Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  God bless the Simpsons even if this is not their shiniest moment. If we're talking spin-offs, I have to give the nod to the the Hit & Run video game.

• Daniel M

  
  It's very easy to make a bad adaptation of a much-loved TV series. British sitcoms have an especially poor record in this field, with the majority of adaptations feeling like extended episodes with none of the pacing or discipline of the original series. Whether you're… More
  It's very easy to make a bad adaptation of a much-loved TV series. British sitcoms have an especially poor record in this field, with the majority of adaptations feeling like extended episodes with none of the pacing or discipline of the original series. Whether you're trying to satisfy existing fans with a more expansive story, or trying to sell the characters to an unfamiliar audience, it is very, very easy to come a cropper when putting the small screen up on the big screen. You would, therefore, have every cause for concern with The Simpsons Movie. On top of these narrative and structural problems, it is ripe for accusations surrounding the decline of the series and the accompanying explosion in merchandise. It would be easy to write the film off as an inevitable, cynical cash-in, with the only surprise being that it wasn't made a few years earlier. But while the film isn't going to win the series any new fans, it has enough good material to entertain those who stuck around. The first thing to say about The Simpsons Movie is that it is not really a 'movie'. It is, like so many adaptations before it, an extended episode of the series, with similar stakes and a similar sense of self-containment. The characters' ambitions are small-scale but played out over a longer period of time, showing in detail what would normally be dealt with via editing or exposition on TV. Even with the high-quality animation and the decent pacing, it still doesn't feel entirely at home in 16x9. This is consolidated by the fact that we have seen a lot of the film's plot points in previous series. While it is inevitable that long-running series will repeat themselves, many of the character developments are almost identical to those from stand-out episodes. Homer's adoption of Plopper the pig is akin to him adopting Pinchy the lobster in 'Lisa Get An 'A'', while Homer and Marge's fraying relationship is very similar to their falling-out in 'El Viaje Misterioso del Nuestro Jomer'. You could even argue that Green Day's self-deprecating cameo is simply a reworking of U2's appearance in 'Trash of the Titans', on account of the environment theme. The film attempts to get around this by increasing the number of characters that appear on screen. While a typical episode will revolve around The Simpsons and maybe a dozen or so others at most, in one shot we get more than 320 different characters making an appearance. But while this move gives us an idea of Springfield's scale, it prevents any one of these characters from gaining the depth they need to hold our attention beyond a couple of quick gags. You could make the argument that if the film had confined the action to just a few characters that it would have disappointed fans, and not given the film enough distinction over the standard-length episodes to warrant its existence. This is understandable considering the huge following The Simpsons has: it's very hard to please your fans when everyone has a different favourite character. But it doesn't alter the fact that scale is not a substitute for substance, and reducing dozens of much-loved characters down to mere cameos is a worse compromise than giving a few of them a good part at the expense of everyone else. The other big character problem relates to Homer Simpson himself. In his 1990s incarnation, Homer did a lot of stupid things, but all his mistakes were grounded in the idea that he was well-meaning and likeable, simply lacking the brain power to make good on his intentions. But Homer has grown so outlandish in his mistakes, and so incapable of learning from them, that he is less easy to like as a leading man. His short attention span and flippant, underlying idiocy is one of the main ways in which the plot is stretched out, as he takes an hour to do what the smarter, earlier version of him would have accomplished in 20 minutes. In short, we spend more time laughing at him then we do with him, and that's not a good way to develop a likeable lead. Up to now you'd have every reason to believe that I hate The Simpsons Movie. Having criticised its structure and its characters, you might be asking how I can give the film so high a rating, just as I gave Cinderella a pass in spite of strong reservations about the messages it sends. With Cinderella, the film's visual beauty and entertaining supporting cast were enough to remedy or at least overlook its central problems. The Simpsons Movie succeeds for a simpler reason: it's funny. The acid test of any comedy is to make you laugh, and The Simpsons Movie does have a string of good, funny gags to sustain its simple premise. The jokes come in reasonably quick succession, and while not all of them hit their target, they keep up the pace to such an extent that we are not always conscious of the story being stretched so thin. However hit-and-miss the series has become, David Silverman and the writers deserve at least some credit for holding a single comic conceit together for the best part of 90 minutes. The jokes in The Simpsons Movie come in many different shapes and sizes, which helps to explain why not all of them hit the mark. Some of the references have already dated, with the whole President Schwarzenegger shtick falling flat even with the best efforts of Albert Brooks. Likewise the 'Spider-pig' and 'Harry Plopper' jokes are passingly funny but not especially memorable. On the other hand, the physical humour is pretty much spot-on, whether it's Homer sticking a hammer in his eye, nailing himself to the roof, or getting bashed between a rock and A Hard Place. The premise of The Simpsons Movie is one of the reasons so many of these jokes work. The series has often borrowed liberally from The Twilight Zone, such as 'The Genesis Tub' segment of 'Treehouse of Horror VII'. Having the whole town enclosed by a dome is a classic science fiction set-up, allowing both for character comedy from the claustrophobia and for satire of the people who caused such a state of affairs. The story is still easily distracted, so that if you come looking for Logan's Run or Lord of the Flies with jokes, you won't find them. But by containing the action, at least for the majority of characters, it prevents the film from going totally off the rails like so many of its predecessors. The Simpsons Movie is at its best when it has the confidence to play to its original strengths. As the show has become more successful, it has felt the need to try and please everyone, meaning that it has steadily lost whatever edginess it once had. But both Albert Brooks' character and the cameo by Tom Hanks harken back to its heyday, where it punctured the egos of US presidents and celebrities without fear of repercussions. The humour is still very broad (the "mad without power" line being a good example), but at least there is a point behind both the celebrity presence and the political storyline. On top of all that, the film is very nicely animated. The style of The Simpsons has been replicated very well, which adds to the televisual feel while making the film look suitably glossy. Subtle changes has been made to aid the transition, such as giving the characters shadows for the first time, and there are certain sections which benefit from a wider colour palette. Certainly the film looks more impressive than it would had done had Silverman reverted to the rougher style of the earlier seasons. The Simpsons Movie is good disposable fun that should at least partially satisfy fans of the series. If you stop and think about any part of it for too long, then its structural problems will dent your ability to enjoy the film as a whole. But thankfully the jokes come fast and reliably enough so that this doesn't happen very often. It isn't perfect, and it won't win the show any new fans, but there are many worse ways in which to spend 90 minutes.

