Surprisingly plot driven, unsurprisingly, very funny...

Rating: 7/10 (27 July 2007)

Eighteen years after The Tracy Ullman Show the longtime creators of The Simpson's cannot be expected to create an hour and a half of brilliance when they've only tried this plot in 22 minute slots. The film reads much like the plot of every Simpson's episode you've ever seen (saying 'I've never seen an episode right now would be un-American). Homer does something that creates a problem, it tests his family's love for him, he does something ever dumber to prove his love and everyone learns something. This time Homer dumps his pig feces silo into the lake and creates major problems for Springfield. The plot, surprisingly, holds out for the duration of the film, it's nothing special, but it doesn't fail like most adult- cartoon films (See Family Guy: The Stewie Griffin Story or Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters). Best of all the film remains consistently funny. The first half hour is a non-stop barrage of jokes (including possibly the greatest Simpson's song ever, "Spider- Pig), after that the jokes thin in an attempt to keep the plot from treading water. But it holds up. In typical Simpson's fashion there are a few guest stars in the film, but they keep it to a minimum so they film doesn't begin to feel more like a reminiscence of the last eighteen seasons. It's more or less a lengthy episode; they don't even really abuse their ability to do things that they are unable to on TV. A little bit of enhanced animation, a 'god-damn,' a middle finger and Bart's penis sufficed. It is easily the best of the new adult-cartoon features that are appearing. And it's good enough to keep the audience excited over the prospect of a sequel, which is all but promised during the closing credits of the film.