Friday 27 July 2007

The Simpsons - Dir. David Silverman (2007)

A monumental eighteen years in the making. Eleven talented and critically acclaimed writers at there disposal. A cast of thousands. And 'The Simpsons Movie' lives up to everything it promised. One of the most intelligently-stupid, well-written eighty-seven minutes of animation created in the last decade. From the Tracey Ullman Show to the Big Screen, the 'Simpsons Movie' was definitely worth waiting for.

The plot and story are as simple as ever, allowing the jokes and slapstick-humour too take centre-stage throughout. After Homer becomes romantically involved with a Pig and intentionally pollutes the Springfield River, the small-American town is placed under 'quarantine' and the family is nearly lynched, however they manage to hilariously escape as Homer evades making an 'apology' (inverted comma's are necessary!) and set-up-base in Alaska (the good ol' American city where every resident gets a thousand dollars as the oil companies ravage the land), however it's not long before the family miss their beloved Springfield and must make a decision to return home and attempt to save their hometown or stay daunting-quiet Alaskan mountains. In between all this cra-diddly-azyness, Lisa acquires a boyfriend, Bart befriends Ned Flanders and Maggie seems to show a side which says to me; 'all babies are crazy, cartoon or real'.

What follows is gag-after-brilliantly-written gag, with adulterous and political innuendoes/humour (in the opening scene as a 'Itchy and Scratchy' movie plays a 'Itchy/Hilary 2008' sign can be seen held by one of the 'Itchy supporters') for the older generation and the good ol' slapstick stupidity of Homer for everybody else (including the older generation). Every character seemed to have it's pulls, and apart from the notable mention of the Simpson family themselves, President Schwarzenegger, Cletus (the slackjaw yokel), and the 'big-boobed Indian spiritual guide', among many others backed up that 'crazy-yellow-family' very well. This film is nothing more than good, well-written fun supplemented with brilliant visuals making an episode of the 'Simpsons' on a normal, in-the-home television seem boring, bland and well, so 1999.

While the opening twenty minutes of the film, seemed to worse than one of 'President Schwarzenegger’s' poorly thought-through political decisions, with the script and jokes seemingly floating around everywhere in a dis-combobulated mess. Yet the following hour seems to make up for it, with the awkward nakedness of Bart, and the proclaiming 'I love men' from the ridiculous, yet utterly hilarious Ralph, drawing the biggest laugh and subsequently leading to me nearing a heart attack, as I could not simply stop laughing throughout. A part the sub-plot involving Lisa and her Irish boyfriend, who's did 'is not Bono'. The scenes simply lacked any humour as Lisa was always the smart, intelligent and politically/socially motivated character who simply set up scenes and was used as a catalyst for the main attraction of Bart and Homers ingenious stupidity (always leading to some hilarious slapstick moment).

The effort that has gone into this film is easy to see, eleven writers have worked flat-out to create a script full of laughs, tickles and tales which will last the running time equal to the length of three or four back-to-back Simpsons episodes. It's witty, crazy, ridiculous and down-right utterly hilarious. I honestly, could not stop laughing.

By Jordan

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