[Ralph Wiggum watching Bart skateboarding naked across town]  
” I like men now ! “— The Simpsons Movie

The Simpsons is a classic animated television series that I grew up watching.  It’s been a consistently hilarious, clever and smart series for much of its run.  There’s no doubt that the show has lost some steam in recent seasons and has been very uneven, but its still very funny and at times as relevant as ever.  The Simpsons Movie continues the tradition of earlier episodes of the series mixing the clever and the stupid, the sublime and the silly, and its just really funny and a joy to watch.

The Simpsons Movie has a simple plot that is a take-off for many funny gags and concerns Homer’s selfish decision and his eventual redemption.  Lots of Simpsons supporting characters have funny little scenes and the ending is actually heartfelt.  The Simpsons Movie does a good job spoofing big summer action blockbusters (that we are all sick of by now, I’m sure) and basically plays like an extended episode of the series, albeit, with cleaner and better art and animation and some crude bits that wouldn’t be allowed on the show. 

The Simpsons Movie is an easy recommend for me because its funny and smart.  It’s also comfort food for millions of viewers around the globe and the fact that it has already crossed 300 million worldwide (even though the show is on every day for free, a hilarious joke Homer makes as the film opens) is a testament to this lovable but warped family.  The Simpsons Movie was a surprise box office hit, and even though its can be uneven at times, its an extremely worthy and slick update of the series.   

Film Grade:  B+

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