Meant more for casual fans than for diehards. Plus, the format just doesn't really work as a movie, I think.

Rating: 6/10 (29 July 2007)

I'm an absolute fanatic of The Simpsons and have been watching it since it was on Tracey Ullman. I grew up with it. I was the exact same age as Bart when the very first episode premiered. Unlike a lot of fans, I've never turned my back on the show. I am not one who thinks each new episode is worse than the last. I do acknowledge that it's long past its peak, but I think almost every new episode is funny enough to be worth seeing. Once in a while, they'll produce an episode that's genuinely fantastic. But, really, I don't demand fantastic. I'll settle for a few good laughs and be at least moderately happy. Now comes The Simpsons Movie, which had been talked about for the last 15 years, at least. Much like when I watch new episodes, I wasn't expecting the movie to be that great. Unfortunately, it fell below even those expectations. It has a few good jokes and moments (the only time I laughed really loud was the Tom Hanks bit), but it doesn't do much right. Those who've long turned their backs on the show like to complain about recycled plot lines. It's true, of course, for pretty much every new episode, but the show has grown more manic and self-referential over time. Many don't like that, either, but I personally do like those kind of jokes. The movie just plods along with a predictable plot that's made up of some of the most basic of all Simpsons plots: Homer and Marge relationship problems, Lisa's environmental concerns, and Bart's loss of faith in his father. None of it here is done with the irony of the newer episodes. It's like it's part of the really early Simpsons, when we hadn't seen these plots a billion times. Except it completely lacks the perfect comic timing of the early seasons. In the end, the movie is only an occasionally amusing affair. Certainly it's worth seeing if you're a fan, but, unless you're the kind of nut I am, you can wait for the DVD.