Year: 2007
Director: David Silverman
Country: US
Language: English
The Simpsons began in 1989, birthing a cultural phenomenon unmatched for animation, making it the longest running comedy program on television just after Saturday Night Live—certainly the longest-running animated series ever. As of right now there have been 28 Seasons, despite the first 13 only really being considered "great", and there are no signs of stopping. Devout fans know creator Matt Groening and producer James L. Brooks have been pushing for a film since the series’ inception, and although this is quite belated, at least it finally hit cinemas.
After Homer accidentally pollutes the town's water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the EPA and the Simpson family are declared fugitives.
I recall episodes similar to this film's plot: when Mr. Burns tries to blot out the sun and his attempted assassination follows, or when Homer exposes the secrets of Springfield’s residents only to be kidnapped by the government for being too dangerous. Here we have a forumlaic not-so-subtle pro-environmentalist picture that is adequately written and fairly sentimental. Most impressive is the animation, which brings out the richness of Springfield's environment and characters.
I appreciate that the movie doesn't shove gags down our throats, unlike most modern comedies. I dislike that the more witty and obscure references from the show are toned down to make this picture more commercial. Instead of an intelligent Hitchcock observation we get...spiderpig. I was 15 at the time this film hit theatres, The Simpsons movie was supposed to appeal to a young audience, but I just found so many moments dull. Groening tries very hard to be "hip", but doesn't win over his intended demographic.
While I've re-watched the show many times throughout the years, heck I just watched some of Season 10 today. I haven't had any desire to revisit The Simpsons Movie. It's alright, nothing to write home about. It isn't as faithful to the show as you might hope, and if you are a big Simpsons fan then you might even be a little disappointed.
No comments:
Post a Comment