The Simpsons Movie (2007)
★★★ — The Simpsons Movie (2007)
After nearly two decades on television, The Simpsons finally made the leap to cinema in 2007, a transition that had been rumoured, threatened, and quietly developed for the better part of fifteen years. David Silverman, a veteran of the show's earliest seasons and the director of several landmark episodes, helmed the project, with the core writing team (including James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean) spending years reportedly drafting and discarding over a hundred different script versions. The finished film arrived at a curious cultural moment, when the show's peak years were well behind it but its global brand remained enormous. It earned over $527 million worldwide against a $75 million budget, making it one of the more profitable animated releases of the decade.
The Simpsons Movie (2007) is a big, loud, colourful extension of the show’s spirit, packed with gags, cutaways, and enough Springfield absurdity to keep kids and casual fans laughing. The plot (Homer’s selfish act pollutes Lake Springfield, leading to an EPA cover-up and a dome sealing off the town) is silly but works as a satirical action-comedy backdrop. There are standout moments: Green Day’s ill-fated cleanup, Russ Cargill’s villainous monologues, the family on the run, and that iconic “D’oh!” echoing through space. It’s funny, fast, and full of heart when it needs to be. But for longtime fans, something’s missing. Compared to the sharp writing and emotional depth of the early seasons, the film feels broader, glossier, and less real. The characters are exaggerated into caricatures, the satire lacks bite, and the story leans too hard on spectacle over substance. It’s clear the show had long passed its peak by this point, and the movie amplifies the flaws, the sentimentality, the formula, the sense that it’s chasing nostalgia rather than creating it. Entertaining, occasionally brilliant, but ultimately a reminder of how far the series had fallen. A fun ride while it lasts, but not the masterpiece Springfield deserved.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2007 | Watched: 2025-09-26
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Disney Plus · Channel 4 Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Related on Movies With Macca
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More animation: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
