Rated PG-13 for irreverent humor throughout.
Directed by David Silverman (The Road to El Dorado, Monsters Inc.– co-director)
Starring the same crew that does the voices for TV
As a huge fan of The Simpsons I definitely enjoyed the movie, but I honestly struggled with whether it was “THEATRE WORTHY” or just a good “RENTAL.” After all, a film better be pretty good to be worth the second mortgage that it costs to go see it in the theatre. I think it was “as good as” some of the better episodes I’ve seen over the years… which I really enjoy. But as a true Simpsons’ fan, there was something fun about seeing it on the big screen.
The storyline isn’t anything special. Homer messes up big time and the whole city of Springfield suffers for it. It’s up to Homer to redeem himself and save the town.
The film makers did use this opportunity to do a few things that they couldn’t do on TV. This is of course good AND bad.
The good:
- They use the opportunity to do a new beginning sequence—a part of the show that Simpsons’ fans thoroughly enjoy.
- The animation was superior to the weekly show.
- They cashed in on some funny moments where they made fun of the fact that this TV show was being offered as a movie—very funny stuff.
The bad:- They didn’t use the opportunity to cash in on a bunch of cameos. They had the normal amount (basically Tom Hanks and Green Day). I’ve seen episodes with more cameo voice talents.
- Some of the past TV episodes had better storylines.
The ugly:- Not limited by TV censoring… they crossed the line even more than the weekly show has done (which is quite a line to cross). I found myself cringing a couple of times (like when we get to see even new parts of Bart’s anatomy, and when good ol’ wholesome Marge busts out with the words “G– D–mn!” (Et tu Marge? Et tu?)
But the film did deliver some very funny “Simpsons” moments. One of my favorite moments was a quick scene when the town is going through a huge crisis. They show a distant shot of the church and Moe’s bar. When the crisis hits… everyone from the church runs outside and runs into Moe’s bar, and everyone in Moe’s bar runs outside and into the church… basically switching places. Classic.
The film also delivers what the show has delivered for years: an unbiased glimpse at many of the ‘ugly elements’ of church and our society. The film shows us the hypocrisy in the church and attitudes that really exist (Homer grabbing a Bible and saying “This book doesn’t have any answers!”).
But as always, the creators of The Simpsons also reveal the other side of the coin in the character of Ned Flanders. This concept is always amazing to me because it’s very evident that the writers of The Simpsons don’t like Christians or the church. Yet, in the character of Flanders, they reveal an authenticity of a true follower of Christ. Sure, they mock his innocence and naivety… but they also seem to give a silent nod of respect to the man.
In the movie Homer is doing some of his typical antics where he leaves Bart feeling hurt and alone. Like a good “neighbor,” in the true Biblical sense of the word, Flanders is there for Bart. Flanders demonstrates a true unconditional Christ-like love when no one else does.
For some reason the writers won’t seem to violate the authentic character of Flanders. Ned has somehow stayed true to the faith over the years, coming through again and again with acts of kindness and righteousness in times of diversity.
Shout out to our brotha Ned!
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
I don’t let my kids see the TV show… only certain archived episodes; just a little too much mud in the water for them to see clearly. So I probably won’t let them see this. (Read the “ugly” section above.)
Side Note:
As said above, we don’t recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
