The Longest Daycare (2012) User Reviews

I pretty much enjoyed watching The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare before the latest Ice Age movie

[tavm · 8/10 · 11 August 2012]

Just watched this Simpsons short in 3-D before the latest Ice Age movie with my movie theatre-working friend just now. In this one, Maggie is dropped in daycare with the "nothing special" toddlers especially one baby boy who likes to stomp on things. It's there that Maggie bonds with a caterpillar who she tries to protect from that same boy...This was quite funny with many clever sight gags including one involving Ayn Rand. Since only mom Marge is the only other one from the family that appears here, this was dialogue-free. Liked the use of some classical music in the scoring and seeing some of the other kids from the series in some scenes. So on that note, The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare was worth it watching before the main feature.

Good, but short

[neil-476 · 8/10 · 20 July 2012]

This is a short (5 minutes) film featuring Maggie at her daycare centre: denied the stimulus of contact with the brightest kids, she is placed with her nemesis, the thuggish monobrowed baby who, in this story, kills butterflies.

There is no dialogue, just a simple story, loaded with sight gags, and with a terrific payoff. It is in the familiar Simpsons animation style, albeit in 3D which is reasonably effective but far from essential. It works well, as an ice-breaker (pun deliberate) for the 4th Ice Age movie, which it precedes.

A minimal, but welcome, addition to the Simpsons canon.

Good, but how is this much different from watching these characters on TV?

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 2 February 2013]

I have been going to the theater on a pilgrimage for quite a few years now each January-February to see the annual showings of the Best Animated and Best Live Action Shorts. I am lucky enough to live in one of the few places in the country that shows it each year. Now what I am about to say might offend some, but it seems that compared to most years, this year's crop of animated shorts is not as good as usual. While I liked a few films, I didn't love any of them--and no really memorable film was in the lot (such as a couple recent winners, "Logorama" or "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore"). Now this is not to say not to see them--but none bowled me over, that's for sure.

I enjoyed "The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare" quite a bit--and the people in the theater seemed to like it as I heard a lot of laughs. However, I wonder how it got nominated. Apart from being shown in 3-D as a short before a feature film, it just felt much like seeing a TV episode of "The Simpsons". While this TV show is great, it isn't original and I can't see rewarding a film for giving us more of what we've been seeing for over 20 years. Good but nothing special.

Good, but despite the Oscar nomination, Simpsons has done better in its past

[bob the moo · 19 February 2013]

I heard of this short film because it was screened about 6 times in one day in the UK when it was released and the weekend paper informed me that it was one of the animated shorts up for the Oscar this year, so I figured I should give it a look. The plot sees Maggie enrolled in daycare only to find another baby in the "meh" class is smashing butterflies. Maggie saves a caterpillar from a similar fate and tries to keep it safe until it can become a butterfly. The plot is simple but it is played out wordlessly and with a sense of operatic melodrama that is clever despite not totally working.

It is clever, but not as clever as it should have been; it is funny, but never as funny as it should have been and it is sweet, but never as heartfelt as expected. The biggest problem it has is the stable that it comes from, because the legacy of The Simpsons is a massive shadow to escape, either generally or specifically. I say specifically because this short film is in the shadow of not only the golden era of the show but it isn't even the best "Maggie in the nursery" that the show has produced, since the Great Escape sequence in the Streetcar episode was stronger and funnier than this.

It is still good though and it is worth a look even if it isn't up to Simpsons at its best but then, in fairness, what is?

(Annoyed grunt)-Day

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 6/10 · 7 March 2020]

'The Longest Daycare (2012)' is a 'Simpsons' short film focusing on everyone's favourite TV baby, Maggie Simpson. It walks on familiar ground, being reminiscent of a sequence in the episode 'A Streetcar Named Marge (1992)', and clearly takes inspiration from animated cinema of the 1940s and 50s. It is, however, animated in its source show's 'new style' and, as such, is relatively flat compared to most other animated shorts. Still, the piece is enjoyable enough. It has a succinct, simple-to-understand story and some decent referential humour. It's not hugely exciting, but it's engaging and contains a nice little 'twist' at the end. It's entertaining. 6/10

Very good short featuring my favorite Simpson

[llltdesq · 9/10 · 16 January 2014]

This short was nominated for an Academy Award. There will be spoilers:

This short, which is without dialog, takes place at The Ayn Rand School For Tots. Maggie is left there by Marge and is incorrectly labeled of average intelligence. Of course, she spends the rest of the short proving she's anything but that, as she safeguards a caterpillar through its various stages from the predations of the unibrowed Gerald, another baby and her enemy from time to time.

There's a chase scene and lots of very nice visual touches throughout the short. The ending is perfect and allows Maggie the opportunity to chew the scenery, like any good ham actor would.

Well crafted short which is well worth watching. Most recommended.

Just like a 5 minute segment of a 'SIMPSONS' TV episode.

