The Simpsons was already well into its twilight years when it made a movie, so all the problems with this are the same problems the show sometimes has. Rather than a family who struggles with being low-brow and middle class, all the characters are turned up to 11 as the show kept escalating its plots. This isn't as bad as the worst Simpsons episodes, but definitely feels middle of the road.

If you're going to go to the big screen, you have to bring your best game, and The Simpsons Movie excels at that. Each character is faithful to their TV counterpart, and every Springfieldian gets their moment in the sunlight. The bump in animation allows the creators to be bombastic and show off what the show can do, and still holds up even as the main series' TV animation has caught up. The true highlight of the movie is how the family dynamic is on full display, Homer and Marge's relationship is a beauty to behold, even in the midst of the Jerkass Homer era, and Bart's friction with Homer and hopes for a better life is an interesting layer that, while the show has explored before, is given a fun Flanders twist.. Even though Lisa pulls the short straw in of screentime, the movie holds up to this day.

The Simpsons Movie lives up to the legacy of the show, taking the Simpsons family on an all-new adventure. It's fun as a standalone movie so whether you watch the Simpsons or not, you're sure to enjoy it. However, Simpsons fans in particular will enjoy the cameos from characters from the show.

The Simpsons movie is better than it had any need to be, and while it's not one you'll feel the need to revisit again and again, that's genuinely saying something.