A Major Disappointment

Rating: 2/10 (3 August 2007)

After reading some other reviews here on IMDb that likened "The Simpsons Movie" to the glory years of seasons 3-8, I decided to see it myself in theaters yesterday. Unfortunately, I was seriously disappointed with the film on just about every level. Despite the claims made by some of the more overzealous fanboys on IMDb, this is NOT a return to form for the Simpsons. This movie, in fact, is not even as good as the BEST episodes from the new seasons.
If you are expecting this film to expand upon (or simply make decent use of) the Simpsons universe that the die-hard fans know and love, as I was, you will be very upset when the final credits roll. This is really the Homer show, and as other critics have noted, even normally major players like Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Mr. Burns have very little time on screen. The premise is no more grandiose or complex than any Simpsons episode and the development of story is significant less than that of the really good episodes, let alone the true greats. Most of the details of the film feel superfluous and erratic. In other words, the film lacks any real cohesion. It also feels like certain aspects are simply rehashed in an almost parody-like manner from far superior episodes of the series during its prime. I don't want to give away anything, but those of you who watched the show religiously for the past 17 years will find that a lot of the film is highly derivative.
The bottom line is this: The movie doesn't feel like a movie, but rather like an expanded version of one of the newer episodes, and a not particularly funny or coherent episode at that. It doesn't offer anything new or interesting to the die-hard fans and it simply isn't very funny. I went into the theater with a very open mind and was actually quite excited to see the film. I laughed out loud only once during the entire movie and by about the 45 minute mark I was waiting for it to end.
The only positive thing to be said about the film is that the animation was nice, but it was really not much above that of the TV series as it is now. In fact, the computer enhancement reminded me of the episodes of "Futurama" that I had seen.
The only conclusion that I can reach based on the very high scores this film has received on IMDb so far is that for many fans, it is hard to let go of something that was once so great. Unfortunately, this film was just plain awful and it only serves to reinforce every true fan's greatest fear; that the Simpsons has become a shallow parody of a once brilliant work of art.