Susan Granger’s review of “The Simpson Movie” (20th Century-Fox)
So the lights go down and Homer Simpson says, “I can’t believe we’re paying to see something we could see at home on TV for free. Everyone in this theater is a big sucker!”
What’s it all about? Well, let’s see.despite Grandpa’s ominous warning, Homer falls in love with a pig, dares son Bart to skateboard naked through town, ignores environmental pleas from daughter Lisa and wife Marge’s disapproval and becomes a prime polluter, potentially dooming his hometown of Springfield, located somewhere near Ohio, Nevada, Kentucky and Maine. Meanwhile, Lisa falls in love with an Irish boy named Colin and baby Maggie says her first word. (Nah, I’m not going to tell you what it is.) And somewhere towards the end, Homer has an epiphany (look it up) with an Inuit in Alaska.
After 18 television seasons and 400 episodes, America’s most irreverent dysfunctional family has finally made it to the big screen – and, yes, it’s worth the price of admission.
Amusement comes in many forms, beginning with Ralph Wiggum standing on the 20th Century Fox logo singing along with the company fanfare and continuing through Arnold Schwarzenegger as President of the United States: “I’m here to lead, not to read.”
Director David Silverman and his gang of writers make the most of the vocal talent – Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith, as the family and various neighbors, along with characters created by Hank Azaria, Henry Shearer, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, plus cameos by Albert Brooks and Tom Hanks. While it drags a bit in spots, they’re few and far-between. Mostly, it’s really funny. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Simpsons” is a cleverly conceived, subversive 9, certainly the best Simpsons Movie – so far.
