I used to be near as dammit obsessed with The Simpsons, having initially first become a fan of Americas First Family way back when they first hit our screens back in the late 80's. The show is oftentimes laugh out loud funny and can have moments of genuine emotion. There are also parts that kids can laugh at and follow and jokes that will fly over their heads and land at their parents. There are popular culture references ahoy and some of the characters, both form the family itself and the wider Springfield community have entered our collective consciousness so much that they are a part of our life.
So a couple of years back, when the makers announced they would be doing a film to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show, I was jubilant. I pre-ordered my ticket to be sure of getting in and settled down with baited breath. Actually it was a large bucket of popcorn but I think I'm allowed a little poetic licence eh?
I re-watched this on DVD the other night to get a fresh perspective on it. I have to say that I am more than a little disappointed. The plot revolves around Springfield being declared a disaster zone and being secluded. The Simpsons break out of the quarantine and go on the run. Essentially that's it and if that reads like a normal Simpsons episode being stretched over the length of a feature film then that's exactly what it is and that's exactly why it's a failure.
There are jokes, and there brilliant moments but, and this is crucial, they could have all been fitted into a normal Simpsons episode. The rest of the movie is filler and subplots that go nowhere. There are hordes of Simpsons characters and as such, not everyone will get screentime but they could have found expanded roles for Grandpa Simpson, Mr Burns and my own personal favorite, Snake Jailbird.
This movie can now be found for as little as £3 brand new. Save your money and watch one of the earlier episodes for free on Channel 4.
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