Hello readers and welcome to another edition of The Short Short Review. Just as a reminder, in this column I attempt to review a short film or story in a really short number of words. This week I’ll be reviewing the Academy Award nominated, Simpsons short film, The Longest Daycare in 452 words because the film, with credits, is 4 minutes and 52 seconds long.
Before getting to actually reviewing the film a bit of background on what the film is about and where it was released is needed. For those that don’t know, the Simpsons, which the film is about, is one of the longest running cartoons on television and is about a dysfunctional family of five people. The film was originally played before Ice Age: Continental Drift and is about the Simpsons’ youngest daughter Maggie’s day at daycare.
The premise of the film may seem a bit hokey, but the story absolutely hits the mark. There is not a single line of dialog throughout the narrative but this reflects Maggie very well. In the television show, Maggie never speaks and expresses herself through evocation facial expressions and hand motions. This quality perfectly lends itself to a film about her because well, she is a baby and the film is about babies.
Besides the fact there is no dialog, the story is funny, witty and is reminiscent of The Simpsons’ glory years. There is a dastardly villain, bumper babies and a glue eater that all contribute to the gags. I don’t want to spoil the ending but there are even a few plot twists throughout that keep the viewer on edge.
A good film without dialog requires a fantastic soundtrack and sound effects (see my previous film reviews for evidence of this). The Longest Daycare definitely delivers on this part. The soundtrack is reminiscent of The Simpsons television episodes (AKA really good) and the sound effects evoke the right emotions at the right time throughout the film.
Moving away from the sounds towards the looks and The Longest Daycare still stands out. There is a certain quality that we’ve come to expect from animated films, and especially 2D ones, and no doubt The Longest Daycare raises the bar. The animation is crisp and stands out in comparison to the television series. Additionally, the colours pop and just overall look stunning.
To wrap things up for the week, The Longest Daycare is an adorable short film that is deserving of its Academy Award nomination. Even if you are not a fan of The Simpsons, you’ll find definitely enjoy watching it. As a result, The Longest Daycare gets 4.5 pacifiers out of 5. Stay tuned for next time where I’ll review something weird!
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