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The Simpsons Movie Our rating: Your rating:   MPAA rating: PG-13 (for irreverent humor throughout) Genre: Animated, Comedy Theater release: July 27, 2007 by 20th Century Fox Directed by: David Silverman Runtime: 1 hour 27 minutes Cast: Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson and others), Julie Kavner (Marge Simpson and others), Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson and others), Yeardley Smith (Lisa Simpson), Harry Shearer (Ned Flanders and others), Hank Azaria (Moe and others), Albert Brooks (Russ Cargill) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

The Simpsons have been on TV for eighteen years—the second-longest running primetime program behind 60 Minutes. So unless you've been in the Peace Corps for a good chunk of that time or simply don't watch any television, you probably already have an opinion about America's favorite animated family.

The show's creators know this, and, in a stroke of genius, use it to their advantage in the uproariously funny self-aware opening to The Simpsons Movie. Let's face it. Most television shows don't translate well to the big screen, and that's especially true for 15- or 30-minute cartoons that don't have the depth or nuance to expand into feature length. But The Simpsons, with its broad range of slapstick and satire, effortlessly stretches to four times the usual length of a 22-minute episode, yielding one of the most successful television-to-cinema transplants I've ever seen: "Best … feature-length … episode … ever."

America's favorite animated family

OK, as a fan who knows most every episode forward and backward, I admit I'm a bit biased. Since the show's start during my high school years, The Simpsons played a formative role in developing my sense of humor (for better or worse). And while I never tire watching the classic episodes, I've grown disenchanted with the show in recent years, which I attribute to changes in the writing staff.

If you agree that The Simpsons has soured somewhat over the last five years, fear not. The Simpsons Movie reunites several of the veterans responsible for the golden age of the series, including creator Matt Groening, director David Silverman (Monsters, Inc.), and contributing writers James L. Brooks, Al Jean, John Swartzwelder, David Mirkin, Ian-Maxtone-Graham, among others—eleven writers, four consultants, and five producers total (with some overlap). The film recaptures the glory days of the series, confirming that changes in the guard have undermined its quality over the last decade. Suffice to say, fans will love it.

Bart's nude skateboard ride gets him in trouble

The plot has been kept secret more tightly than Harry Potter's final book, and rightfully so. Like most episodes, the less you know, the funnier it is—especially since a Simpsons plot is usually like traveling from Missouri to Illinois by way of Alaska and a slight detour to Bolivia. Let's just say this much: The story begins at church when Grampa Simpson supposedly has a "holy moment" and begins speaking, shall we say, "charismatically." Marge (Julie Kavner) and others deem his words a prophecy of doom for Springfield. Later, Homer (Dan Castellaneta) saves a pig from slaughter, adopts it as a pet, and stores its waste in a homemade backyard silo. When Marge tells him to get rid of the porcine poop, Homer, distracted by a local donut give-away, hastily dumps the swine slime in the wrong place, creating an environmental catastrophe that threatens the future of Springfield, as well as his marriage and the respect of his children Bart (Nancy Cartwright), Lisa (Yeardley Smith), and baby Maggie. And that's just the first 20 minutes.

Leave it to the show creators to come up with a storyline that champions environmental awareness but vilifies the EPA at the same time. But that's long been a hallmark of The Simpsons. It takes shots at everyone and everything, including the Christian church. Which is mostly why I don't get too worked up when the humor wanders into sacrilege. Though nothing is sacred, nothing escapes their crosshairs either. Christianity is mocked a few times in the movie, but it's not a mean-spirited agenda—more an indictment of religion than faith. And despite poking fun at the exaggerated straight-laced qualities of Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer), this film truly loves the Simpson neighbor for honorably showing love to others in need.

When disaster strikes, the Simpsons run for their lives

Besides, much as we all love to laugh at Homer, no one's confusing him for father of the year—or Bart as the model son, for that matter. In spite of the family's dysfunctional breakdowns over the last eighteen years, we know this family cares for each other, and that Homer is ultimately capable of doing the right thing when he remembers to love others over himself. Peel away the layers, and there's a strange sweetness underlying The Simpsons—again, one that's been lacking from the TV show lately, but happily restored here.

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