Mmmm ... Box Office Smash

Despite some mediocre reviews (including mine), The Simpsons Movie raked in the (wait for it) d'oh this weekend, making it the highest-grossing debut for a traditionally animated feature. Obviously, there are a lot more Simpsons fans out there then anybody realized.

In a nutshell (mmmm ... nutshells), I felt that the movie, while funny at times, lacked anything unique to say as a feature film. The show has been on the air for going on 19 seasons, and it's clear its glory days are behind them. Perhaps if the movie had been made earlier in the series' run, or was handed over to a fresh writer (instead of nine-plus people who have been churning out the "d'ohs!" for years now), it may have turned out a better movie experience, not merely a good extended TV episode.

Meanwhile, for a look back at the best Simpsons movie parodies, visit the Film Babble Blog. And for the gay view on the franchise, the San Francisco Bay Guardian lists the 10 reasons why they love Springfield, and PlanetOut.com offers their own "Ultimate Gay Simpsons Quiz".

UPDATE: The Simpsons Movie is now available on DVDfrom Amazon.com.