Fan Expectations for 'The Simpsons Movie'

July 27, 2007 — -- "The Simpsons Movie" opens today, marking the end of a near decade-long slog to bring the series to the big screen. While diehard fans and summer moviegoers alike will likely line up in droves this weekend, the film's opening comes at a strange time in the series' 19-year run.

After all, critics have long attested to the series' downslide over the years. The writing has not been as consistently funny or clever as it once was. Irony has been replaced with absurdity, the outlandishly witty with the witlessly outlandish.

Still others bemoan the movie's belated release. Eight to 10 years ago, they argue, it would have shattered records; now it's arrived late to the ball.

Some reason that the show peaked in the early '90s, and a sizeable chunk of the show's fan base believe the show is past its prime. The noticeable—but not great—drop-off in ratings does little to dissuade from this line of thinking.

But the film may be able to reverse this downward trend. Interest levels definitely rose leading up to the film's release, and mostly positive reviews have been trickling out today. According to Yahoo, Internet searches about the film recently doubled due to clever marketing moves like 7-11's Kwik-E-Mart campaign.

Despite the rise in interest, fan expectations remain difficult to gauge. A mixed bag seems to be the norm: Some proceed with cautious optimism, others seem less enthused. Still others seem unable to get over the fact that they will be shelling out $10 for something they can see for free on TV.

Longtime fan Jeffrey Jackson Karb says the movie "will be a disappointment in that it will more closely mirror the newer episodes." Karb's comments point to a clear divide among the show's fans. Some hold the early seasons in the highest esteem and consider more recent episodes to be products of an obvious decline. Others mark a steady continuum of solid humor and timely satire.

Haynes Lee, who works for the Simpson Archive, a fan Web site, has high hopes for the film. "I found the 'The Simpsons' has been running out of ideas the past number of years and the episodes are repeating plot elements from previous seasons. However, for the movie it looks like they will not fall into this cookie cutter deathtrap…I predict it will be a summer blockbuster."