Unavoidable consequences were directly caused by The Simpsons Movie. False hope was presented to those out there who believe the television show has taken a dip in quality. For me, The Simpsons is solid background noise, twenty minutes of effective, considerably funny comedy. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less. While the glory days are far behind us, ending before I had graced this Earth, it is still reassuring to see a programme older than you still set in place on the channel schedules. Re-runs in the morning, new episodes in the evening, that seems to be the British way, but even the lack of general brilliance can be forgiven after witnessing The Simpsons Movie. A brief glimmer of hope for those hoping for the return of the glory days.
Pitch-perfect pacing, a story that knows where it needs to go and what needs to be done to win over older fans, The Simpsons Movie takes the energy and charm of a usual episode and stretches it to the feature-length mark with a surprisingly, natural ease. Conning us into believing quality is just around the corner for the series that followed, the laugh-a-minute quality of The Simpsons Movie leads to a squeaky-clean representation of the show. Supporting characters crop up from time to time without rhyme or reason, but their inclusion is justified and golden. Cletus and Fat Tony are the stellar standouts, offering an early joke that brings an understanding of the gluttonous themes The Simpsons Movie wishes to highlight.
Commercialism and environmental protection are the underlying themes for the Simpsons family, a brief criticism of the immoral clean-cut killings of advertisers and the need to lie to a public. Passive comedy fans may not pick up on those tones, not because they’re hidden away, but because they’re played off in that charming Simpsons fashion. When your polluted lake dissolves the better parts of Green Day, there is more to that than director David Silverman could be given credit for. That is not to say The Simpsons Movie is a perfect film, though, it is not without its problems. Caricature like characters dominate the later moments of the film, especially with moments that look to shoehorn as many relatable and reliable characters in.
Such happy memories, destined to be devoured by darker days ahead. The Simpsons Movie is an oddity of culture, a creative endeavour from minds that were well beyond their peak. Timeless pop culture references that will hold their relevance long after The Simpsons has died out, The Simpsons Movie is more than just a collation of humorous, big-screen glee. Tackling troubling topics including abuse, environmentalism and gluttony, The Simpsons Movie is far smarter than contemporary minds gave it credit for, studying its responsibility to bring laughter out of darker, brooding scenarios that criticise governments, business models and the American dream, all with that punchy, weightless style The Simpsons once prided itself on.
