Three stars (PG-13)
Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner

Does the long-awaited big-screen adaptation of The Simpsons deliver on its promise? No, but then again, my expectations were huge. There are lots of funny moments, but not as many big laughs as I expected. There are tender moments, too, but they are handled more melodramatically than on the TV series. Still, the movie has plenty of pleasures to offer. Once you realize what The Simpsons Movie isn’t, it’s easier to appreciate what it is. 86 minutes.

DVD INFO: Two separately packaged DVDs are available. One preserves the film in the anamorphic widescreen format, while the other hacks off nearly a third of the feature for the fullscreen (aka pan & scan) version. If you buy the fullscreen version you’re crazy. Both versions include two commentary tracks, deleted scenes and some promo material.