Being a fan of The Simpsons for nearly two decades, there was probably no movie this summer I looked forward to with as much breathless abandon as The Simpsons Movie. Would the film live up to the hype? Would it meet my expectations? Or would it be smashed to bits on the jagged rocks of my childhood memories?

Being a Simpsons fan of this magnitude, I questioned whether even doing a review was appropriate. Obviously, I would be biased. But I hedged my bets. I figured there were enough like-minded people in the world that would benefit from not having their dreams shattered if the movie was poor and who would be equally as enthralled if the film turned out to be everything they hoped for. Hence, the words you’re reading now.

For those of you who firmly believe that The Simpsons should have ended over a decade ago when it was still “good” or jumped ship to other animated fare such as Family Guy (an argument I won’t get into), set aside your petty squabbles for the time being. Because, bias or no, The Simpsons Movie is the most fun I’ve had at the movies this year hands down.

What The Simpsons Movie does expertly well is the same thing that the television show does very well – rapid fire jokes and visual gags mixed in brilliantly with social and political satire. For example, in the movie’s opening sequence, The Simpsons are in the audience of an Itchy and Scratchy movie. Rolling his eyes at what he sees on screen, Homer bemoans the stupidity of watching something in a movie they can see at home for free. The audience is in on the joke from the get go and the writers push that gimmick successfully throughout the movie.

One scene has the trademark rolling Fox News scroll advertising fake Fox television programs. “That’s right. We advertise in our own movies now. What are you going to do about it?” it boasts. Shortly after a heartbreaking scene, the screen goes black and reads “To Be Continued.” The writers never treat the audience like morons. They don’t waste time with useless exposition. The launch right into the plot and don’t look back.

It would have been very easy for the filmmakers to cull from the eighteen year history of the show and cherry pick enough references to itself to fill it’s ninety minute running time. Aside from a non-direct, sly visual cue at the end of the film that rewards long time fans of the series, there is nothing cannibalistic about the film in its characterization or motivation.

Instead of taking the easy way out, the writers give us a very topical parable about environmentalism.They don’t take it too seriously. Lisa’s town hall lecture on the subject is called “An Irritating Truth.” However, in typical Simpsons fashion, grand adventure awaits. Angry, torch-bearing mobs, a daring escape to Alaska and arachnid swine. The action sequences in the film take advantage of the entire screen. And, while implausibility runs wild, there isn’t a moment where you aren’t entertained.

It adds nothing from a critical standpoint to attempt to delve in to the films other plot points. Bart’s new appreciation for his Bible-beating neighbor Ned Flanders or Homer’s hallucinatory odyssey toward self-actualization and realigning his priorities towards family, friends and community. As everyone knows, in The Simpsons universe, there isn’t any catastrophe that can’t be neatly wrapped up by episode’s end – just in time for next week’s zany mishaps and adventures. The same holds true here.

My only other gripe with the movie is it’s blend of traditional 2D and 3D animation. While the 3D backgrounds give us breath and scope never before seen in The Simpsons universe, it’s flat color pallet and lack of texture makes some scenes look very amateurish. The film loses some of the hand-drawn warmth of the television show and sometimes looks worse for it.

These issues aside, there has been no other film that I have laughed at longer or more consecutively than The Simpsons Movie and it has probably been the most pleasant movie-going experience I’ve had in ages.