• Directors C

  
  The Simpsons Movie is an extended unrated version of one of the older episodes, which to be honest were the best episodes of the show.

• Alexander D

  
  D'oh! Start with the movie. If you like it, move on to the show.

• Tim S

  
  What I originally expected from The Simpsons Movie was that it would be a 90 minute advertisement for the show, there would be catchphrases or quotes and that they would have to save the town from something. I was right about the latter two story aspects. I remember seeing this in… More
  What I originally expected from The Simpsons Movie was that it would be a 90 minute advertisement for the show, there would be catchphrases or quotes and that they would have to save the town from something. I was right about the latter two story aspects. I remember seeing this in theatres and enjoying it, but I never revisited it until just recently. That says something to me: that it wasn't great enough that I wanted to see it again immediately. It's not that it's overly bad or anything, but it just feels very mediocre - much like the series for the last several years. There are some geniune laughs in there, and Matt Groening and Co. manage to weave some Simpsons' magic on us, but it just feels tired and ready to hang up. So yes, see it, but you probably won't want to see it more than once - unless you're a Spider Pig freak, then that's different.

• Manu G

  
  For years, lines have been drawn...and then colored in yellow. Saw it again! Great funny movie just like the cartoons. Could watch it a million times again, I love the Simpsons! Homer adopts a pig who's run away from Krusty Burger after Krusty tried to have him slaughtered,… More
  For years, lines have been drawn...and then colored in yellow. Saw it again! Great funny movie just like the cartoons. Could watch it a million times again, I love the Simpsons! Homer adopts a pig who's run away from Krusty Burger after Krusty tried to have him slaughtered, naming the pig "Spider Pig." At the same time, the lake is protected after the audience sink the barge Green Day are on with garbage after they mention the environment. Meanwhile, Spider Pig's waste has filled up a silo in just 2 days, apparently with Homer's help. Homer can't get to the dump quickly so dumps the silo in the lake, polluting it. Russ Cargill, the villainous boss of the EPA, gives Arnold Schwarzenegger 5 options, forcing him to choose 4 (which is, unfortunately, to destroy Springfield) and putting a dome over Springfield to prevent evacuation. Homer, however, has escaped, along with his family. Can he stop the evil Cargill from annihilating his home town, and his family, who have been forced to return to Springfield?

• Scott G

  
  A silly, laugh out loud film with a strong structure of respect already built behind the TV show, it wasn't a surprise that this film got all the recognition it deserved.

• Eric A

  
  We all love The Simpsons, but this is something like you've never seen and is a huge upgrade from the show! Better writing (if it wasn't good already) and better animation. Bravo.

