As someone who has stood by the Simpsons even in the recent years, when most agree that it's rubbish, there was never much doubt that I'd enjoy The Simpsons Movie, which opened this weekend. Pity my girlfriend, who had to endure standing in line with me on Friday night, listening to me drone on about the first episode I ever saw (that'll be 'Bart the General') and why I know the name of Kent Brockman's accountant (Myron). The show makes me very boring, in a totally fun way. Before I moved to the States, everything I knew about American history was from watching the show, and as such, it was a bad day when I found out that Whacking Day ain't real. Either way, I'd have been there at midnight if they were playing it at my local.
"Oh, please. That could be anyone's silo of pig crap"
Even with the inherent downsides of transferring a twenty minute show into a ninety minute movie (namely, ugh, character development), this didn't detract from the enjoyment. For the idiotic fans like me, there were little things to make us squee - like the sightings of Gabbo, Lurleen Lumpkin, Herman, and particularly Hollis Hurlbut, and if you stay through the credits, there's a nice little nod to the show's mythology, saying "FILMED ENTIRELY ON LOCATION IN SPRINGFIELD, ########" perpetuating the whole 'where is it set' question (Vermont?) Plus there's a jump over Springfield Gorge, and a mid-movie plot point that recalls the episode El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer. Some of the jokes don't work too well - I could do with less physical Homerdy - but the vast majority of them kill. There's a fantastic Green Day 'Titanic' tribute at the beginning. Nice dig at the Fox News Ticker at one point - despite the almost-lawsuit. Really nice dig at Alaska and big oil companies. A very funny cameo from an A-List movie star. Albert Brooks rocking the Hank Scorpio style super-baddie. I could go on.
"If you can find a greasier burger, you must be in Mexico!"
Some people will say that it wasn't worth twenty years' wait, and perhaps it wasn't. But I wasn't waiting for it a feature-length since day one, so I didn't heap expectations upon it. Like I said, I'm biased as a long-time defender of the show, but the big opening weekend and generally solid reviews make me feel vindicated about the film's success. It was probably the most I've laughed at the cinema all year. Recommended highly.
[download Hans Zimmer - The Simpsons Theme]
[buy the soundtrack (US)]
Look at that Yaw Control
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Bart The General was the first one I saw too, back in the days when I'd have to rent videos, or get friends with Sky to tape episodes for me. I can't watch them on Sky again anymore dammit, but it means I get to not be drawn into any arguments about whether it is still as good or not, since I've not seen a new one in ages, thus can blindly argue that it is brilliant.
Thought the movie was good without being great which was much as I'd expected. The one downside is that I've now spent 5 days singing Spider-Pig.
So, wait, Colin was related to Bono, right? RIGHT?