Worth the wait.....

Rating: 10/10 (28 July 2007)

Like the Hippocratic Oath which says doctors should "first do no harm", I was just concerned that "The Simpsons Movie" not de-value the legendary Simpsons brand. It not only didn't hurt the brand, it was worth the wait. As, sadly, a grown-up who was 14 when the show started, it boggled my mind seeing Homer 15 feet tall (or whatever it is) on the big-screen. I haven't been excited about an "event" movie for some time but as a long time Simpsons fan, I've been excited about this for six or seven months or whenever I knew it would be here this summer. The first half hour was riotous. Lots of hysterical, sharp, witty one-liners. It was cool seeing a bit of profanity, some humor which would not be cleared for the 1/2 hour every Sunday. I really don't want to post a detailed summary of what I saw and enjoyed, suffice it to say that I think the writers captured the rhythm of humor which is necessitated by a plot which has been extended from a half-hour base. The humor satisfied everyone. The kids loved the broad, physical, visual humor while of course the additional levels of humor which make the Simpsons such a widely respected institution on television, along with the pratfalls and the visual comedy, kept the older teens and adults laughing. I think finding fault with this movie is really an exercise in pettiness. I don't know how such a legendary program could have been better adapted for the big-screen.