After nearly five years of production, The Simpsons Movie has been released.

This movie is everything I ever hoped it could be. It’s basically a really good episode, but 4 times longer than anything shown on TV. Virtually everyone from Springfield is present save a few characters (Sideshow Bob sadly is not in the picture). Homer and co. get into a crazy predicament that can be described as appropriately Simpson-esque.

The story is pretty good too: Homer rescues a pig from being killed after a Krusty Burger commercial (for the Clogger–”if you can find a greasier burger, you’re in Mexico!”) and ends up being the straw that breaks the camel’s back for the town. The government steps in to keep Springfield from causing too much global devastation.

I won’t divulge any more of the story (not that I went to see this movie for a good story) but it’s a cromulent effort by all of the writers to create a scenario big enough for the movie theater.

There are so many hilarious moments in this movie it’s hard to keep track of it all. The crowd laughter drowned out most of the subsequent lines spoken so I think I’ll have to see it again.

I hope they make several more movies, as there are so many angles they could go for: an entire Sideshow Bob movie (Cape Feare is still one of my most favorite episodes), a Halloween movie, Mr. Burns is evil: the movie, etc.

In typical Simpsons fashion they totally ignore what initially set them off on an adventure and never resolve it.

Go see this movie, it’ll make you feel happy.

Yesterday I watched the new Transformers movie with some great friends. I’m generally against watching movies made from joys of my childhood (and even more against watching things directed by Michael Bay) but this movie proved me wrong.

It’s neat.

The special effects are very pretty. Downright amazing at times. The acting is very good for this sort of film as well (which sounds like a cop-out).

Shia LaBeouf does an amazing job as the high-schooler who wants his first car turned lynchpin of the First Robot War. His delivery sells the whole picture. At times he’s funny, awkward, horny, and lonely. And, since this is a Michael Bay film, LaBeouf’s Sam Whitwicky becomes a hero too.

There’s a lot to groan at during this movie to be sure (the Bay-cliche of the soldier who just has to get home comes to mind), but unlike some of his other movies the concept isn’t crammed down your throat. Other things to roll your eyes at: a total babe turned grease-monkey, a bad George Bush impersonation, and a Secretary of Defense who agrees that its safer to have the showdown in the populated urban area instead of the isolated location.

It’s all forgivable though. We paid to see giant robots fight each other and that’s what we get. The movie teases us with glimpses of the giant robots and sets us up for a nice finale full of giant-robot wrestling. One bummer: the artistic trends for this decade seem to be zoomed-in action sequences, so we rarely get a full-picture of the action.

If you can, see this movie with some little boys: the ones sitting a few chairs down from me were hilarious—repeating quotes, shooting at the screen, gasping and “wow!”-ing.

Maybe someday we’ll see a live-action version of Neon Genesis: Evangelion (but I seriously doubt it).

Well, the James Bond franchise has yet another entry into it (making 21 movies all in all). Fortunately for the fans Casino Royale is among the best.

It’s important to know that this represents a bit of a restart of the Bond franchise. Casino Royale was the first novel in the series, so we get to see Bond become a double-oh agent early on. The plot is straightforward: due to Bond’s interference the villian must win a 150 million dollar poker tournament in order to stay alive (he owes money to his bosses). Bond’s mission is to bankrupt him in order to get him to seek asylum by the British government.

I’ll reveal no more of the story now. You may know that this year I read through the entire Bond series (at least the Fleming novels, I skipped the others). I was happy to see that this version of Bond isn’t quite the superhero, kill-everyone-and-sleep-with-their-sister the previous ones were (but there is some ridiculous action sequences early on which are quite fun to watch). The Bond of the first novel is quite mortal, and this movie did a decent job representing that. Our hero proudly wears scars and bandages as needed and isn’t afraid to ask for help when he needs it. On the other hand Bond’s ego is his nemesis in this film and he finds himself biting off more than he can chew on more than one occasion.

Bond has a tension filled relationship with the latest Bond-girl Eva Green, who plays the accountant-turned-spy-associate Vesper Lynd. She rebuffs him throughout most of the picture. Sadly the film does little to convey the novel’s misogyny. In the novel Bond is quite unhappy to be working with a woman which allows him to undergo a bit of character transformation. The movie misses out on this a bit which I think is sad.

A minor nitpick from the novels and the film is the character of M, played by Judi Dench. Dame Dench is a tremendous actress to be sure and if M has to be played by a woman I’m happy she is choice. My problem with it is how she conveys her emotions during this and previous films. The character of M rarely refers to Bond by his first name at all. In the novels (except for a few) Bond respects the hell out of M. In this film M and Bond have quite the different relationship. The aforementioned misogny plays itself out between Bond and his boss and I believe that it’s misplaced. It only served to make the hero more of a loner, which this film did not need.

All in all it’s the best Bond movie in years and worth checking out.

Last weekend I saw The Departed, the latest release from director Martin Scorsese.

I’m not among the film-school fanboys who are always ga-ga over anything Mr. Scorsese does, but I can’t help but be impressed with his latest effort. The story is excellent and very compelling. The writing of this film makes it so great (though the opening scene was particularly interesting casting Jack Nicholson in shadows before the opening). The Departed tells a story about loyalty, vulnerability, betrayal and trust.

Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, a Boston state police detective who just keeps moving higher and higher up in the ranks ever since his graduation from the academy. He’s also working for an Irish mobster known as Frank Costello, played by Jack Nicholson. Billy Costigan Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a smart cop straight out of the academy who gets tapped by the undercover division to infiltrate Costello’s gang. DiCaprio expertly portrays a man who is torn between two worlds and can’t find a life of his own anywhere in-between.

The plot unfolds as Costello begins to suspect a rat in his outfit while Costigan insists to his superiors that there is a rat in their organization. The tension plays out slowly as each side keeps their cards well-hidden. As Costello becomes more desperate Costigan becomes more and more fearful. Costigan constantly begs for help from the men who sent him undercover only to be met with denial after denial. Both sides become convinced of the rats in their respective organizations, and paranoia rears its ugly head.

Movies like this generally depress me afterwards as there seems to be so little redemption offered in their tales. Men use and abuse each other, life is disrespected and devalued, and suffering abounds. Stories like this one depress me because they seem so lifelike. If you’re going to watch The Departed be sure to leave room in your schedule to cheer yourself up afterwards.