With 18 seasons behind them on TV, The Simpsons have moved from "what is wrong with America" to an American icon. The show is now the longest running sitcom in U.S. TV history with no end in sight. Now the adventures of everyone's favorite dysfunctional family have been transported to the big screen. The canvas of the story is bigger, but it's still THE SIMPSONS with a colossal mess-up by Homer as the center of the story.
Homer (Dan Castellaneta, who also voices Barney, Grampa, Krusty) adopts a pig, but really doesn't know how to care for it. With Harry Plotter (that's the pig's second name) grabbing his attention, Bart (Nancy Cartwright, who also voices Ralph, Nelson) wishes he had a father who actually paid attention to him, leading him to bond with uber-good-doer Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer, THIS IS SPINAL TAP). When Marge (Julie Karvner) tells Homer to get rid of the silo of pig waste in the backyard, Homer cuts corners in an effort to get free donuts and dumps the silo in Springfield Lake, which pushes the already putrid waters over the edge. This spurs EPA head Russ Cargill (Albert Brooks, DEFENDING YOUR LIFE) to convince President Arnold Schwarzenegger (Shearer) to put a dome around the town of Springfield and plan to turn it into the new Grand Canyon. So in an effort to save himself and his family from an angry mob of Springfield townfolk, Homer packs up Marge, Bart, Lisa (Yeardley Smith, AS GOOD AS IT GETS) and baby Maggie (Cartwright) and heads off to Alaska. But as things get worse in Springfield, can Marge motivate Homer to become a hero?
For the first SIMPSONS feature, many of the former writers came back, which is very evident in the story. To the benefit of everyone, the film skews closer to the more character based stories of the first few seasons more than the pop culture infused satires of more recent years. What this gives the movie is heart. Homer is a screw-up, but we love him nonetheless. So when his family starts to lose faith in him, we connect to his struggle. There is actually a sweat family values message going on here. Take that Waltons!
This being said, the film doesn't shy away from pop culture satire with its overall environmental message and jabs at Gov. Schwarzenegger, Green Day and Tom Hanks. What is truly impressive about the film is how it works in many of the traditions of the show without placing neon signs by them while doing it. It also takes the time to work in some really nice visual references for the die-hard fans that do not alienate the casual or novice viewer. Someone who has been living in a cave for the past two decades could come into this film and not be lost (expect for political and cultural references that they missed while in the cave, but that's what they get for living in a cave, I guess).
David Silverman, co-director of MONSTERS, INC. and veteran SIMPSONS director, does a great job of keeping the pace up and making everything weave together seamlessly. This is an amazing feat considering 11 people are credited on the screenplay with four additional guys listed as consultant writers. I guess this film was truly made by committee, yet is the rare animated film where this didn't turn out to be a disastrous affair.
As for the voice cast, what can you say; they've been working at the top of their game for as long as the show has been on the air. In addition to the previous mentioned regulars, Hank Azaria (TV's MAD ABOUT YOU) as Moe, Comic Book Guy, Apu and Chief Wiggum needs to receive some praise as well. There is also some nice guest star voice work from Brooks, Hanks, Green Day and Joe Mantegna.
Though THE SIMPSONS MOVIE doesn't take it to another level as the SOUTH PARK feature did, what this film does do is bring the TV show back to its roots with a lot more polish. It's a great hybrid of everything that was and is still good about the series. The Simpsons and the greater world of Springfield is a classic collection of characters, which has lasted so long because they are so well developed. TV shows trying to expand to the big screen can be dicey, because they lose the essence of what made them good on the small screen. The first RUGRATS feature comes to mind. THE SIMPSONS MOVIE never fails to be THE SIMPSONS. It gives us everything we love and nothing we don't love. For all intents and purposes it's a longer very good episode of the show. Which for a TV classic like THE SIMPSONS, that's not a bad thing at all.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
