Best comedy of 2007 (so far)

Rating: 9/10 (13 August 2007)

No other movie this year has had this sort of anticipation. The movie based on the biggest, funniest and most popular cartoon of the past three or four generations. After the series began it's 22 minute prime-time broadcasting, it grew in popularity and immediately the fans began talking about a possible movie creation. The producers themselves of the show have suggested it to themselves two or three times before, but the idea has always been shrugged off. So finally in 2003, they decided again, but this time it stuck. Much was kept tight-lipped, but they did let slip some screens of storyboards, voices, synopsis and then finally trailers featuring finished content for the movie. Simpsons pandemonium swept up everyone, as 7-11s turned into Kwik-E-Mart's, various American Springfields' battled each other for the premiere spot of the movie and everyone was heading back down to the theatres, despite the holidays being over. So, does The Simpsons Movie stack up to what was anticipated, does it please this young Simpson fan, is it just a great comedy animation in general? Yes. The Simpsons Movie is pretty much everything. It is not disappointing, it appeals to Simpsons fans and it is easily the best comedy of the year, beating out the mediocre Epic Movie, Hot Fuzz, Mr. Bean's Holiday and Knocked Up. The Simpsons Movie is also most definitely in the top ten funniest films in the past decade. It's back to comedic basics. It just tries to make you laugh and works perfectly, in timing, voicing, animation and delivery. It can be argued that their aren't enough jokes in the movie, or that some of the jokes are awkward or don't work as well as they should, but there are definitely plenty of jokes in the movie that work perfectly. The jokes also appeal to a mass of people. The slapstick (or just people getting hurt) is always the kids' favourite moments, the satirical jabs work for teenagers and the family issues and hilarity of how the characters act and react appeals to the older audiences. It really is hard to go into this movie and not laugh.
The main complaint (if any) from mainly the fans is the lack of attention on some of the off-side, but popular characters, such as Moe, Mr. Burns, Apu, Chief Wiggum, whom get limited screen-time in the movie. This is true, as the movie focuses more on the actual Simpson characters, as well as a few new faces. These non-Simpson Simpson characters aren't in the movie that much, but when they are, it's a real treat. Not to mention all the characters that they remembered to put in the movie such as the Sea-Captain, Drederick Tatum, Ralph, Sideshow Mel, Kearney, Jimbo, Dolph, Nelson, Milhouse, Martin, Reverend Lovejoy, Principal Skinner, Barney, Itchy, Scratchy, Smithers, Professor Frink, Lou, Eddy, Gabbo, Dr. Nick, Dr. Hibbert, Grandpa Abe. That's just scraping the barrel of the bowl, so who's to say there aren't enough Simpson characters in the Simpsons movie. Onto the Simpsons characters themselves, Homer is the (very) main character here, with the story revolving very much around him. Not only does he conclude the conflict, but he also created the conflict as well. The rest of the family become more and more detached from him after he takes them all to Alaska after he pretty much destroys Springfield. Marge, despite sticking with Homer throughout so many ordeals in the show, feels very much unobliged to stick with him when he does not want to save Springfield from being properly destroyed. Bart no longer sees Homer as a fit father figure and throughout the movie continuously muses over the idea of having their neighbour Flanders as a more appropriate father. Lisa doesn't seem to be in this movie as much as the family, apart from the beginning and end when she tries to get the apathetic Springfield to react to the pollution in Lake Springfield and falls in love with a boy who is trying to do the same. The only Simpson character that sticks with Homer is the baby Maggie. Not to give too much away, but it's more than once in this movie does she save Homer's life.
The Simpson Movie praises on being good ol' 2-D, in contrast to the furious swarm of 3-D movies being mass released recently. Despite this, it still manages to make some very impressive animation that excels far further than the television show. There are no longer any boundaries or limitations to what they can offer. In some scenes, it's amazing the amount of characters, landscape or objects are portrayed on the screen. It goes to show that 2-D can be just as amazing as 3-D.
The Simpson Movie lives up to it's anticipations pretty well. Whether you're a die-hard fan, a general fan, like comedy movies or are just going along with someone who is one of the above, you'll most definitely enjoy this movie and laugh out loud a lot. This definitely isn't just a 22 minute episode stretched out to 87 (another complaint is the length of the movie. Too short for this post-Lord of the Ring crowd). This is the real deal. This is the movie we've all be waiting for 15 years. Everything about the show has been movie-fied for the movie. It even includes a lot of breaking of the fourth wall and referencing itself as being a movie (for example, Bart's chalkboard message is "I will not illegally download this movie". This is a great animation, comedy and Simpsons movie. An essential must-see. 8.9/10