The Simpsons Movie Review

It's one of the eagerly-awaited films in years but can "The Simpsons Movie" shrug off the pressure of anticipation and actually deliver? Well the good news is that fans of the yellow-skinned family are in for a treat. The movie sees Springfield quarantined by a huge glass dome when it officially becomes the most polluted place in the country. You can guess who's responsible so soon the Simpsons are on the run. But with Springfield doomed, will the family be able to return, break in and save the day?

Right from the off, when Ralph Wiggum appears in the 20th Century Fox logo, you know this isn't going to be your average movie going experience. The laughs come thick and fast in the first ten minutes as creator Matt Groening tries to settle you in for the long(er) haul and you'll be in danger of laughing so much you miss vital plot points. Things do slow down a touch when emotional elements come to the fore but they soon crank up things up again for an explosive finale which sees Homer trying to redeem himself in an Evel Knievel style so don't be worried that the show may struggle to stretch out to feature length.

All of major characters get a look in - even Itchy and Scratchy feature - although some fare better than others. Ned Flanders lands a major role as he shows Bart how a caring father behaves but fans may feel a bit short changed when they realise that the fantastic Monty Burns gets less screen time than an anonymous special guest. Still maybe that's something that can be addressed in the all-but-guaranteed sequels… and speaking of which, hang around during the closing credits as you may just hear baby Maggie speak her first ever word!