“Why pay for something you can see at home for free?”

That is the question Homer Simpson poses during the opening minutes of The Simpsons Movie. Of course, Homer is asking this of his family, who are hunkered down in a Springfield cinema, enjoying the latest Itchy and Scratchy film, but this wink-nudge moment is obviously an indictment of us; the audience paying to see the big screen debut of a series that is not only still in production, but also runs nearly around the clock in syndication. With twenty-plus years and more than four hundred episodes under their belt, what could the series creators possibly have left in their comic arsenal that could fill an entire motion picture? As it turns out, quite a bit and then some, as The Simpsons Movie manages to avoid the television-to-film pitfalls of recycled jokes and plotlines, and offers easily the most entertaining and original Simpsons adventure in years.

Springfield is in a state of environmental emergency. After years of its citizens dumping waste in it, the town’s lake is now a toxic stew that is literally one illegal dumping away from becoming an environmental hazard. While the townsfolk work diligently to clean up the lake, Homer Simpson finds himself a new obsession, as he’s adopted a pig from the set of a Krustyburger commercial, and has set up a silo in his backyard to house the animal’s waste. When Marge orders Homer to dispose of the pig droppings at the waste disposal plant, Homer opts to avoid the long lines, and throw his silo into the lake, resulting in a bubbling cauldron of noxious gases, mutations, and the scrutiny of the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA decides that the only way to minimize the damage to the environment is to place Springfield beneath a large dome, trapping its residents within, and leading to the formation of yet another lynch mob bent on killing Homer and his family. Meanwhile, Lisa falls in love with a young boy equally dedicated to the environment, Bart accepts Ned Flanders as a father figure, and Marge’s allegiance to her husband is tested by a government attempt to wipe Springfield off the face of the earth.

The Simpsons are at their best when pop culture and the politics are at their worst, and the writers take advantage of the past two years worth of follies and foibles in their patented bi-partisan way. No one is safe, from the republicans to the environmental watchdogs to Green Day (who are killed in the film’s opening salvo), as it seems that the world’s plight has energized the creative team behind the film (many of which are alumni from the series’ most fruitful seasons), delivering some of the biggest laughs since Homer prayed to a waffle stuck to his kitchen ceiling (mmmmmm…sacrilicious). Of course, none of this would matter if the film didn’t have a grander scale than its television origins, and I’m happy to say that The Simpsons Movie looks fantastic, with a fluid (dare I say Disney-esque?) style that merges modern animation techniques with the series’ old-school style for a balanced and satisfyingly cinematic experience.

While The Simpsons Movie isn’t perfect– I was a bit bummed by the fact that many of my favorite characters were reduced to one line, if any lines at all, and the rapid fire jokes miss nearly as often as they hit – The Simpsons Movie is still amongst the funniest films of 2007, and, thanks to the loads of little details and jokes you may have missed the first time around, is one of those movies you'll find yourself hankering to watch again and again.