Related Links

• AV Club Blog

More Movies

• Review: Hit man comedy 'In Bruges' mixes laughs, blood
• Coen brother, 'Old Men' top picks for Oscars
• Review: 'Be Kind Rewind' has funny bits, but not enough

MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
  08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008
• Congressman is indicted
  08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Series of attacks target Green Zone
  08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Iran is defying U.N., agency says
  08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Waterboarding approval probed
  08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008

TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

• Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
• Is Rome Burning?
• Ominous Skies
• The Road to Invalidation
• Albuquerque company participates in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

Sometimes on "The Simpsons" TV show, Homer will do something stupid that makes Marge really upset. He won't understand at first what he did wrong. Over the course of half an hour, he'll realize his mistake, she'll realize she loves him no matter what, and they'll have a touching reconciliation.

Other times, Bart will face some sort of serious problem — he likes a girl, he's done something especially bad and feels guilty, a prominent role model in his life lets him down — and he'll be forced to mature somehow and persevere.

Still other times, Lisa will meet a boy she really likes, go gaga, and have to overcome some obstacle to end up with him (then he'll be forgotten by the next episode).

Throughout "The Simpsons' " brilliant run as the greatest sitcom of all time (Hell yes, it's better than "Seinfeld"), these have been the episodes that suck. All three themes, sadly, are prominent in the movie.

Bummer.

The show has always been at its best when it goes completely ludicrous, unconcerned with moralizing. When Homer makes Fat Tony and his mob buddies angry somehow, or infuriates some celebrities.

I've seen every (seriously) episode of "The Simpsons," and I walked into the movie last night hoping Fat Tony would play a huge role. He didn't. Or that Mr. Burns would have some evil plan and be a hilarious villain. He wasn't. Maybe pro athletes or big-time movie stars would factor in. They don't.

The movie is about Homer and his family trying to save Springfield from the government because of something really, really stupid he did. It's also about Bart realizing he doesn't get much love from his dad. And it's about Lisa meeting a boy she likes.

It's not a bad movie, really, just disappointing. The first half hour, with Homer and Bart taking turns doing crazy dares (including naked skateboarding), and Homer saving his new pet pig (Spider Pig. You have to love Spider Pig.) is a riot. It builds genuine excitement because it's so hysterical — I started to think the movie would keep it up and I'd be laughing the entire time.

No such luck, though. The evil head of the Environmental Protection Agency puts a big dome around Springfield and the laughs get much less hearty. Great supporting characters like Burns, Moe, Krusty, Snake, Apu (this list could go on forever) don't contribute, which seems to me a huge error in judgment.

It's a funny movie that can't sustain itself. Maybe it's enough to just be an all-time terrific, iconic TV show. I still hoped for more from the film.