RETURN TO CINEMATREK HOME

 

THE SIMPSON'S: THE LONGEST DAYCARE

 

This film is precedes "Ice Age: Continental Drift"

 

When I was a kid, family oriented films usually opened with one or two animated shorts - just for the kids.

 

The leader of the pack was Warner Bros with various Bugs Bunny and Tiny Tunes cartoons, but King Features would sometimes release a Popeye 'toon, Bullwinkle found his way to the silver screen and even Mighty Mouse would head a 20th Century Fox flick.

 

As animation became more expensive and studios cut back (gone were the good old days of double feature!) - that treat fell by the wayside. Until recently.

Once again Warner Bros was on the forefront with Coyote Falls, Fur of Flying and Rabid Rider in 2012 - all featuring the Coyote and Road Runner.

 

Fox, not wanting people to forget that they too have animated chops - is featuring "The Simpson: The Longest Daycare" featuring Maggie Simpson. If you recall, the last thing that occurred in the "The Simpson's Movie" (2007) was Maggie spoke! And her first word was: Sequel! So this was no doubt a reminder that a sequel to the film is probably in the works.

 

Th story is simple enough with Marge dropping off Maggie at her first day of day care. Though Maggie is upset, we know her as a plucky little girl - brilliant beyond her years.

 

Though she wants to be placed with the smarter babies, she finds herself tossed in with the kids of lesser intelligence. Soon she encounters a horrible boy who squashes butterflies and frames them as works of art!

She also discovers a caterpillar that is about to cocoon and change into a butterfly. Surely this will be the demise of her new pet caterpillar.

 

It quickly becomes a race to save the caterpillar before the goon boy discovers it.

 

Completely silent but visually stunning, writer and Simpson's creator Matt Groening along with director David Silverman rely on solid storytelling to effect a humorous but heartfelt film.

 

"The Simpson's: The Longest Daycare" is a welcome treat to those of us who remember the animated shorts of yesteryear and a new generation that hopefully will appreciate them.   -- GEOFF BURTON

 

GEOFF BURTON

 

RETURN TO CINEMATREK HOME

 

COPYRIGHT 2012 BY AFROTREK TRAVEL NEWS LLC