Family fortunes... The Simpsons Movie
Simpsons fans have been waiting for a big screen tale about Springfield's most dysfunctional of families for almost as long as Marge's sister Selma has been looking for a good man. So perhaps it's no surprise that the critical response to the film is a little lukewarm.
Most of the critics agree that bringing back some of the original writing team, which made the show such a hit during its first 10 years, has helped. But there are also those who wonder whether the movie is anything more than an expanded version of one of the show's half-hour episodes.
Writes Empire's Ian Nathan: "The Simpsons Movie has been 10 years in the making. During this tricky decade, the one factor the crew of 11 writers (their finest) had trouble settling on is how a movie version of the half-hour Springfield spins would be different.
"Eighty minutes after Itchy nukes Scratchy on the moon (the literal opening salvo) you realise that the problem may have defeated them."
Sheila Johnston in the Telegraph writes: "In the course of the series' 18 seasons, some original fans have become jaundiced with its bald yellow anti-hero. Others wonder whether the half-hour television format will stretch to feature length. The answer to the latter concern is: on the whole, no."
But others are far more positively disposed towards the yellow denizens of Springfield. Our own Peter Bradshaw writes: "So many movies promise what they could never deliver in a million years. The Simpsons movie gives you everything you could possibly want. Like Homer with his nachos, I could gobble it up until nightfall."
Across the pond, Time's Richard Corliss opines: "The little miracle of the movie is that this plays out at four times the length without giving you a headache. The film finds its own pace, and it keeps its personality. It doesn't try to be ruder or kinkier, just bigger and better."
Did you see the film over the last week? And if so, what did you think? Please let us know by posting your comments below.
