To coin a phrase: It's OK, but I like their old stuff better...

Rating: 7/10 (27 December 2010)

Ahhhh, The Simpsons, 20+ years and still going strong... well still going anyway.
I think breaking point for me came when I recently felt strongly enough about a new episode that I rang a friend to tell him that the new Simpsons episode was actually very good. That's depressing when you think about it, especially considering that I've been watching it (and loving it) since Day 1. It's been maybe 10 years since I could make that call and mean it.
So after nearly 20 years they decide to announce a movie at last, or realistically 10 years after at last. Once it finally did arrive though the film was pretty good, better than I expected early on... but as I will point out again and again momentum just couldn't last.
Thanks to Homer (of course) Springfield has become the most polluted city in America, in an update on Escape from New York it is "domed off" with a giant glass object from which there is apparently no escape. The inhabitants of Springfield are - as the creator of the dome puts it - trapped like carrots.
It is the events leading up to the doming and subsequent escape that showed the most promise. All of the show regulars were shown but many seemed underutilised (Burns and Smithers get maybe 1 minute total). There are some quality jokes to be had, mostly due to Homer's lack of parenting skills and people getting hurt. There is also some full Bartal nudity.
The guest star (if you can have one in a film, and I'm saying you CAN!) is Russ Cargill, the boss of the Environmental Protection Agency who places the dome to protect the Earth. He is voiced by Albert Brooks (Marlin himself!) and he gets most of the best lines in the movie, including the "trapped like carrots" one mentioned earlier.
Unfortunately though what ensues is strongly reminiscent of the show's lifespan so far;
* Great start.
* Homer gets most of the laughs.
* Marge is the voice of reason and the bringer of down.
* Lisa has a subplot that goes nowhere.
* Show runs out of momentum halfway and we must realise the best is behind us.
In fact I can now pinpoint the exact moment that the movie loses it...
35 minutes. Simpson family escapes the dome, Cargill orders around the clock surveillance, has a soft/tuff guy rant and admits to being drunk with power. It is a brilliant 30 seconds, unfortunately nothing after it comes close to being as good.
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The Simpsons are pariahs in their own town and flee to Alaska, only once happily ensconsed in Palin's backyard they find out that Cargill has started to doubt his own dome and has a far more severe and permanent Plan B in mind for Springfield.
Marge and the kids set off to save the day while Homer searches for a deeper truth... which he finds when he meets a lady with giant boobs. Aren't they always the answer.
In truth Giant boob-lady is just gimmicky and tacky, the Lisa's new admirer bit was a waste of time aside from giving her a few minutes screen time and Marge has little to do in the film aside from doubt her marriage.
The first half was actually pretty great even if the only thing the dopey and impressionable remember is Spiderpig. If you watched the second half in isolation as two 20 minute episodes you would go away very unimpressed.
I still love The Simpsons, but boosting the first half of a film is a little like cheering when your sports team loses narrowly to a better opponent. An honourable defeat, but a defeat nonetheless. Despite that even though this is by no means classic it has enough good jokes and even sub-par Simpsons is still funny.
Final Rating - 7.5 / 10. All the bagging and a 7.5? As I said, average Simpsons is still pretty good. If you like The Simpsons: You will laugh. You will very likely enjoy this. (It just isn't a patch on Season 3 through say 8.)