Release Date: 27 July, 2007
What's It About: The film follows Homer, his family and the people of Springfield as their town is put under threat by the Environmental Protection Agency who want to ostracize the town from the rest of the world.
The Good: Very high production values, very different to the show. The scope of the plot is also much greater and grander, allowing for a fuller character development arc. Luckily this film doesn't need to establish its characters as we already know them well from the series, so there's no time wasted establishing who they are. Instead, there are a couple of new film-only characters, who generally perform in antagonist roles. In short, it's memorably funny and the gags are on par for what viewers may expect, and it has alot more heart and emotion than the series, hearkening it back to its golden age episodes of the nineties.
The Bad: It doesn't really look like a Simpsons episode, which is a shame because I would have preferred that (simply a four-episode long series of events). Instead it has that flash, epic film look and the computer generated animation is very apparent. The characters also feel a little different to normal, more like textbook versions of themselves, which put me off a bit, since I was used to seeing the more casual TV versions of the characters who were more laid back and natural. It feels like the characters know they're in a movie, and are putting on more of a show to compensate.
Best Performance: Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson. At the risk of merely describing Homer's character generally, I want to focus on film-specific Homer for this review. This was made in 2006-7, around the time seasons 17 and 18 were out/coming out. That puts it far behind golden age Homer and a part of newer-age Homer, who wasn't the same Homer. In the film he's a little more obnoxious but also more heroic, and where the series can end an episode without closure and allow Homer's antics to get the better of the other characters, here they need to be resolved, and positively so. Thus, Homer is actually closer to his golden age personality to his later one, which is definitely a good thing.
Should I Watch It: If you're a Simpsons fan, this is basically required viewing. It's full of references to itself and to other works, and it retains its self-aware attitude and style. For new viewers or those who aren't Simpsons people, the film does indeed stand on its own and there's enough in there to laugh at, even if you haven't seen the series. The series is no doubt better (Golden age seasons 4-8), but I liken this to the Who Shot Mr Burns two-episode special, which was new for the format of the show at the time.
Post-Credits Scene: No
Similar Films: Bean, The Ultimate Disaster Film (1997), Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004)
Trailer:
