A 20th Century Fox Picture, Written by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, George Meyer, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, Directed by David Silverman.
After 18 seasons on TV and firmly positioning itself as one of the most defining pieces of culture in history, it was finally time to turn The Simpsons (1989) into a movie, around 18 years after it first aired, meaning the kids that watched it when it first aired would have been fully grown adults now and likely able to take their own kids to see it. The challenge to live up to over a decade of anticipation was huge, and managing to find the balance between maintaining what everyone loved about the show, and scaling that up so that this felt like a big screen experience, was going to be a huge ask.
The plot is as follows ‘the combination of Homer (Dan Castellaneta), his new pet pig, and a leaky silo full of excrement triggers a disaster that threatens not just Springfield but the entire world. An angry mob descends on the Simpson home, splitting the family. With Earth’s fate in the balance, Homer sets out on a quest for redemption in order to save the world and earn Marge’s (Julie Kavner) forgiveness’.
Giving the film a crisis to solve on such a major level is exactly what was needed to make it feel like a movie and not just an extended episode of TV. There are some superb set-pieces; whether it is Bart’s naked skateboard around Springfield, the baying mob burning down the Simpsons home and the family trying to escape with their lives, or Homer’s last ditch motorbike ride to try and save the town from decimation within the dome, there is plenty of action and scope to keep viewers gripped.
However, the thing that really makes the film work, and what actually makes it much better than most of the previous decade of The Simpsons episodes, is that it tells a deeply personal story about the family and is truly rooted in character. Some of the supporting characters get a chance to shine, particularly Flanders and Grandpa, but the majority of the focus stays on the five Simpsons, and specifically on the incredibly unique and challenging dynamic between Homer and Bart.
Throughout the show’s history, this dynamic has been central to many of the show’s best moments, with the similarities and differences between the two, and Homer’s repeated mistakes as a father, proving to be great storytelling grounds. The decision here to really bring Flanders central to the story and show how caring and protective he is of Bart, and make Bart strongly believe Flanders is a better father figure for him, provides the perfect motivation and dilemma for Homer to try and overcome. It is clear throughout the show that despite the genuine annoyance, one of the main reasons Homer shows such a dislike towards Flanders is due to an insecurity that Flanders is in many ways a ‘better man’ than Homer and that is exploited perfectly here. The whole narrative comes together so well, and just as a stand-alone film it is brilliantly entertaining, and within the context of the show’s history, it is even better.
Just like the show has consistently done, the series became a pop culture icon and particular moments engrained in peoples mind, and the same thing happens in the movie. There are many moments I could select, the ‘Spider-Pig’ song for one, but I wanted to highlight Ned Flanders’ Hot Cocoa, something that is now known the world around for how delicious it was. I wanted to bring this up to highlight how smart the team behind this franchise are at tapping into primal emotion, because obviously the Cocoa looked tasty, but the main reason it struck such a nerve and became such a sensation, is because it reminded people of home, of security, and of family. That is what the entire film does, and it is a remarkable achievement.
Rating = 4.5/5
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