Simpsons Movie: Not all that, but close.

Joke-filled at every second, the Simpsons movie lived up to fans’ expectations of wanting a laugh, but the flick was not necessarily an unforgettable experience. Overall the movie’s story line and use of every character one can possibly remember made it seem like simply a larger than life Simpsons episode.

With an environmentally conscious theme Homer makes Springfield the most polluted city in America. His over emphasized stupidity causes rash responses from a government led by President Arnold Schwarzenegger, who looks like an older version of McBain.

As expected Homer’s lack of concentration not only makes him the most hated citizen of the city but also makes him lose–temporarily–the love of his son; be on the verge of divorce–for real this time–and get a new pet that has its own theme song: "Spiderpig, Spiderpig…"

One cannot complain about a lack of creativity.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) comes into play when they put an impulsive, ineffective solution for Springfield’s pollution problem into effect, FEMA inspired? This makes the city go berserk with a survival of the fittest battle after their Big Brother-esque response.

Surprisingly, Ned Flanders has a bigger than expected role, becoming Bart’s mentor and making audiences wonder when the hell he spends time with his own kids–remember they have no mother? Lisa shines on her own too with a new Irish boyfriend and the influence to convince Springfielders to be eco-friendly.

Maggie has her 15 minutes when she challenges Krusty’s monkey to fight her while using her broken bottle as a weapon. Marge appears saint-like for putting up with her husband; and the blunt jabs at American lifestyles and issues are a slap to the face at times.

New characters are introduced, like Boob Lady, and we learn that Homer’s dream life could be made a reality in Alaska. A nearing end-of-days makes church goers go to Moe’s bar and the drunks go to Church; an exasperated Martin Prince finally stands up and beats up his ageless bullies.

Tom Hanks does a cameo advertising the “new Grand Canyon” and yes, Bart’s penis flashes on screen for a few seconds.

An hour and a half-filled with yellow goodness will have viewers reminiscing for some days, and re-watching their favorite Simpsons episodes. The film will assuredly be a hit on DVD with tons of extra features, but for the meantime, if there’s an extra $10 on the budget its worth getting those extra laughs early…and catching Maggie’s first word.