THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

By
Shannon Onstot
Community Relations Manager
KUNV 91.5 FM
University of Nevada Las Vegas
email: smonstot@yahoo.com


 

 

Simpsons fans rejoice. The new film is not only similar to watching an actual episode, but it’s better in some respects. The animation is better, the storyline isn’t rushed and the jokes are just as snappy. I was surprised and disappointed that with a PG-13 rating, writers didn’t push the envelope or shock audiences as much as they could have.

The town of Springfield has become dangerously polluted because of rampant dumping in the lake. Despite Lisa’s best efforts to make the town wake up to the problem, the pollution gets worse and worse until she fills their drinking glasses with it (ala Erin Brockovich). The town is cleaned, and dumping is strictly prohibited.

Meanwhile, Homer is eating at Krusty Burger one day when he sees that Krusty is about to kill a pig that he’s just used for a commercial. Homer saves it because it looks so cute in people clothes and he turns it into his new baby (and yes, making it walk on the ceiling while he sings “Spider Pig”). The pig creates two problems – first, Bart is neglected and turns to Ned Flanders for fatherly advice and secondly, the pig creates a lot of waste.

Homer begins putting the refuse into the “Pig Crap Silo,” and dumps it in the lake when it overflows despite hundreds of warning signs to prevent dumping. The town is severely polluted once again, so President Arnold Schwarzenegger allows the head of the EPA to enclose Springfield in a dome, and Homer is the only one who can save the town.

I thought the plot and its political statements were a perfect choice for a film rather than an episode. The extra time allowed for real plot development, more conflict, and of course lots of zany side plots. The strength of this film is definitely in its balance between hilarity and serious issues. Nobody is safe when The Simpsons writers have free reign. Nobody is safe. There were some very strong (but hilarious) jabs made at the government, Hollywood, and even the audience.

I was surprised to see how much better the animation was for the film as opposed to the television show, and I’m almost kind of upset that they didn’t bring The Simpsons to the big screen a lot sooner. I also enjoyed that there weren’t a whole lot of new characters or cameo appearances. Writers really focused on the characters that America has come to know and love, but some of the classic characters only had a few moments on screen. I was sad to see the Chief Wiggum, Monty Burns, Smithers, Moe Sislack and Mayor Quimby all had very short roles. The plot really centered on the family, especially Homer.

My biggest disappointment with the film was that it really didn’t use the PG-13 rating to its full advantage. I fully expected more language and the raunchiest of raunchy jokes. The film really is as family friendly as the show is though, and I thought that writers and the director really played it safe. Otherwise, I think they truly stayed faithful to the show, and true fans will appreciate the purity of the film's plot and characters.

Only time will tell whether the show will continue or whether there will be a whole series of Simpsons movies. If Matt Groening and James L. Brooks stay faithful to the empire they’ve created and continue to make movies like this, I have a feeling they’ll be very successful at the box office for a very long time.