DAVID SILVERMAN

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BB.5. 

USA, 2007.  Twentieth Century Fox, Gracie Films, The Curiosity Company, Twentieth Century Fox Animation.  Screenplay by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, George Meyer, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, consultant writers Joel H. Cohen, John Frink, Tim Long, Michael Price, based on the television series created by Matt Groening and developed by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening and Sam Simon.  Produced by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Claudia Katz, Richard Sakai, Mike Scully.  Music by Hans Zimmer.  Production Design by Dima Malanitchev.  Film Editing by John Carnochan.  

Television’s longest running sitcom, and one of the warmest, wittiest skewerings of popular American culture, gets its shot at the silver screen with this lovely adventure which basically plays like a feature length episode. Homer really screws up royally when his lazy attitude towards Springfield’s attempts to clean up its environmental nightmare of a lake has him dumping a silo full of pig droppings into the local water source, inspiring the ire of the Environmental Protection Agency. The agency’s leader (voiced quite hilariously by Albert Brooks) convinces President Arnold Schwarzenegger to quarantine the entire city by placing an impenetrable dome around the city, giving the citizens of Springfield a reason to hate the Simpsons, and giving the Simpsons a reason to run, which they do. The animation surprisingly looks gorgeous on the big screen, crisp and colourful at every turn, and while the jokes are plenty and the chuckles are deep, it’s not really an experience that merits the patience required to stay in your movie theatre seat for one sitting. Best to watch it at home.

Golden Globe Award Nomination:  Best Animated Feature