Twenty Years In The Making

Inevitably, the question that will be asked about The Simpsons Movie isn't necessarily "Is it good?", but more likely "Why? Why now?"

But The Simpsons is more than just an animated TV series. It has become an American institution (why else would there be long lines outside all the 7-11s that became Kwik-E-Marts in one of the most fun promotional gimmicks ever). The family has been with us since April of 1987 (when they first appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show) and have lasted through over 400 episodes not because of the jokes (which even when they're not funny are still funnier than most other "jokes" on TV today), not because of the supporting cast (which has grown HUGE over the years), but because of the archetypical family members that can appeal to all of us.

It is the family dynamic that has been the engine that runs this show. For all his stupidity, for all his loveable faults, Homer Simpson exemplifies the selfish part of all of us that we do our best to surpress at times...yet at the end of the day, he always realizes his faults, does his best to grow from them (until the next episode of course) and remains a faithful husband and loving father. And the rest of the family play their parts as well (Marge is the anchor, Lisa the idealist, Bart the anarchist and Maggie the voice of reality -- and I know the last one sounds funny since she rarely speaks, but think about her reactions to the antics of the others).

It is this dynamic that some may have forgotten about over the course of 18 seasons which have had "terrifying lows, dizzying highs, and creamy middles" (to quote Homer). When the show is good, it is the best show on TV. You don't last this long if you're not. When the show is bad, its still good...just off the mark. The last eight seasons have had more moments than the previous ten combined. But the episodes that work best focus on the family. And they are what is at the heart and soul of The Simpsons Movie. Everything else is just garnish (of course, lovable garnish).

There is little new to the film and this may be where the "why" comes into play. Why make the movie if there is nothing new in the film? Why not? The creators have used the bigger screen to paint a bigger canvas. Do they use it to the same advantage that South Park did when it went "wide"? No...of course not. That's comparing apples and oranges. South Park has always been about getting across a message through crass jokes. The Simpsons is always about exploring family dynamics (sometimes we just have to extend the definition of "family").

There are a few boundary pushes in this PG-13 film. Homer gives the town the finger, Bart dangles his doodle for all to see, Marge actually says "G-d damn" (which threw my wife because Marge has never said that before). All of the major supporting players get at least some screen time (with the exceptions of Sideshow Bob and aliens Kang & Kodos -- whom I suspect will wind up on a special edition DVD in a cut credits sequence I've read about). The film never feels long and never outstays its welcome. It feels just right.

The film starts with a great poke at the audience (and should be seen in theaters because here's a film where the communal experience greatly enhances things...we had a wonderful audience of kids and adults at the matinee we saw and they were all into it). From there its a non-stop riot from start to finish (and by finish I mean stay to the very end of the credits otherwise you'll miss a few more jokes). The story centers around Homer basically turning Springfield into the most toxic city in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency encases the town in a dome. The town turns on Homer. The family escapes to Alaska. There they discover that the government is actually going to destroy Springfield. The family then has to go back and save everyone from death, but not before leaving Homer behind to have an epiphany on why he should bother.

As I said, there's little new here. Homer's screwed up the town before. The family's been driven from town before. The government has been shown to be evil or incompetent before (though not on this scale...well at least in the show...real life is a different matter). How many times has Homer brought home a new pet only to have bad things happen because of it? How many times has Lisa fallen in love with another like-minded person? How many times has Bart turned to Flanders as the model father he believes he wants? How may times has Marge left Homer because of his selfishness?

In twenty years all of this has happened at least once before. But even in its repetition, the movie doesn't feel stale or old. Its as funny as many of the best episodes of the show in its prime.
Like any good movie that comes from a different medium with a built-in fan base, if you like The Simpsons, then you'll like The Simpsons Movie. If you don't, then you won't. Its that simple.

I'll be back in a days.

Be seeing you.