As a longtime, but not entirely obsessed fan of the Simpsons, I was excited about seeing this movie. The fact that it took so many years for a Simpsons movie to be made is not the least bit important. What is though, is that "The Simpsons Movie" embodies much of what the Simpsons is about, but lacks some of its more endearing elements. The most glaring is that Homer is not just dumb or clumsy here, as he is in most of the TV series. Instead, he is mostly selfish and sometimes even mean. It really takes away from a lot of the humor. Homer's carelessness or absent-mindedness are barely present here. He's funny, but just not for the right reasons. It adversely affects the family dynamic, which is totally what makes the TV Simpsons so charming and addictive.

The relationship between Bart and Ned Flanders is funny. Actually, Flanders may be what's best about this movie.

The animation is nice and if anything, may be a bit too good. It misses the sloppiness of the series. The computer-aided scenes add some new style to the show but they aren't necessary.

Don't get me wrong there a quite a few laugh out loud moments, it's just that overall "The Simpsons Movie" lacks the wit and charm of its long-running TV counterpart.