The Simpsons Movie

Rated PG-13 for: irreverent humor throughout

Running time: 1 hr, 26 min

Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer

Rating: Three stars [out of four]

In theatres now



Ok, before I begin this review, let me make one thing clear: I don't like The Simpsons.

Not anymore, anyway. I'm one of those "overly cynical" fans who truly believe that the show began its downhill slide somewhere around the ninth season, and now remains but a shell of what it used to be.

In its heyday, The Simpsons was the best comedy on television. I'd even go so far as to say that those early episodes still remain the best comedy ever to hit the tube. Ever. It was witty, funny, socially conscious and sharply intelligent to a fault. The early Simpsons was layered with joke upon joke, which made repeat viewings almost a necessity.

It was, at the beginning, a show for adults that kids could enjoy. After all, not too many kids [or adults, for that matter] could understand the humor behind a joke like Mr. Burns saying, "Schindler and I had a lot in common, you know. We both made shells for the Nazis, but mine worked, damnit!" THAT is smart comedy.

Then something happened. The show started catering less to adults and much more toward children. Biting social commentary and jokes that you actually had to think about to understand were replaced by Homer falling down. A lot. And much, much more low-brow humor. All the ingredients that made The Simpsons a show for smart grown-ups went the way of the dodo, and pretty soon the show became just another run-of-the-mill comedy, bland to a degree I never thought I'd see it slip to.

As a fan who had watched the show since its debut in 1989, who had grown up with it, who was finally getting to the age where I could really appreciate the jokes I didn't get when I was younger, this was heartbreaking.

So, when I heard news that they were going to be making a movie, the emotion was bittersweet: this is something I had been looking forward to for nearly eighteen years, and yet the realistic part of me was skeptical that anything good could come of this.

So, for all you cynics out there, I have some good news for you. I was fully prepared to write a scathing review, ready to rip this thing to shreds, if need be. But you know what? Believe it or not, it doesn't suck. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that it's, GASP!...actually pretty good.

No, it isn't nearly as good as the classic episodes of the show, but it's heads and tails above the new episodes.

Credit that with the brilliant idea of bringing back many, many writers from the classic era of the show, and director David Silverman, a veteran of the show and co-director of the feature "Monsters, Inc.," who does a terrific job here of bringing the world's most beloved television family to the big screen.

The story doesn't really matter too much [I mean, let's face it, most people are either going to see this or not either way, right?] but I'll give you a brief synopsis, anyway.

Springfield realizes that it has a major problem with pollution in its town. They actually act like responsible human beings [for once in their existence] and take measures to set things right. Then, of course, our bumbling hero Homer manages to screw it all up [I won't ruin it for you by telling you how, except to say that it involves a pig.]

So, an evil politician [played by the always reliable Albert Brooks] convinces President Arnold Schwarzenegger [yes, you read that right] to quarantine the entire town, lest they bring their polluting ways into the rest of the world.

And then things, inevitably, get much, much worse.

I'll leave the details of the plot there, to avoid spoiling the surprises to come.

The movie is actually pretty funny, even if the ratio of good jokes to terrible is a bit off. For every moment I laughed, there were three where I just sat there, not even managing a smile.

But, you know what? Who cares. The movie pulled off a miracle considering the state of the show today: it actually managed to be funny. Yes, it is entirely missing the edge that made the classic episodes so good. Gone are the jokes about Winston Churchill and a shoddy education system. Gone are the hilarious moments like Troy McClure making an educational film about the wonders of a meat factory.

A little too low-brow for its own good, perhaps, but the movie manages to pull itself out of the pit that is the newer seasons. And, beyond actually being funny, the story itself is pretty darn good, all things considered. And, the best news of all, it actually doesn't feel like three seperate episodes tacked together, but one solid, hour and a half plot.

The animation is also stepped up a notch here. Kudos go to David Silverman, who managed to bring much more depth and enormity to the town of Springfield. This, too, is bittersweet though: the small scale of the show has a certain charm lacking in the grand scale of the movie. But, it is, after all, a movie, and they certainly had to up the ante, which I can understand and forgive.

In the end, I really feel that this is a movie everyone can enjoy, no matter your level of Simpsons geekdom. For the hardcore cynics out there, rest assured that it's passable entertainment. If you try not to focus too hard on what's missing from the past, you'll walk away satisified. For the average fan- you know, the one who has a life- who is a bit less skeptical, The Simpsons Movie will be a fun, entertaining romp, even if it isn't exactly groundbreaking.

One last note here: be sure to stay during the entirety of the [admittedly long] ending credits or you'll miss three or four [yes, you read that right] surprises.

And, hell, I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but- bring on the sequel.