What a Bargain!

Rating: Null/10 (27 July 2007)

These are the simple facts: "The Simpsons" is a TV series - with 400 episodes over 18 years - not on special cable, not at a premium. It's free.
"The Simpsons Movie" requires paid attendance. It is not free.
Who would you think in all of Hollywood would handle a "situation" like this by making a clean breast of it. Or even taunt the audience, foolish enough to pay for something available for free? But behold, it's good old, dumb, obnoxious, lovable Homer Simpson himself, looking down from the movie screen, jabbing a finger at the audience and yelling: "SUCKERS!" You can't help sharing his delight, laughing at your own gullibility.
But are you really being taken advantage of? Not by a long shot. "The Simpsons Movie" is well worth the price of admission (if not the outrageous prices at the concession stand). For Simpsons fans, the movie is nirvana; for the unfortunate rest of humanity, at least a therapeutic exercise in extreme giggles. ("Others" include the considerable portion of the fan base that dropped the viewing habit on Sundays.)
And yet, even from the viewpoint of this obvious fan, the movie doesn't have the punch of some of the best TV episodes. There are two reasons for that, one obvious, one complex. It's easy to see how the belly-shaking impact of a half-hour program (minus commercials), such as the family's trips to Japan and South America, could not be replicated over an ad-free 90 minutes. (Actually, the movie sneaks in a commercial, and then gloats over it.)
The other issue is a matter of speculation. Interview after interview with the Simpsons creators and cast stressed how much more work went into the movie than into TV episodes, preparations for the film spreading over years. They might have tried a bit too hard, instead of the easy, elegant charm of the best of the series.
Beyond such belly-gazing, the story of Homer's environmental crime and attempts to rescue Springfield from the consequences (EPA acting as Homeland Security on steroids) begins splendidly, the first half of the film bouncing from laugh to laugh. Things slow down a bit in the second half, but at no point does the "Simpsons Movie" justify giving director David Silverman, series creator Matt Groening, and Supreme Simpsonite James L. Brooks a wedgie. (Although it would be fun, ha-haaa!)