Review of “The Simpsons Movie” (2007)

The film begins with a theatrical feature of “Itchy and Scratchy” (a cartoon similar to “Tom & Jerry”), and later reveals that the Simpson family is watching it. 

Then the next scene cuts to the theme song, with some changes since it’s a movie and not a normal TV episode. Green Day also performs the theme song without lyrics. After they end, they ask the attendees if they’d like to say something special about the environment – only for that to backfire. Everyone boos and throws things at the band, causing them to slide off their stage and drown in the lake.

At a church service, while Reverend Lovejoy discusses the tragic incident with Green Day, Grandpa has an outburst, yelling out random things. When the Simpsons family gets home, Marge suspects that Grandpa was making predictions.

After Homer saves a pig from receiving cruelty and takes it home with him, Marge freaks out. Meanwhile, Lisa begs the town to stop dumping in the lake. So, the water gets completely blocked off to prevent any littering. However, when the giant canister filled with the pig’s waste gets too full, Homer drives and breaks each wall, and dumps the canister in the lake.

As soon as a local government authority discovers this, a giant dome is placed over Springfield. Once it is revealed that Homer was responsible for dumping in the lake and causing everyone to remain stuck inside the dome, the entire town attacks him and his family. They escape via quicksand from the sandbox that takes them outside of the dome (which Maggie had discovered) and flee. They have to make decisions on what to do from there on.

The movie started out with its normal lighthearted humorous tone. But as it progressed, it became a little darker and melancholic at times. Nevertheless, it kept my interest throughout.

Some of my favorite moments include when Homer has his pig walk upside-down on the ceiling and sing, “Spider Pig” in the tune of the “Spiderman” theme song, when Bart goes through other people’s luggage and wears a black bra on his head saying in the best Mickey Mouse impression possible, “I’m the mascot of an evil corporation,” and when Homer meets a Native American woman who helps him with an epiphany. We even see what happens inside his mind as he discovers his sudden realization of what needs to get done.

But the funniest moment in the film is when Homer dared Bart to skateboard to Krusty Burger and back… naked. When Bart refuses, Homer calls him a chicken, and shortly after, sings “Here Comes the Bride” in clucks. Surprisingly, Bart accepted the dare – only for him to get caught by the police. Luckily, Flanders was there and willing to aid him.

Which brings me to my next point: Flanders is completely different in “The Simpsons Movie” than he is in the TV series. He usually is Homer’s next-door enemy. However, in the movie, he acts more of a fatherly figure to Bart than Homer does. Therefore, Bart wishes Flanders was his dad. 

Fun fact: there is a TV episode where the reverse happens (although I can’t remember the name of it or what season it was).

Anyway, another detail I noticed was the recycling of animated shots and movements. It isn’t just Disney who’s done that with their older movies. And this excludes when Disney bought Fox in 2019.

During the scene where everybody in Springfield forms an angry mob to attack the Simpson family, some shots and moments were also used in “Treehouse of Horror XX” (from season 21). In that special, anyone who ate a burger that had not been processed safely would turn into a muncher, where he or she would function like a zombie. 

But in “The Simpsons Movie,” we know their attacks are because of how angry they are at Homer for trapping them inside a dome.

This movie had its humorous and emotional moments, various twists and turns, and moments that would matter later (see the film to find out). I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars.