Movie Reflection: The Simpsons
It is with equal parts trepidation and elation that I have dreamed about this day. Almost 90 minutes of The Simpsons on a big screen without commercial interruption. In what must be seen as a huge gamble, the film could either soar or bomb, but the creators bit the bullet and went for the ultimate challenge. I dare say, we are all the better for it.
My relationship with the Simpsions did not get off to the best start. When I was just a wee lad, my family sat down to watch the maiden voyage of what would later become one of the most successful sitcoms ever. Unfortunately for my 8-year-old self, the show proved to be fairly inappropriate for my budding mind and the Simpsons was thus banned from our home immediately. On second thought, perhaps it was a fortunate occurrence. I'm as big a Simpsons fan as the next guy, but the first two seasons were absolutely brutal in comparison to what would follow. It's as though after a couple of years the creators figured out they had enough clout to unleash the power of their Harvard-educated brains and really blow us away with dry wit and social commentary.
Those middle-year Simpsons are the ones I fell in love with in college. Emancipated from my parent's home, I encountered a culture where young men gathered together every evening to watch The Simpsons. It was a grand culture, and one where I got completely hooked. One where we talked about the pros and cons of a movie that might maybe perhaps happen at some point in the future.
The future is now. The future is good. I had my doubts. One of the best aspects of any Simpsons episode is the little game that goes on with the sensors. What are they going to allow, and what crosses the line? Go into the theatre and there aren't really any rules. The writers made a good call in keeping with the tone of the tv series and not going overly raunchy. They dropped a couple of sweet bombs that probably would have been allowed on tv, but that certainly snuggled up and cuddled with the aforementioned line. But in the end, The Simpson's movie is a barrel of laughs with just the right amount of social commentary and Star Wars references.
I'm just glad it wasn't horrible.
Fair Dinkum
My relationship with the Simpsions did not get off to the best start. When I was just a wee lad, my family sat down to watch the maiden voyage of what would later become one of the most successful sitcoms ever. Unfortunately for my 8-year-old self, the show proved to be fairly inappropriate for my budding mind and the Simpsons was thus banned from our home immediately. On second thought, perhaps it was a fortunate occurrence. I'm as big a Simpsons fan as the next guy, but the first two seasons were absolutely brutal in comparison to what would follow. It's as though after a couple of years the creators figured out they had enough clout to unleash the power of their Harvard-educated brains and really blow us away with dry wit and social commentary.
Those middle-year Simpsons are the ones I fell in love with in college. Emancipated from my parent's home, I encountered a culture where young men gathered together every evening to watch The Simpsons. It was a grand culture, and one where I got completely hooked. One where we talked about the pros and cons of a movie that might maybe perhaps happen at some point in the future.
The future is now. The future is good. I had my doubts. One of the best aspects of any Simpsons episode is the little game that goes on with the sensors. What are they going to allow, and what crosses the line? Go into the theatre and there aren't really any rules. The writers made a good call in keeping with the tone of the tv series and not going overly raunchy. They dropped a couple of sweet bombs that probably would have been allowed on tv, but that certainly snuggled up and cuddled with the aforementioned line. But in the end, The Simpson's movie is a barrel of laughs with just the right amount of social commentary and Star Wars references.
I'm just glad it wasn't horrible.
Fair Dinkum