Nappaland's DVDBlog

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THE SIMPSONS MOVIE (PG-13)

(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)

Plot Summary: Homer Simpson (voiced by Dan Castellaneta) dooms Springfield to destruction, and the Simpson family must save the day.

Reason for the Rating: Irreverent humor throughout.

Admit it: This is the movie we’ve all been waiting for, and it is just as good as anyone could have imagined.

The strength of the Simpsons has always been a more sophisticated type of humor dwelling in the gutter with all the pranks and pratfalls of this animated family. Although there are plenty of irreverent and easy to get stupid jokes, there is always something just a couple of minutes away that will only make complete sense if you are culturally savvy. This stays true with The Simpsons Movie. From jokes about pollution to laughs at cultural icons, this film explores and discusses many cultural and economical questions while causing you to have good chuckle too. The Simpsons also have always had constantly evolving stories, ones that start with one plot point and then move in so many directions that in the end the show is all about something completely different. The Simpsons Movie follows this same formula, and adds all sorts of twists and turns that keep the viewer intrigued and entertained.

Although The Simpsons have brought joy to many, there are a few reasons why others may not want to see this movie. There is always the fact, even though it is a cartoon, much of material in The Simpsons Movie is inappropriate for younger children. There is some swearing and sexual references, both of which are odd coming out of the mouths of animated comedians. Many of the things that some will find funny, others would find very offensive. For me at least, this movie also seemed way too short. Clocking in at only 87 minutes, it ended all to soon.

Overall, I thought that The Simpsons Movie was hilarious, but given the edginess of some of the material,  I can see why Christian parents wouldn’t enjoy it and why they might prefer their kids not to see it at all. So, while I recommend it highly for the humor and intelligence of its writers, I would only do so for parents who are certain that their kids are mature enough to handle the juvenile humor without trying to imitate it afterward.

DVDBLOG RECOMMENDS:

See this one if you are a Simpsons fan already, but I would only suggest it for those aged 12 and up. If you don’t like the Simpsons, this movie will not change your views at all.

AFTER THE SHOW: 

• What might you do to make an entire town mad at you?

• How do you treat others who are different? Like Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer) or like Homer?

• What do you think about the condition of the environment that you live in?

TN

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Note: All movie-related graphics in this column are standard publicity/promotional shots and are owned by their respective movie studios.