What can you possibly say about The Simpsons Movie? The only ones who don’t know what to expect from it are the seven or so people left in the world who don’t have TV. We’re talking about what’s probably the most consistently great television program ever, and considering that the film is made by exactly the same people as the series, but with more money and less technical restrictions, it would have taken an astonishing amount of effort for it not to be great.

And it is. It’s a feature length episode that nearly matches up to the best The Simpsons has managed to produce so far–and as such, is routinely brilliant, with moments of pure genius, (my personal favorites being the mad cat lady doing her washing, and Ralph Wiggum’s dramatic change in sexual leaning). In typical fashion, the plot starts fairly innocuously, before spiraling off in directions no sane person could predict, via Homer adopting a spider-pig and inadvertently bringing environmental catastrophe on Springfield, leading to a second half which sees the family emigrating to Alaska and then fighting to rescue their home town from insane Environmental Protection Agency boss Russ Cargill.

The thing is, though, as good as The Simpsons Movie unquestionably is, there’s no getting around the fact that you’re basically paying for something that you can get for free on TV (which, to be fair, the makers admit in the opening minutes via the medium of Itchy and Scratchy). Film has little to offer The Simpsons except a longer running time, (and at a scant 87 minutes, it’s hardly more substantial than a double episode anyway), a higher standard of animation, and a degree of plot and character development that goes beyond what the usual 22 minute slots have allowed.

Of the three of those, the length still feels a little unsatisfying, as though the film ends just as it’s really taking off, and the more dynamic directorial style is nice but lacks any kind of wow factor compared to, say, recent Pixar efforts. As for the added degree of depth, it’s a mixed blessing–further dimension to some of the relationships, particularly Homer and Marge’s, is welcome, but subplots that see Lisa getting a new boyfriend and Bart threatening to move in with Ned Flanders feel a little too much like padding.

The upshot is, The Simpsons Movie probably isn’t a whole lot better than watching three choice episodes of the series in a row. But that’s only because the series has been so consistently superb, and it would be both unfair and miserly to not go and see it for that reason. In the end, what you’re paying for is an hour and a half sat in a dark room with one of the finest comedy creations our species has ever produced, and looked at that way, it really is hard to find fault.