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The Simpsons Movie

It’s just like an elongated episode, but who cares?

By Matt Pais, Metromix

July 27, 2007

Critic's Rating:

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It's business as usual for the Simpsons, as Lisa works to stop Lake Springfield pollution only so Homer can blow it and cause the government to cover the whole town with a dome. Only if the big oaf saves the city can he win back the love and respect of his family, who's grown tired of his buffoonery after 400 similar (and televised) screw-ups.

Big question: Are the jokes and lessons of "The Simpsons Movie" on par with the series' best seasons (roughly '92-'97), or is it a sibling of the recent hit-or-miss years?

Catch it: Yes, "The Simpsons Movie" is funny enough to make you get off the couch and put down the Duff, with lots of good gags and several great ones (the regulars at Moe's Bar and its adjacent church switching venues in a time of need is particularly tasty). The late-episode speechifying may look a little clunkier under the big-screen microscope, but the Simpsons still show why the family that nearly causes widespread disaster together stays together.

Skip it: If you want to avoid a conversation stemming from Marge's explanation about why Lisa should bottle up her rage towards her father: "You're a woman. You can hold onto it forever."

Bottom line: By coming out with the show still on and the characters still fresh, "The Simpsons Movie" seems like a sequel to a movie that hasn't actually been made. But even if the film doesn't think outside the dome, devoted fans remain happy to see their favorite dysfunctional family learning the same lessons over again, as long as there are enough laughs to carry us from one near-catastrophe to the next.

Bonus: At long last, we find out which state's Springfield really lays claim to "The Simpsons," as the film reveals that the show takes place on the border of Ohio, Nevada, Maine and Kentucky. Glad that's finally cleared up!

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