Disappointing.

Rating: 6/10 (26 July 2007)

Movie Review: The Simpsons, 26/07/07
Finally, the wait is over. So, what is the verdict? It was above-average, but not great. Amusing, but not hilarious. Not brilliant, but rather disappointing. Now before you start about how surely, I live in a cave and know nothing about this show, then stop there. I have watched The Simpsons from when it first aired in Australia's screens in 1990, and have even sat through the fairly mediocre 18th season of 2007. I own several seasons on DVD, bought, not burnt, and I have seen every episode there is to see, and heard every commentary there is to hear. I just won a Simpsons Trivia Night; I know every thing there is to know about this show, back to front and sideways. So if you doubt my credentials into reviewing something that I have been waiting for ever since I saw it announced, then you can "Cram it with Walnuts, Pal." But why is it disappointing, I hear you cry? Surely this is the funniest thing to be seen in modern day cinemas? Sorry to burst your bubble, but I think not, and here is why: First off, the amount of effort put into this film is definitely noticeable. What started as crude, barbaric scrawling on the Tracey Ullman Show, have become incredibly detailed, if that can be said about a cartoon, the animation is a definite sight to see on the big screen. What is clear to Simpson fans is the amount of talent that was actually brought back into the show, with David Mirkin, John Swartzwelder and John Vitti all attributing to the script. It immediately pays off: the Swartzwelder zaniness shines through, and the some of the jokes make me think I am watching something from the fabled Golden Era. The funniest scene of the film was ruined by its promotional trailers. "Spider Pig" will be a new catchphrase. Watch as it becomes a ring-tone, message tone, or something someone says to think they are funny. It was funny, but the moment is blatantly ruined now. The major problem with this movie is just that, it is a movie. With so much time to fill, there is so much humour that you are bound to not laugh, miss certain jokes, and even just plain not get them. With a 22 minute episode, the jokes were definitely noticeable, and it was so funny because the episode only contained the best it possibly could, time constraints did not allow otherwise. And that's what we loved about the show. Instead of a full joke-fest, there are moments of tenderness and character building, which I think Matt Groening should be applauded for, instead of just falling into "this is an episode only longer" trick. Sure, it might not work sometimes, but at least he bloody tried it. The few references were also nice, the ambulance near Springfield gorge, to the states that Springfield border (in people's stupidity I heard someone utter: "So that's where Springfield is!" It's not. Every state mentioned does not border the other, it is merely a reference to every state that people swore Springfield was in.) Some moments just had me plain stupefied. Bart's full frontal nudity, albeit blink and you miss it, was blatantly pointless, and only served as a punch line to a crude joke. As people laughed: "Oh my Godyou can see Bart's dick!" I just merely shook my head. Maggie saying "Sequel!" at the end of the end of the credits merely served as a cheap laugh, that wasn't really needed. Because this show has delivered to me an endless amount of quotes, an endless amount of memories, and an endless amount of things to talk about with people I don't even know, I was expecting so much from this film. I wanted it to be the Golden Era reborn. Sure, there were your Mirkin's, your Swartzwelder's and your Vitti's, but where were the Silverman's, the O'Brien's and the Weinstein's? This movie could have, and should have been so much more, but alas, I have realized that the Golden Era is dead. Seasons 4-10 will be forever used as a comparison to every, new Simpson paraphernalia that is produced, be it new shows or a movie. Does this movie hold it's own against episodes such as Homer the Great, Hurricane Neddy and the Secrets of a Successful Marriage? The answer, 100% and surely is, no. This is as good as The Simpsons will ever get again, and it saddens me to say that. It's either onwards and upwards from here or watch as the new series slide deeper into decline. Disappointingly, I think it will be the latter. This movie will be a classic, however. No amount of ranting, talking calmly or brandishing weapons will change that. Even the most deadpan of moments had moron's guffawing. But to the true Simpson fans, they may laugh their way through it as much as the next person, but they will be ultimately, unfulfilled.
Verdict: 6.0/10
Adam Robertson.