``The Simpsons Movie''
Featuring the voices of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer
Rated PG-13 (some material may be inappropriate for children under 13), 87 minutes
Directed by David Silverman
One might assume the creators of ``The Simpsons'' were d'oh-so wary of making a movie based on the incredibly popular TV show considering it took them almost 20 years to do so.
They certainly had good reason to be circumspect. The show holds the U.S. record as the longest-running sitcom and the longest-running animated program. It was also named by Time magazine as the best television show of the 20th century. In addition, it has won a Peabody Award for excellence in television and received 23 Emmys.
Can you top that - or even live up to that - in the expanded format of a film? The answer, sadly, is no. I say sadly because I adore the TV show. As a recovering television addict - I don't watch much TV anymore - this is the one show I try to catch. Brilliantly written, incredibly smart and consistently irreverent, the show takes delight in lampooning anybody or anything, even its own station. Its pop culture parodies, meanwhile, are priceless. Where most network comedies play it safe, ``The Simpsons'' pushes the envelope.
If only the movie were so bold. One would think that given the freedom to escape network TV restrictions, the filmmakers would skewer with risque gusto. Such is not the case. The television show has been popular because its slapstick and stupid Homer tricks appeal to children, while its authority jabs and cultural jokes appeal to teens and adults.
While the film contains plenty of humor to please both camps, the balance is tilted in favor of children. Perhaps that's the intention - to attract the large youth market. But fans of the show's more mature material might feel they're getting shortchanged. The kids aren't going to get the jokes anyway, so why not take the envelope and, instead of pushing it, tear it up?
One of the problems with taking a TV show and expanding it into a film is the process typically leads to formatting difficulties. Shows that fit comfortably in a half-hour time slot, or even an hour, often don't translate well into film's longer format. The material gets stretched, filler added and the result is usually an overextended mediocrity. Even with a running time of 87 minutes, ``The Simpsons Movie'' has that bloated feeling.
While there are several reasons most films based on TV shows stink, formatting is one of the biggies. ``South Park'' avoided this pitfall by altering the show's genre and turning the TV show into a movie musical. An amazingly vulgar musical, but a musical nonetheless. The film also ratcheted up up its raunchiness far beyond that of the TV show. The result was a vile masterpiece.
``The Simpsons'' has done musical parodies before. Its ``A Streetcar Named Marge'' episode was inspired, and perhaps the movie's creators - director David Silverman and 11 screenwriters - should have gone that route. Instead they settle for simply raising the stakes. Homer does something so stupid he puts the entire population of Springfield at risk. That stupid act involves polluting a lake with a silo filled with pig waste - don't ask - so that the EPA descends on Springfield and places a dome over the town. Bad behavior ensues.
Rather than devise original subplots, the movie relies on old ones. Lisa falls in love. Bart bonds with Ned Flanders. Marge leaves Homer. Been there, seen that. Other characters either get reduced to one-liners or make no appearance at all. Notably missing in action is Sideshow Bob.
Celebrity cameos add up to one, and parodies come in short supply. Albert Brooks as the evil EPA chief isn't particularly funny, and on the nasty scale his character is not worthy to groom Montgomery Burns' hounds.
Imagine if the film used, for example, a ``Brokeback Mountain'' parody featuring Burns and Smithers with Burns reciprocating Smithers' passion.
The movie does have its funny moments. Members of Green Day sink into Lake Springfield like the musicians on the Titanic. At the concert, a blimp's message reads ``Binge responsibly.'' Bart plays a violent video game called ``Baby Blast.'' Grandpa channels Curly of the Three Stooges. Homer sings ``Spider Pig.''
I've always loved the sadistic Itchy and Scratchy cartoons. Here, Itchy impales Scratchy with the American flag, an act not likely to please folks of patriotic persuasion. Right-wingers might enjoy the ``Inconvenient Truth'' parody more. The Simpsons have always been equal opportunity offenders.
The film even mocks itself, with Homer wondering why anyone would pay to see something they could see free on TV.
``The Simpsons Movie'' maintains the TV show's cleverness, snideness and edginess as it portrays a dysfunctional family on speed. The young fans of the show should find much to like. More discerning, older fans, however, should be disappointed. Not I-want-my-money-back disappointed, but this-could-have-been- so-much-better disappointed. The uninitiated may wonder what all the fuss is about.
Maybe the TV show set the bar too high for the movie. Maybe the filmmakers aimed too low. There is the hint of a sequel. The film, which has been hyped to the max, should make enough money to warrant it. The question is, will the second one improve on the flawed original or resemble one of Homer's beloved doughnuts and emerge as a big, glazed zero?
``The Simpsons Movie'' opens Friday, July 27.