• Jim C

  
  The Simpsons Movie is one of the best, funniest, and coolest animated films ever made. I am a huge TV buff and The Simpsons may be the lord of all television, because never before has a TV show been on this long and still feel original and funny, and making an incredible film on the… More
  The Simpsons Movie is one of the best, funniest, and coolest animated films ever made. I am a huge TV buff and The Simpsons may be the lord of all television, because never before has a TV show been on this long and still feel original and funny, and making an incredible film on the lord of television is only natural, and the creators really make it work. The storyline is one long Simpsons episode, but that is not a bad thing, it is a tribute to all people who have lived their lives with this yellow family. The jokes are great, this experience was the first time I had cried of laughter at the movie theatre, but one problem is that after multiple viewings it loses its hilarious feel, but the first or second viewing will feel so hilarious that you will pee of laughter. The voice acting is as great as its ever been, and I loved them. The Simpsons Movie is a tribute to the one television show that will live on forever.

• Unknown H

  
  Again another movie that was hyped to the max and delivered very little. It had the laughs and the cheap satirical humour that we all love about the franchise, but I felt it got lost looking for itself. Definitley could have been made better, but did have some golden moments.

• Tyler K

  
  This is, by far, the funniest movie I have ever seen. Funnier than Dumb & Dumber. Funnier than Bean. Funnier than anything I have ever seen. The Simpsons Movie is probably the first movie to have a laugh-out-loud funny joke pretty much every minute... I meant that LITERALLY. This… More
  This is, by far, the funniest movie I have ever seen. Funnier than Dumb & Dumber. Funnier than Bean. Funnier than anything I have ever seen. The Simpsons Movie is probably the first movie to have a laugh-out-loud funny joke pretty much every minute... I meant that LITERALLY. This is just as funny (if not, funnier) than the TV show (Which I do really like), and is just... funny. I'm finding it pretty hard to write this comment for the fact that the more I type, the more I remember from the movie... so I keep stopping to mentally laugh and embrace how well the creators did in making this movie. The story is also excellent. There are many references to popular culture items. Harry Potter, Spider-man, Green Day, and even Grand Theft Auto make there appearances, as well as many, many others. There are even some famous actors that make there display, like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Hanks. Please, they worked hard on this movie, so please, buy it, 5 stars... if I could add it, 5.1 stars...

• Bethany M

  
  Funny despite me not really watching 'The Simpsons.' Spiderpig really had me laughing.

• Jeff "

  
  The Simpsons Movie is one of the few animated film adapted from a cartoon series that works. I had mixed feelings about seeing this because I saw the Family Guy "film" and was very disappointed. So I had my expectations pretty low for this one. However, I was very much… More
  The Simpsons Movie is one of the few animated film adapted from a cartoon series that works. I had mixed feelings about seeing this because I saw the Family Guy "film" and was very disappointed. So I had my expectations pretty low for this one. However, I was very much surprised. I really did enjoy the show and I thought they made a fine transition from the TV to the big Screen. The film does not disappoint and in fact, I think it's an improvement over the last couple of seasons. The film feels fresh, and above all funny. I thought that the film was very well done, and like I said, the humour here is a step above current episodes where its fairly hit and miss. The story is original and a lot of fun. The writers have taken the best parts of the show and left out all the bad. Theres very little to dislike about this film, as the film keeps the essence of the show and still manages to deliver everything we love about the show. I personally thought that this was the best adaptation from a TV cartoon to the big screen since South Park:Bigger,Longer and Uncut. The Simpsons Miovie is a very enjoyable comedy with plenty of laughs and it far exceeded my expectations. I', sure most Simpsons fans that have been disappointed with the quality of episodes of the last 10 years will probably enjoy this film. The Simpsons Movie is a hilarious film that has everything you'd expect from the dimwitted population of Springfield. A future Comedy classic.

• Bentley L

  
  "The Simpsons" is one of the biggest pop culture fads. Not only is it one of the most highest-rated shows on television, it spawned numerous video games, toy lines, a magazine, and even an amusement park ride. It occured to Fox that they should please the worldwide Simpson… More
  "The Simpsons" is one of the biggest pop culture fads. Not only is it one of the most highest-rated shows on television, it spawned numerous video games, toy lines, a magazine, and even an amusement park ride. It occured to Fox that they should please the worldwide Simpson fanbase with a film. And they did ti just right! In the film, the clumsy Simpson family try to persuade the people of Springfield to not pollute the lake. However, they fail to and the Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) put the city of Springfield in a large dome. The family makes a run for it by escaping to Alaska but they can't hide from the government. Thats the funny part of it. This is not one of those "It has its moments" movies. We're talking numerous funny quotes and scenes. This is the Simpsons at its finest. I may have to say that this is better than most of the series' episodes. I'm not a huge Simpsons fan but I really enjoy the show. My favorite episodes include the ones where Bart falls in love with the Reverend's daughter and when Homer sees an alien. Very funny script that is accompanied by impressive vocal work. The animation is the best I have ever seen in anyting related to the yellow family. While it stands as 2D animated, there is a good blend of 3D animation. I'll wrap it up by saying that this is a very, very funny movie. "And I wish you didn't have the devil's curly hair." Christopher Nolan is remaking the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odpNE6ApxY0

