'The Simpsons Movie' Reviewed
Show business is a fickle industry. As the appearance of the 20th Century Fox logo officially kicked off the long-awaited, highly anticipated Simpsons movie, the raucous Friday-night audience erupted in applause. But even for a series as accomplished as "The Simpsons", its iconic reputation could not win over the audience alone. The movie had to deliver, and with an all-star writing ensemble fully aware of the film's magnitude and delicacy, there were certainly reasons to raise expectations. But how high? The cartoon's inconsistency in recent seasons has been analyzed at length by fans, so despite accentuated expectations, the doubts and concerns that the movie would embrace contemporary flaws were indismissible. All was finally revealed worldwide on July 27.
To diehard and casual Simpsons fans alike, "The Simpsons Movie" should be an overwhelmingly enjoyable experience, and for a movie that could have taken any number of quality directions, perhaps that is the greatest complement the film can receive. The entire movie, but in particular the first 15 minutes, was densely packed with gags. Jokes and one-liners were fired at a pace faster than a classic-era episode, and while the gags never dethroned the show's finest moments from a "Deep Space Homer" or "Last Exit to Springfield", they came surprisingly close. The writing was as sharp as its been in a decade, and from the opening sequence to the closing credits, all five Simpson family members were in perfect characterization. They were real people with real feelings again, and even though the barrage of gags overshadowed character execution, it was the most reassuring element in the entire movie. Marge's emotional epilogue presented around the half-way mark in the movie was delivered with such passion, it is shocking to consider that one of the show's recent complaints has been Julie Kavner's voicing of Marge. The speech was rumoured to have needed nearly 100 takes to perfect the emotional tone, and the end-result is one of the true shining moments in the movie.
Pacing is another widely discussed problem in recent seasons, but was never an issue in the film. Hints towards the plot's crisis was presented immediately, but the writers still allotted time for "The Simpsons" to explore their big screen boundaries early into the movie. The Alaskan scenes could have been extended to articulate life away from Springfield, but their abrupt exit did not hinder the movie's flow. Unlike "Family Guy's" first movie ambition, "The Simpsons Movie" never felt like distinct episodes melded together. The epic nature of the plot was well-suited for the medium, and both writers and directors took full advantage of the new devices that the silver screen presented.
James L. Brooks, the only writer from the credited list of 11 with real movie experience, should receive well-deserved credit for injecting the film with an emotional element. However, the contributions from another Brooks should not be overlooked. Albert's portrayal as the movie's villain generated some of the film's biggest laughs, and his rapid-fire delivery was again in perfect form.
With "The Simpsons" movie debut, the series successfully reminded fans just why they are the greatest cartoon of all-time. While its crown has been 'challenged' by "South Park" or "Family Guy", sparking endless internet debate, the movie should end the controversy once and for all -- no other cartoon even comes close. The swap of church-goers with barflies, Frink's dome-escaping device located just outside the dome, the Disney spoof, the suicidal bomb squad robot, even Tom Hanks' cameo all articulate the creative humour that has earned the series superstar status. After 18 seasons, over 400 episodes, hundreds of laughs and hours of enjoyment, perhaps "The Simpsons" didn't owe fans anything. Thankfully, to the Simpsons following that has stood by the show for nearly two decades, can recite episodes line for line, and could even trump the show's writers at a Simpsons trivia contest, they were rewarded with something very special.
By Jason Levy
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