The opening act is so fast on the jokes, it's hard to keep up from laughing at the last one. Homer's total helplessness when it comes to anything pays off in spades while he's trying to do chores, and Bart's naked skateboarding trip through town has all kinds of phallic objects blocking the way. Actually, all these jokes are obvious, come to think of it, but they're staged so well and with such reckless abandon, it's natural to forget that fact. Take the naked skateboarding. There's been a highly publicized rumor going around about Bart's full-frontal moment, and it's there. What makes the joke work is that even though it's expected it, it's still almost easy to miss. Political stuff's here, too, like when Lisa uses a scissor-lift to show how bad the pollution in the lake will get, a la An Inconvenient Truth, but by the end, the townsfolk are really only convinced they need a new lift. Oh, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is the President ("I was elected to lead not to read.").

Then there's the troublesome plot. Springfield's in trouble. The Simpson clan is exiled. They leave their home to go to Alaska. Family conflicts arise. Why do these television adaptations always feel the need to go all gloom and doom when it comes to the story? Here, the movie loses considerable steam. It takes the characters out of their natural environment and never finds anything worthwhile for them to do. Bart begins to actively disown Homer, and Marge starts down the path to leaving the big, dumb, lovable lummox for good. The entire town is ready to be destroyed (the side characters—such an important part to the show's ability to stay fresh—remain on the side), while Homer goes on a hallucinatory trip of self-awareness (which was done better on the show when Johnny Cash voiced his spirit guide). The movie gets too plot-heavy and only on one occasion finds the guile to plant its tongue in its cheek about it ("To be continued… Immediately"). Even the climax involves a digital readout on a bomb. It's hard to fathom that this is the same movie that only an hour or so beforehand interrupts a plot moment with an ad scroll for a game show on the Fox network popping up at the bottom of the screen.

For what it's worth, I did laugh. A lot. And hard. The first half hour is pure comic gold, but the rest is weighed down by the movie's unfortunate, misguided big-screen aspirations. The Simpsons Movie is a valiant first try, and if baby Maggie's first word during the credits comes to pass, let's hope the second attempt embraces the ironic tone of the first act here.

Note: I'm aware that Maggie has spoken before, but the family hears her this time. And the voice isn't Elizabeth Taylor or James Earl Jones. The movie does have a great cameo by Tom Hanks, but he's not Maggie either.