Voegelin
30th July 2007, 11:10 PM
'The Simpsons Movie' does exactly what the wonderfully witty show does on the small screen -- only bigger
Baltimore Sun
By Michael Sragow, Sun Movie Critic
July 27, 2007
. . . The series has always dared to depict Homer and Marge as part of the fallout from the remnants of '60s pop culture. They're like every conservative's nightmare of the loss of discipline and purpose that fell upon the American household in the past 40 years. But the makers of The Simpsons Movie adore Homer and his clan.
And they shower the same mix of ridicule and affection on that opposite patriarch, Ned Flanders, who is so traditional and devout that when he sees a horrific multi-eyed mutant on a mountain trail, he praises the Lord for allowing him to witness the latest evidence of intelligent design . . .
The secret ingredients of The Simpsons Movie are humanity and reality. The tension between Flanders' genuine Christianity, complete with charity, generosity and fellow feeling, and Homer's id-centered selfishness has never been exploited for more cutting effect .
Humiliated by his dad once too often, Bart turns to Ned to discover the pleasures of a pat on the back or a cup of hot cocoa. The film displays heart without going soft: Its humor is rooted in observation, like the way Ned builds that cocoa, from the steaming liquid and the whipped cream and wafer to a marshmallow, toasted, on top . . .
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-to.simpsons27jul27,0,3785301.story?coll=bal-local-utility
Baltimore Sun
By Michael Sragow, Sun Movie Critic
July 27, 2007
. . . The series has always dared to depict Homer and Marge as part of the fallout from the remnants of '60s pop culture. They're like every conservative's nightmare of the loss of discipline and purpose that fell upon the American household in the past 40 years. But the makers of The Simpsons Movie adore Homer and his clan.
And they shower the same mix of ridicule and affection on that opposite patriarch, Ned Flanders, who is so traditional and devout that when he sees a horrific multi-eyed mutant on a mountain trail, he praises the Lord for allowing him to witness the latest evidence of intelligent design . . .
The secret ingredients of The Simpsons Movie are humanity and reality. The tension between Flanders' genuine Christianity, complete with charity, generosity and fellow feeling, and Homer's id-centered selfishness has never been exploited for more cutting effect .
Humiliated by his dad once too often, Bart turns to Ned to discover the pleasures of a pat on the back or a cup of hot cocoa. The film displays heart without going soft: Its humor is rooted in observation, like the way Ned builds that cocoa, from the steaming liquid and the whipped cream and wafer to a marshmallow, toasted, on top . . .
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-to.simpsons27jul27,0,3785301.story?coll=bal-local-utility