• Michael E

  
  though ive never seen the show, i still watched this movie, and it was definetly worth the rent. It was a brilliantly done comedy, and made more laughs come out of me than most animated comedies

• John H

  
  The movie event 18 years in the making has finally arrived, and what a shame it is. It's a familiar trend of having a film based of a series fo awrie, but that's not what makes those movies a failure. What causes this is the finding of a plot. Since a series has many plots,… More
  The movie event 18 years in the making has finally arrived, and what a shame it is. It's a familiar trend of having a film based of a series fo awrie, but that's not what makes those movies a failure. What causes this is the finding of a plot. Since a series has many plots, turns, characters, segments, quotes, blah, blah, blah, etc... it makes it all the more dificult to find a plot strong enough to surround an entire movie. See, my biggest problem with <i>The Simpsons Movie</i> was the plot. It had to substance, it felt like a bunch of monkeys typed up ideas for the movie, then one monkey did chose at random and picked what may have been the worst idea of the bunch. Seriously, what is so universally spectacular about a silo filled with pig crap being dumped into a lake that toxidyzes a town, which must be sealed in a dome, having the only escape be a sinkhole under a sandbox, then watching a family journey to Alaska to find out that they must return home to save their town from being destroyed, thus splitting ends and resolving the problem with a bomb? [I'll rephrase it]. To sum-up, it just didn't have enough of a satisfying plot. Oh, how dreading it was to sit through only 87 minutes. But the plot wasn't the only bad element. There were also too many cheap, ill-timed jokes. It's beyong belief how many times I rolled my eyes and yawned through out this...

• Chris W

  
  I really, really liked this movie. It was close to be excellent. Instead, it's just extremely damn good, quite solid, and earns a stone cold B+ and three-quarters. When this came out, The Simpsons had been around for 18 years. As of my writing this, they been around for 20+.… More
  I really, really liked this movie. It was close to be excellent. Instead, it's just extremely damn good, quite solid, and earns a stone cold B+ and three-quarters. When this came out, The Simpsons had been around for 18 years. As of my writing this, they been around for 20+. That's amazing. The hype and expectation levels were understandably high. It's a sign that this film succeeded though given that the show is still on. Aside from that though, seriously, this film faced a lot of pressure, but managed to get through it all. For this film to work, it had to (at the very least) just be a super long episode of the show. It does that and just a bit more, and really, that's all myself and other fans could ask for. I laughed quite a bit, because there's some outrageous and hilarious stuff here, but only a few real big laugh out loud moments. Mostly I was just chuckling and giggling. I didn't laugh the whole time though, because there were a few scenes were I was genuinely moved and expessed emotions other than joy. I'll even admit that I got a little misty eyed near the end. While this is a self-contained story, and could be enjoyed by anyone, this is a film made overwhelmingly for the fans. There's tons of great jokes and references, and some great moments of character development topped off by some WTF moments and some others that really make you nostalgic. The show has dropped off in quality, but the movie makes up for it, and provides some of the freshest stuff to come along in quite some time. The animation looks great and stays true ot the show, save for a few moments of CGI enhancement that are used tastefully. This is a really damn fun movie, and has a high rewatch value. The only thing that would have made it pefect is if it had been just a tad longer to flesh out a few story bits and give them better resolution. Well done! Can't wait for the (hopeful) sequel.

• erika b

  
  I like the tv show better.

• Lewis C

  
  "So, you want some of my electricity, do you? Well, for once, the rich white man is in control." Imagine an average episode of The Simpsons. Now imagine it stretched out to movie length, with a little bit more of a risqué element added than what they could get away with… More
  "So, you want some of my electricity, do you? Well, for once, the rich white man is in control." Imagine an average episode of The Simpsons. Now imagine it stretched out to movie length, with a little bit more of a risqué element added than what they could get away with on television. That's The Simpson's Movie in a nutshell. Now imagine the last Simpson's episode you saw that was pretty funny, but not good enough to rank among your very favorites. That's how I felt about this movie. I remember it being pretty hilarious the first time I saw it, but I think some of that may have just been the theater atmosphere and the novelty of watching The Simpsons on the big screen. The second time around, it doesn't hold up quite so well. Lots of amusing moments, but few jokes that go beyond that. The best comedies (and the best Simpsons episodes) are the ones that are still very funny after the first viewing. The Simpson's Movie doesn't quite meet that standard. It's a must-see for fans and a worthwhile diversion for general audiences, but once is probably enough.

• Richard C

  
  B+

Read all 20 featured audience ratings