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 Reel Life with Jane!Get the latest scoop on family-friendly movies at the theatre and on DVD! THE SIMPSONS MOVIE by Jane Louise Boursaw
Should you bring the kids? Best for kids 12 and older. Bart ends up naked and chained to a pole in the first few minutes, which is a tad disturbing. For more info, see "Bringing the Kids" below. THE STORY: It's hard to describe this movie in a few short paragraphs, because there's a lot going on. But here goes:
Family disharmony, government conspiracies, love lost and found, cameos by Green Day and Tom Hanks, and a naked Bart all play into the storyline. There are some good laugh-out-loud moments, but you might not be bowled over unless you're a big fan of the show – which I'm not. But I was pleasantly surprised to laugh my way through most of it – especially the Tom Hanks part. Note: The TV series, currently airing on the Fox network, is the longest-running animated series in history (18 years) and the longest-running prime-time show ever. And it's just been renewed for two more years. Not bad for a bunch of mustard-colored people. And politically incorrect mustard-colored people at that. If it's a really dumb thing to do, you'll find it on The Simpsons. BRINGING THE KIDS: PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): With a PG-13 rating for "irreverent humor," best to keep the little ones away from this movie -- and the TV show, for that matter. A better preschool-centric show about family is Max and Ruby, currently airing on Noggin and Nickelodeon. Despite conflicting agendas, preschool bunny Max and his 7-year-old sister, Ruby, manage to play together, go on camp-outs, and have lots of fun at the same time. GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): Sure, it's a cartoon, but like Futurama and Family Guy, the humor of The Simpsons is really aimed at older kids and adults. There's plenty of slapstick cartoon violence, horrible role models, and sexual / drug references. And Bart ends up naked and chained to a pole in the first few minutes of the move, which is a tad disturbing. For all these reasons, I don't recommend this movie for kids younger than 12. TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): The beauty of The Simpsons is that it makes fun of everything we see in the headlines every day, and the writing is really clever and witty. You either "get" The Simpsons or you don't. The people who get it will love this movie. The people who don't will still get a few laughs out of it. JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM : One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it. Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender. Three Reels: Pleasant. Something to talk about. Four Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of. Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries. Visit her online at www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or email jboursaw@charter.net
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 for irreverent humor throughout.
That loveable oaf Homer Simpson (voiced by Dan Castellaneta) ends up getting a pet pig and filling a giant silo with pig crap, which he then dumps into the lake. In turn, the lake gets horribly polluted and starts producing frogs with 13 eyes. So the EPA steps in and seals off the town of Springfield with a giant glass dome, so as not to infect the rest of the country. No one can go in or out. Townspeople storm the Simpsons' house with torches and try to hang them.
The Simpsons manage to escape from the dome and head north to Alaska. But Marge (Julie Kavner) can't live with the fact that Homer created this whole mess. So she takes the kids and heads back to Springfield, determined to help the town out of this mess.