Apocalypse Springfield
Written: Aug 14 '07
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Tom Hanks, a few funny moments
Cons: Too many serious ones, including the performance of Albert Brooks
The Bottom Line: Springfield's changing - and not for the better.
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| pmills1210's Full Review: The Simpsons Movie |
Some time in the course of the last few years, Homer Simpson went from being a comically clueless man to simply being stupid. It's not Homer's fault. For two decades, he and his family have been a part of the small screen, beginning in short animated features on The Tracey Ullman Show. After two years on Ullman's show, they were spun off into The Simpsons, which continues in first run to this day. I have grown concerned that, given the show's long run, it would lose its edge. The shows of recent years echo my concerns.
The Simpsons Movie, however, shows the series has not lost its appeal, at least as far as box office receipts are concerned. The movie begins with the rock band Green Day performing the show's theme as part of a concert to promote environmental awareness. When they take a moment to discuss that theme, most of the crowd heckles the band and end the show prematurely. After the show, EPA chief Russ Cargill (Albert Brooks) requires Springfield to take steps to keep Lake Springfield clean. Cargill is initially appeased when the city builds a wall around the lake to prevent dumping. However, Homer (Dan Castellaneta) finds a way around the wall when he dumps the waste of a pig he has adopted. Homer's dumping creates water that is so polluted, Cargill convinces President Arnold Schwarzenegger (Harry Shearer) to place a dome over Springfield that cuts it off from the rest of the world. The only ones that have any means of escape turn out to be Homer and his family. When the rest of the city wants Homer's hide, the Simpsons use their escape route to leave Springfield and head to Alaska. Meanwhile, Cargill decides he went too easy on Springfield, and decides to take more drastic action. Marge Simpson (Julie Kavner) sees TV accounts of Cargill's plan, and takes the children back in an effort to save Springfield. Before they can get there, Cargill captures them and forces them back to their longtime home. After an encounter with an Eskimo, Homer realizes the things that are important to him, and goes on a quest to retrieve them.
Before I wrote this review, I discussed The Simpsons Movie with a friend whose son had gone to see the film. The son told my friend that the movie was a lot like the TV series, except that the movie was good. I think the young man was charitable in his assessment. The Simpsons Movie is like sitting through four episodes of the most recent seasons of the series. The jokes are primarily flat, and Homer is the focus of most of the movie. When he gets the pig, Homer names the pig after summer blockbusters. Treating the pig as if he were a porcine Spider-Man and Harry Potter just doesn't cut it for me. It also tries to tackle current events, such as the leadership in Washington. That scenario is treated with a heavy hand. I wasn't expecting a doomsday scenario like the one found in Dr. Strangelove, but I would have liked one that had more humor and less drama. The direction and script come from a team of veteran creative talents. David Silverman directs, while a team of fifteen writers, including character creator Matt Groening, had some part in the screenplay. This group seems to have little idea of how to take The Simpsons from the small screen to the big screen without sacrificing much of the personality of the TV show.
Those who love all of the colorful residents of Springfield will be greatly disappointed at how little they are utilized. The one exception is Ned Flanders (also Harry Shearer), the devoutly Christian next-door neighbor to the Simpson clan. He becomes a source of advice and comfort for Bart Simpson (Nancy Cartwright) when Homer pays more attention to the pig than he does to Bart. Lisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith) remains the soul and the conscience of the family, telling Springfield about problems in their city, even when nobody wants to listen. She does, however, find a comrade in concern in Colin (Tress MacNellie), a new boy in the city whose family moved to Springfield from Ireland. That relationship, however, is never developed. In addition to Shearer and MacNellie, the other regular vocal support makes appearances, including Hank Azaria, Pamela Hayden, Karl Wiedergott, Russi Taylor, and Marcia Wallace.
Brooks and Green Day (Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool, and Mike Dimt) are among the handful of guest talents who grace the film. The one who has the most fun with his guest appearance is Tom Hanks, who's hilarious doing a public service announcement promising a new tourist attraction for people who are bored staring at the Grand Canyon. He does this while standing in front of a simulation of Springfield that Cargill would like to see. Hanks plays the role as if he were offering tourists something exciting, but the opposite is the case. Brooks, on the other hand, plays his role far too seriously. There is no tone or irony or sarcasm in his voice. Cargill wants change, and knows how to manipulate others to achieve it. He is the President's very scary decider. Green Day makes the most of their brief appearance, as does Joe Mantegna, who reprises his role as Springfield mobster Fat Tony.
The Simpsons Movie appeals to many fans and non-fans of the series. The TV show has been a part of my regular viewing habit for over a decade, but this movie, to me, is just another example of a series that has jumped the proverbial shark. Homer Simpson and his family used to have sharp lines, which they'd deliver in a comically merry and dysfunctional way (save for Lisa). These days, the Simpsons have become rather ordinary, saying and doing things just for the sake of stupidity. Fortunately for them, viewers, ratings, and the FOX network remain on their side. The Simpsons Movie shows a once-great series in the process of becoming a relic. The exploits of the Simpsons and other citizens of Springfield have provided me a number of good memories, but their debut movie makes me think the best moments of the series have already aired.
Recommended:
No
Movie Mood: Die-hard Fans Only
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Duration
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pmills1210
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Member: Pat Mills
Location: East Chicago, In.
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"Nothing in moderation." - Ernie Kovacs. Read and enjoy!
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