The Simpsons quickly became a very popular show once it started to air in 1989. It wasn't until many years later that I started to watch the show because I wasn't able to get FOX at that time. Once I started watching the show, I was quickly hooked and I've picked up the DVD sets as they have been released. I have really been looking forward to seeing The Simpsons Movie for a long time even though I really had no idea what the plot was.
In the last few months, I have seen several trailers and commercials on television for The Simpsons Movie. The trailers did a very good job of not giving away very much information connected to the main plot of the movie. I intend to do the same with this review, and will not share anything too specific about the plot. People who don’t want to know anything about the plot should skip over the next paragraph.
**Minor Plot Discussion** Homer Simpson tended to be oblivious to many things going on around him since he tended to tune out a lot and was easily distracted. Homer had a history of screwing up, but his latest blunder doomed the entire town of Springfield. He then had to figure out how to save the town and redeem himself. **End of Minor Plot Discussion**
I really thought that the plot of The Simpsons Movie was self-contained. The movie didn’t deal with any plots from the television show and things were resolved by the end of the movie. I do think that people who haven’t watched any of the episodes of the television show will be able to enjoy the movie though they may not get why some characters act the way they do. People who have been fans of the show will probably like the movie more than people unfamiliar with the show.
Many of the episodes of the television show have included some subplots along with the main plots. The subplots haven’t always connected to the main plots but the shows still managed to be entertaining. For the movie, there were a few subplots in addition to the main plot. All of the subplots did tie back to the main plot in some way. It wasn’t always clear how things were connected at first, but all that was revealed by the end of the movie. The movie really wasn’t complicated even with the subplots. The things that happened in the movie remained true to what had been established over the course of the television show and it was believable that the characters did what they did.
The Simpsons Movie was very funny and made me laugh throughout the movie. The same type of humor that has been used in the television show was utilized for the movie. That meant there were a lot of silly things happening and even some gross type of humor. A lot of humor has always come from the things that Homer said or did - including being involved in accidents - and this movie wasn’t any different. It would have seemed odd if the type of comedy was drastically changed. I had seen some of the funny moments in different trailers, but thankfully they didn’t show the funniest parts. There were many more humorous moments in the movie and I think the funniest things weren’t in any of the different trailers. The movie wasn’t loaded down with tons of pop culture references like has happened in other movies even though it did poke some fun at two other big summer movies. There were a few cute things that popped up during the credits, and even something at the very end, that were funny too. Nothing major happened, but I’m glad I stayed to see it.
The television show has been aimed at adults as much as children and actually some things about it aren’t the most appropriate for younger children. There would be some things that were more adult in nature without being too graphic. The Simpsons Movie went a bit further than the television show has been able to do. Things were a little more suggestive, which was a big part of why the movie was rated PG-13. Just because it is animated doesn’t mean that this movie is for children of all ages. There was even a bit of nudity in one scene that showed way more than I ever expected. Parents of young children, especially girls, may not want their children to see that. That part could lead to a lot of questions. I really think that part was the main reason for the rating since there really wasn’t that much swearing.
The animation had the same look as the television show overall. There was something that was different without really changing how the characters looked. There were shadows used on all the characters, something that hasn’t been done on the show. It was a small thing and I think that was what cause the small difference in how things looked. The animation was well done even though it wasn’t anything like what Pixar does. The use of the bright colors that has been used in the television show continued, though they did seem slightly less vibrant.
Since The Simpsons has been on for so many years, the show has had the time to fully develop the main characters as well as introduce all sorts of smaller, supporting characters. There really wasn’t much in the way of character development because of that. That didn’t bother me any since I’m already so familiar with the characters. People who don’t really know the characters might feel differently. Unfortunately, many characters didn’t get the chance to do much. It would have been nice if some of them had more to do, but I understand why they didn’t. The movie would have had to have been much longer to fit everyone in. There were some scenes that showed many characters. It was nice to see so many of the well-known characters even though they didn’t get the chance to say much, if anything.
The immediate members of the Simpson family were the main characters like they have been in the show. Homer demonstrated yet again that he is far from the brightest or sharpest crayon in the box. He loved his family, but he was frequently distracted by all sorts of things. Marge loved her husband and put up with a lot from him. Bart and Lisa both had some things to deal with and baby Maggie managed to do some helpful things. Two new characters turned up, with Russ Cargill being in more of the movie. He was very involved in the main plot. One well-known actor turned up as himself in one scene.
The same group of actors that has provided the voices for the characters on the television show also did the voices for this movie. Hank Azaria, Dan Castellaneta, and Harry Shearer all voice several characters, including main and smaller supporting characters. A few people, like Yeardly Smith and Marcia Wallace, only did voices for one character. I really liked that all the voice actors from the show were involved in the movie. It would have been very strange for voices of well-known characters to have changed. Albert Brooks did a very good job with the voice of Russ Cargill.
Main Voice Talent
Hank Azaria - Professor Fink/Comic Book Guy/Moe/Chief Wiggum/Carl/Cletus/Bumblee Man/Apu/Sea Captain Albert Brooks - Russ Cargill Nancy Cartwright - Bart Simpson/Maggie Simpson/Ralph/Nelson/Todd Flanders Dan Castellaneta - Homer Simpson/Grandpa/Itchy/Barney/Krusty the Clown/Mayor Qumiby/Sideshow Mel/Santa's Little Helper Pamela Hayden - Milhouse Van Houten/Rod Flanders Julie Kavner - Marge Simpson/Patty/Selma Tess MacNeille - Colin/Mrs. Skinner/Nelson’s Mother Joe Mantegna - Fat Tony Maggie Roswell - Helen Lovejoy Harry Shearer - Scratchy/Mr. Burns/Rev. Lovejoy/Ned Flanders/Lenny/Principal Skinner/Dr. Hibbert/Smithers Yeardly Smith - Lisa Simpson Russi Taylor - Martin Marcia Wallace - Edna Krabappel
David Silverman - Director
The Simpsons Movie was very funny and entertaining. I really enjoyed the movie and feel that it remained true to the series. Fans of the show should enjoy this movie. It is definitely worth seeing. Fans of Groening's other show, Futurama, may also enjoy the movie.
Homer accidentally causes an environmental catastrophe which could doom Springfield forever. Homer now must save the city and rescue his family. Sprin...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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