Possibly the most amazing thing about The Simpsons Movie is that The Simpsons has been on TV since the late '80s, meaning that there are legal adults today who literally do not know what a life without The Simpsons is like. So it's funny that it should take so long for America's favorite dysfunctional cartoon family to hit the big screen - or that it happened at all.
The Simpsons Movie delivers what you'd expect: the same old characters, the same sharp sense of humor, the same shtick, only with a bigger budget, a longer story, and a few well-chosen moments too risque for network television. The story is about a toxic waste spill in Springfield (caused, of course, by the ever-ignorant Homer) and how it's up to the Simpsons, hunted by their own neighbors, to save their town. But like any good Simpsons episode, it's all about the gags.
I laughed a lot during the film's first 15 minutes or so, as it poked fun at its audience and at itself, then I grew quiet as the plot thickened. In short, I could have done with a few more yuks, and was a little surprised that the talented Simpsons writers - exhausted though they may be after over 200 episodes of the show - didn't save their very best jokes for the big screen. But it was still good fun.
In fact my only complaint, weird though it may be, is with the casting of Albert Brooks as the "guest star voice". There is something about Albert Brooks that I just don't like. I don't find him funny, I don't find him interesting, and I wish they had cast somebody else. However, I guarantee you that you will not even recognize his voice, so this is just a minor glimpse into my own personal bias.