Not a return to the glory days unfortunately

Rating: 5/10 (7 June 2015)

In the 90s "The Simpsons" was the funniest, most original cartoon ever. It was always going to be difficult for "The Movie" to recapture the glory days and it doesn't do that. It seems like nothing more than an extended TV episode of latter day "Simpsons".
"The Simpsons Movie" was apparently edited heavily, and Kelsey Grammar, Minnie Driver, Isla Fisher and Erin Brockovich all had their scenes cut out. But it is still ponderous.
Some inhabitants of Springfield have only very brief cameos if at all (Mr Burns, Moe, Sideshow Bob, Principal Skinner, Skinner's mother, Apu, Groundskeeper Willie, Millhouse's parents). The new characters like the Irish kid Colin, are irritating.
The plot is facile, concerning a giant dome put on Springfield to hold in the pollution and the government intending to blow up the city to get rid of it. And the whole Alaska section was weak. What made the Simpsons great was its subtle satire. The movie is like a parody of itself, the same kind of stupid sitcom it once made fun of. Replacing Alf Clausen's usual score with Hans Zimmer is also a mistake. The straightforward orchestral treatment for the show is very distracting.
Having said all that there are some good lines (Bart: It's the worst day of my life. Homer: It's the worst day of your life so far) and some good visuals (nude skateboarding). But you'd get more fun, and save a lot of time, by watching any episode from the first eight series.