It's a hell of a town!

Rating: 7/10 (26 July 2007)

The Simpsons have broken records, broken boundaries, and have kept us laughing for close to two decades. It paved the way for animated programming geared towards an older audience. Without The Simpsons, there would be no South Park, no Family Guy, and the word "D'oh!" would not have been entered into the Oxford English Dicionary.
In that span of time they have had a slew of awards, video games, board games, fan clubs, clothing, but never a movie. It took Matt Groening and his team of creators 18 years and nearly four hundred episodes before The Simpsons Movie lit up the theatre marquee.
Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and all of the citizens of Springfield, USA have taken the big screen by storm and in a big way. We find America's favorite dysfunctional family in the midst of an environmental crisis. The town lake is being polluted to the brink of ecological collapse. Only if the town bands together will the problem be solved.
Of course, it doesn't work out. Homer inevitably puts the entire town at risk of total destruction and the EPA along with President Schwartzenegger must come in and solve the problem so as to not disturb the rest of the country.
The usual "Simpsonian" plot ensues where Homer thinks he does the right thing but actually doesn't. Bart loses faith in Homer and looks for guidance elsewhere. Lisa has fallen in love with someone who fights for what she believes in. Maggie sucks her pacifier. Marge must bring everyone back to reality so the family can save the day.
So what is the big deal? Other than the fact that it is the first Simpsons movie, the story is decent enough and entertaining enough to sit down and enjoy. It doesn't go on too long and the writing is really funny. It seems that the writing staff really took there time on this project, seeing as they didn't have to do it for next Sunday's FOX lineup. The jokes are timed perfectly and the material is fresh.
One thing that I was afraid of was that the film would be overrun with cameo appearances seeing as it would be cool to do a voice in The Simpsons Movie. Fortunately, there are only a few, and those few are well placed and well executed.
Whether or not there will be another Simpsons movie or not, who knows. There are some elements of the film that make it seem like this would more than likely be the end of the series, but what will life be like without the Simpsons? They can't just live in syndication and DVD sets, can they? That day will ultimately come, but it doesn't have to be right now.
The Simpsons Movie puts the charge back into the series. From start to finish, it's a heck of a good time. You'll laugh until you cry. Besides, how can a movie with Spider-Pig be bad?