So, here are my two cents about the new Simpsons movie. I’ll start with a fact: I’m a Simpsons buff. I watch repeats and laugh from the same jokes a dozen times. I have a Simpsons poster right above my bed (note: I’m 27) and I have collected most of the videos ever released (including the shorts prior to the series.)
A couple of days ago I went to see the premier with a friend. We got a couple of tickets to the 1AM show, which was packed. It was very exciting and we couldn’t wait for the flick to start. Do not continue further if you haven’t seen the movie already, spoiler alert.
My judgment of film is biased. I was expecting the unachievable. And why is that, you may question yourself. I’ve been watching the tv show since day one (and still remember that lovely day.) I have noticed when the artwork changed, voice acting improved and plot became a template. A while ago I was asked, on a scale of one to ten, where would I put this movie. My friend was waiting for a typical “eleven” answer, but I replied with 7. Don’t get me wrong, this movie is incredible! It’s hilarious, it’s epic (all the way to Alaska), it’s clever and I loved every frame of it. So why the seven? Because it’s a 90 minutes episode. It had the same template from the tv series (start with something funny and unrelated, there’s an event that twists everything in one minute, and the rest is a moral story for all human kind.) FHM magazine noted that the first half hour of the movie is just pure genius. They based that on the first part of the template — being completely hilarious.
My problem with The Simpsons: The Movie, is that I was expecting it to do to the series the same thing South Park: BL&U did to its series. SP:BLU is by far one of the most incredible and best(est) movies ever made by a human (imho). What made it so great, is that the realized they have an opportunity to do things on the big screen that they are not allowed to do on tv. Curses, racism, anti-patriotism, sex offends, and generally PG13 material. It just blew my mind; it was intense and fulfilled every minute with grace. Simpsons, on the other hand, did the opposite. The series has always been on prime-time on Fox (which was relatively young at the time) and aimed for adults. It’s not that kids didn’t enjoy it, it’s just that there was an additional layer of story that appealed to parents with kids; to people with social difficulties, and to people who realize something is wrong with this world. When the movie was about to be released in Israel, Fox got it DUBBED to Hebrew. Note that no English shows have ever been dubbed (aside kids shows like Bratz and Pokemon, but this is a different age group.) And the reason they did that, is that they wanted the movie to appeal to the younger generation — read: buy Simpsons toys at McDonald’s.
I think I’ve ranted enough. Don’t listen to me. Go watch the movie; I can’t wait to see it again, and again, and own the dvd eventually. It’s movie well done. Eleven screenwriters (out of 14,) including David Silverman. Now, how can you go wrong?
(Thanks for listening. Sorry for bitchin’)
* weird japanese dinners * awesome sushi * daruma gifts * walk to pier 39 * climbing up and down in san francisco.