no clue blog: no clue movie review: The Simpsons Movie

I must confess that I haven't been watching new episodes religiously like I used to, but I had to see this movie. The Simpsons tv show always delivers the laughs and makes fun of anyone and anything. I always enjoy myself when I watch an episode. And since the show is 18 years old, I have seen a lot of it over the years. I did have my reservations though to see if this would translate into a good movie or if it would feel like an overblown episode that I wished I'd stayed home and watched. I'm happy to report that this stands on its own as a fun movie.

I don't think the movie even needs for you to be a fan of the show. I think you will enjoy it more if you are. The plot is basically outrageous but involves Homer getting a pig and then getting the town encased in a dome from the government based on a pollution problem in Lake Springfield. I don't want to give it away, because there are a bunch of pretty funny scenes that lead up to it. The movie pokes fun at itself, at Hollywood, at the current state of government affairs, and many other things. I laughed quite a bit at this flick and it starts out right away. Homer and Bart deliver the biggest laughs understandably. But there are quite a few residents of Springfield in this flick that we've come to know over the years. Alas, not all make it into the flick. No Apu and some others are missing, but the show's been around a long time and they've built up a massive amount of characters, so it's hard to include them all. This movie has action, adventure, tons of laughs and the plot is definitely big enough to be made for the big screen. The 1 hour 27 minute running time don't seem to drag on at all. It moves along at a very quick pace.

What surprised me the most about this movie is just how touching and a touch of family drama it delivers. There are a few scenes that feature Marge discussing with Homer about their family life, their marriage and his constant screw-ups. I was shocked to see how nicely that fit in and made the film feel whole and not just another episode. Julie Kavner delivers some lines in such a heartfelt manner that you really believe that Marge is frustated and heartbroken all at the same time. It's more based in emotions and drama than in the normal slapstick comedy. I was thrilled to see these characters taken to a differnt place. Bart has a few scenes too where he questions Homer's ability as a father and that he doubts that Homer loves him. Homer even manages to show us that he truly loves his family and cares for them deeply even though he doesn't always show it.

Don't get me wrong, this is a funny movie. It's just that the little dramatic pauses give it an ounce of something else that make it translate into a bigger screen. They even manage to squeak in environmental issues in there for us all to chew on.

I highly recommend this movie and you will really enjoy it. If you are a fan of the series from any point in the last 18 years, you should go see it. You will not regret it. It makes you realize that these are timeless characters that were created and resonate with us for some reason. They are classics and this movie will definitely hold up to repeated viewing. Even if you're not a fan of the series, you would probably enjoy it. But I guess I have a hard understanding why you wouldn't be a fan at some point.