ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies

IT MAY HAVE taken twenty years to make the leap from television to the big screen but most fans will consider ‘The Simpsons Movie’ worth the wait. Fast-paced and very funny, it may run out of steam in the second half but it has enough sly wit and clever ideas to ensure that Matt Groening and his team do not disappoint.

The Simpsons Movie has all the virtues and drawbacks of being a feature-length version of something that normally last under thirty minutes. Homer (Mark Castellaneta), Bart (Nancy Cartwright) and the family are characters we have come to know and cherish, but there’s no denying that this feels a little stretched to fit a bigger canvas. It’s not a big deal and certainly doesn’t spoil the fun just don’t expect anything too radical.

Taking its cue from Al Gore’s campaign to save the world, ‘The Simpsons Movie’ traces Homer’s spectacular fall from grace when he creates the greatest environmental disaster in American history.

How was he to know that dumping a vat of pig excrement in Springfield Lake would have such an impact? President Schwarzenegger (Harry Shearer) responds with desperate measures that almost wipe Springfield off the map and lead to Homer becoming public enemy number one.

Even long-suffering wife Marge (Julie Kavner) is losing patience with her awful wedded husband, and Bart is even tempted to take refuge in the cosy world of next door neighbours the Flanders. Can Homer redeem himself, save Springfield and bring his family back together?

‘The Simpsons Movie’ may take all kinds of potshots at the media, celebrities and the government. It even includes a genial cameo from Tom Hanks. What really matters is the way it celebrates a family who may be unconventional and spectacularly dysfunctional but still delight and inspire despite their best efforts to destroy the world.

Nationwide release

Director: David Silverman
Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Harry Shearer, Hank Azaria
Screenwriters: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, George Meyer, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, John Swartzwedler, Jon Vitti
Certificate: PG
Running time: 87 mins
Country: USA
Year: 2007