!” is so good, I bet they really make it into a show!
And if you keep up your hard work, maybe YOU’LL be lucky enough to WIN!
And of course by “hard work” I mean the suckling of hard dick.
August 8, 2007 at 9:18 pm
CORRECTION:
Dewbey isn’t THE Official Arbiter of Humor…
BUT
The Association of Humor Arbitration recently sent him a membership card, so technically he’s AN Official Arbiter of Humor.
Albeit a low-ranking one destined for license revocation.
November 20, 2007 at 9:57 pm
It’s OFFICIAL.
I downloaded the SImpsons Movie yesterday, and I tried watching it again last night.
I felt I owed it to myself as a DIE HARD Simpsons fan, and because I respect the opinion of my good friend Mattraw.
I say “tried” to watch it last night because I COULDN’T EVEN FINISH IT.
I turned it off because it was SO boring.
I actually didn’t even smile once.
Now I’m sad… A show I used to believe in when I was a kid, and now it’s not real anymore. It’s like finding out there is no santa claus. (or in my case- Judah Maccabee)
What a crime.
November 20, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Dear Dewbey Adams,
No one cares about your diapers.
Regards,
Traws