THE SIMPSONS MOVIE is an animated feature film based on the popular American television series. The film was classified ‘PG’ for mild language, innuendo and comic violence, all of these issues being set within an irreverent tone familiar to viewers of the series.

The BBFC Guidelines at ‘PG’ state that ‘mild bad language only’ is acceptable and the film includes uses of ‘bastard’, ‘ass’, ‘crap’, ‘screwed-up’ and a comic, non-sexual use of ‘penis’. The Guidelines also allow for ‘mild sex references and innuendo’ at ‘PG’, Examples in the film, including Homer and Marge preparing for a romantic night together, are free of strong detail and are unlikely to be understood by young children.

The mild comic violence (including scenes in which Homer is nearly hung by a lynch mob, baby Maggie threatens a monkey with the jagged end of her feeding bottle, and a robot shoots itself in the head) lacks realistic detail or injury, and carries a slapstick quality that will be recognised from the television series and which fits in with the Guidelines at ‘PG’ that allow for ‘moderate violence, without detail … if justified by its setting (eg … comedy …).

The film also contains very mild language including uses of ‘God’, ‘Jesus’ and ‘Christ’.