Spring Break
David Manley reviews the Simpsons Movie
David Manley
Issue date: 8/24/07 Section: Features
The plot in and of itself is only slightly disjointed, breaking off enough to give equal screen time to all of the major Simpsons players. While some plot elements are lost and forgotten about, the underlying narrative is cohesive enough to where it is unlikely anyone will get confused. On the whole, the story plays out like a two-part Simpsons' episode and could have easily been such. It is, however, unlikely to disappoint audiences.
With a few minor exceptions, every character maintains the role fans will have come to know and love from the series. While the Simpson family occasionally falls into some old habits that past episodes of the show had supposedly cured them of, the context of the movie made such stretches believable enough to maintain a suspension of disbelief. An endless cache of cameos of other minor Simpsons characters is likely to keep avid fans of the series glued to their seats and the new characters are welcome additions.
One of the major selling points of the movie addressed in the trailers and teasers was the fact that the animation was traditional. Actually, there was plenty of computer animation involved, but only to enhance the hand-drawn art. In a cinema world filled with computer-generated animals, superheroes and overall an abundance of pixilated protagonists, this film provided a welcome relief to the trend.
The epic orchestral soundtrack- courtesy of Hans Zimmer, seemed oddly out of place for the film. While the tone of the music suited any given situation, the depth and expanse of the orchestra seemed to take away from the humble feel one tends to get while watching an animated sitcom on-screen. The soundtrack is beautiful, yes, but perhaps it would have been better toned down a notch or two.
Mentioned above was the idea that some writers feel compelled to see what they can and cannot get away with when not under the constraints of public television. Such ventures include more adult language, themes and situations, and while the writers might go overboard here and there, their take on certain tired old jokes make them new and refreshing in a disturbing sort of way. All things considered, it is the same old Simpsons humor with the gloves taken off which is far from a negative thing.
As a stand-alone movie, The Simpsons is a marginal animated comedy. Much of its strength lies in familiarity with it's source material, and while one does not necessarily need to have seen the television series or know it well in order to enjoy the movie, those who have can fully appreciate The Simpsons Movie for what it may well be: The final hurrah for a beloved landmark in primetime television.
With a few minor exceptions, every character maintains the role fans will have come to know and love from the series. While the Simpson family occasionally falls into some old habits that past episodes of the show had supposedly cured them of, the context of the movie made such stretches believable enough to maintain a suspension of disbelief. An endless cache of cameos of other minor Simpsons characters is likely to keep avid fans of the series glued to their seats and the new characters are welcome additions.
One of the major selling points of the movie addressed in the trailers and teasers was the fact that the animation was traditional. Actually, there was plenty of computer animation involved, but only to enhance the hand-drawn art. In a cinema world filled with computer-generated animals, superheroes and overall an abundance of pixilated protagonists, this film provided a welcome relief to the trend.
The epic orchestral soundtrack- courtesy of Hans Zimmer, seemed oddly out of place for the film. While the tone of the music suited any given situation, the depth and expanse of the orchestra seemed to take away from the humble feel one tends to get while watching an animated sitcom on-screen. The soundtrack is beautiful, yes, but perhaps it would have been better toned down a notch or two.
Mentioned above was the idea that some writers feel compelled to see what they can and cannot get away with when not under the constraints of public television. Such ventures include more adult language, themes and situations, and while the writers might go overboard here and there, their take on certain tired old jokes make them new and refreshing in a disturbing sort of way. All things considered, it is the same old Simpsons humor with the gloves taken off which is far from a negative thing.
As a stand-alone movie, The Simpsons is a marginal animated comedy. Much of its strength lies in familiarity with it's source material, and while one does not necessarily need to have seen the television series or know it well in order to enjoy the movie, those who have can fully appreciate The Simpsons Movie for what it may well be: The final hurrah for a beloved landmark in primetime television.
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