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The Simpsons Movie
Movie

The Simpsons Movie

2007 • Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Woke Score
4
out of 10

Plot

Homer adopts a pig who's run away from Krusty Burger after Krusty tried to have him slaughtered, naming the pig "Spider Pig." At the same time, the lake is protected after the audience sinks the barge Green Day is on with garbage after they mention the environment. Meanwhile, Spider Pig's waste has filled up a silo in just 2 days, apparently with Homer's help. Homer can't get to the dump quickly so dumps the silo in the lake, polluting it. Russ Cargill, the villainous boss of the EPA, gives Arnold Schwarzenegger, president of the USA, 5 options and forces him to choose 4 (which is, unfortunately, to destroy Springfield) and put a dome over Springfield to prevent evacuation. Homer, however, has escaped, along with his family. Can he stop the evil Cargill from annihilating his hometown, and his family, who have been forced to return to Springfield?

Overall Series Review

The Simpsons Movie delivers an extended-episode plot that centers on a classic environmental disaster and family dysfunction. The patriarch, Homer Simpson, is directly responsible for the catastrophe that traps the entire town under a dome, a consequence of his selfishness and incompetence. The narrative focuses heavily on the Simpson family's struggle to stay united amid exile, with Homer ultimately undergoing a self-centered path to redemption that involves saving his family and hometown. The film's primary villains are the corrupt government bureaucrat Russ Cargill and the general apathy of the American public. The humor is sharp and satirical, targeting institutions like the government, the EPA, organized religion, and the media, but the core story reaffirms the traditional nuclear family unit as the only reliable institution. The movie contains characteristic irreverent humor and social critique, typical of the series' 2007 era, but avoids the contemporary focus on identity politics, gender theory, or systemic oppression as core themes.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics3/10

The main conflict is not centered on race, but on the universal incompetence of the white male protagonist (Homer) and the corruption of a government antagonist, who is also a white male. The joke delivered by Mr. Burns about the 'rich white man' being in control is a moment of class-based satire, not a plot-driving intersectional lecture.

Oikophobia6/10

The central premise frames the American town of Springfield as fundamentally corrupt, apathetic, and deserving of doom due to its pollution and Homer's negligence. A high-ranking American government official (Russ Cargill) is the primary villain attempting to destroy the town. Homer's path to redemption includes a spiritual vision quest led by an Inuit shaman in Alaska, which presents a non-Western figure as a source of wisdom needed by the Western protagonist.

Feminism4/10

Homer, the main male character, is portrayed as a bumbling, idiotic, and selfish figure whose actions cause the catastrophe for the entire town. His daughter Lisa is the intelligent, moral, and environmentally conscious savior figure who correctly identifies the problem. The emasculation trope is present in Homer's depiction. However, the film's emotional core is Marge, the wife and mother, who serves as the moral compass and actively fights to keep the traditional family unit together.

LGBTQ+2/10

The narrative does not center around alternative sexualities or gender identity. The focus remains squarely on the traditional nuclear family dynamic and its survival against external threats. There is no presence of gender ideology or discussion of sexual identity as a key personal trait for any of the main characters.

Anti-Theism5/10

The movie employs signature irreverent and satirical humor aimed at organized religion, including the 'phony-baloney God' comment and mocking the churchgoers. However, Marge represents genuine, sincere faith, and the devout Christian neighbor Ned Flanders is shown with underlying goodness, even as he is satirized. The film’s morality is not wholly relativistic, as Homer’s redemption is tied to accepting responsibility and protecting his family, suggesting a higher moral law, despite the religious institutions being ridiculed.