The Simpsons Movie (2007)

	Directed by: David Silverman	COUNTRY USA GENRE Animation/Comedy NORWEGIAN TITLE The Simpsons Movie RUNNING TIME 87 minutes
	Produced by: James L. Brooks Matt Groening Al Jean Richard Sakai Mike Scully
	Written by (among others): James L. Brooks Matt Groening

Review

It starts with a freshness and sense of inspiration that the series has been missing for a while, and the audience embraces these beloved characters' transition to the big screen. The jokes and situational comedy are among the best Matt Groening has delivered for his beloved Simpsons, as the film makes fun of religion, pollution, and – above all – television censorship. There are some golden moments (such as the sequence involving Bart's penis) that take the Simpsons universe to levels that American television standards have never allowed.

At a sensible 87 minutes, The Simpsons Movie fills a regular full-length cinematic spot with funny and engaging material. Still, the new format also becomes something of a prison typical of TV series converted to the big screen. This mainly concerns the narrative and structural build-up, and a little too much focus on clichéd and largely unnecessary wrapping-ups that not even James L. Brooks and Matt Groening can avoid making overly sentimental and dull. The plot could have needed some trimming in terms of its scope, but these are typical cartoon-to-film problems. They still don't change the fact that The Simpsons Movie is a fulfilling and dignified transition – one that neither will disappoint fans nor scare away new viewers.