[Hellmant · 6/10 · 6 February 2013]

'THE SIMPSONS: THE LONGEST DAYCARE': Three Stars (Out of Five)

A 'SIMPSONS' animated short that was actually nominated for a 2013 Oscar! It's 5 minutes long and focuses on Maggie Simpson's adventures at an Ayn Rand Daycare center. As she's placed with the normal kids, she longs to join the gifted children but then makes it her mission to save a butterfly cocoon from an evil Baby Gerald instead. The movie is somewhat humorous if you get a kick out of Maggie but nothing really special. It's just like a 5 minute segment of a 'SIMPSONS' TV episode. It was directed by David Silverman, who also directed 2007's 'THE SIMPSONS MOVIE' (and written by many of the same writers). It also played in theaters before 'ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT'. Why this is up for an Oscar is beyond me but if you like the 'Simpsons' you're almost sure to enjoy.

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6yq7kwUUDQ

Great to see The Simpsons on the big screen again,please keep this up,

[lesleyharris30 · 10/10 · 2 July 2012]

The Longest Daycare is a fantastic short that shows before Ice Age 4.I t was great to see these characters on the big screen again,even if it was just Marge and Maggie.Matt Groening has confirmed that there will be more Simpsons shorts in the future,and I'm delighted to hear this and I hope its gearing us towards a sequel to The Simpsons Movie.I enjoyed how we saw Maggie as the main role in this because it was silent and it reminded of Charlie Chaplin and the old Mickey Mouse cartoons.

Marge sends Maggie off to the daycare for the day and Maggies enemy,Gerald,the baby with one eyebrow,is cruising butterflies for fun.Maggie friends a butterfly that resembles her blue bow,and must free the butterfly before Gerald gets near it.

Beyond first glance humor!

[trashindi · 7/10 · 11 April 2022]

The longest day-care instantly starts off an ironic foot when we are introduced to Maggie Simpson entering a day-care for tots named after Ayn Rand, a philosopher who put forward the idea of objectivism. The basic premise of objectivism is that that each individual holds the ability to live a rich, fulfilling and independent life and the irony stands out when a sign in the school assures the freedom of the good will be probed. As we move forward, a punch is shot at our faulty education system that categorizes the complexity of the human brain into basic, one-dimensional absolutes of either being gifted or average using often incorrect tests. A gloomy board stating they won't be able to achieve anything and the absence of an authoritative figure in contrast to the gifted section is a dig at the way the system puts all their hope into the gifted thus overburdening them over time while demotivating the average ones which is sure to impair our society in upcoming times. A colourful butterfly enters Maggie's field of vision, a visual relief from the bleak blacks and greys and the sheer desolation in the room (and the perceived future of the average IQ kids as per the education system) but a boy who has failed his lice detector test suggesting a possible neglectful background leading to his sadistic pleasure is seen crushing the butterflies. Butterflies are a popular symbol of hope and this crushing of hope baffles Maggie who has just arrived here. Maggie further enchanted by a caterpillar tries to hide it from the apathy of the boy and while fleeing encounters a book namely goodnight cocoon, the title and cover similar to the book goodnight moon, about which Writer Ellen Handler Spitz suggests that it teaches young children that life can be trusted, that life has stability, reliability, and durability. And we eventually leave on a hopeful note as Maggie labelled average, using her presence of mind brilliantly rescues the butterfly from the clutches of the boy and sets it free.

The music and colour palette showcase the fragile emotions of a child. As the mother leaves, a sombre tone plays as a lonely Maggie, stares at her mother as she leaves, the hallways suddenly appearing so scaringly grey and daunting. As the screening process goes on, the music grows dense and booming as Maggie is shifted from one stranger's hands to another's. The gifted area encapsulates a very vibrantly lit room accompanied by a very peaceful but grand music but the very next minute it tapers off into desolation. The arrival of butterflies is accompanied by hopeful tones each time. The music propagates various feelings from grandiose enlightenment to suspenseful between the span of her encountering the book to running from the boy. When the boy stamps the butterfly, the music stops and paves way for a melancholic and overwhelming tune with the boy being shown from such an angle and under such a light that he appears to be this horrifying monster. The final twist is accentuated by the music and as the butterflies preens away, the innocent joy of doing something so insignificantly significant plays in our hearts and ears.

To the Simpsons' haters, here's a "pacifier"...

[ElMaruecan82 · 10/10 · 22 December 2017]

I generally don't indulge to Top Ten lists, but it won't take much time to see the film, so there's no need to make a thesis about it. The short is brilliant and here's why you should give it a try. Lesser said, the better. Ten Reasons to Watch "The Longest Daycare":

1/ It's about Maggie Simpson. I think we can count the Maggie Simpson-related episodes with two hands, she's the least represented and developed character, which also makes her the freshest and most original to some extent. We just can't get enough of Maggie, anything that puts her under the spotlight is welcome.

2/ Short cartoon is the right format. While she's a member of the most iconic TV family, she can't carry over her frail little shoulders the weight of a long narrative, but four minutes are perfect to tell a poignant and whimsical story with a proper beginning, middle act and ending. As they say, brevity is the soul of wit.

3/ It is silent, which is also fitting for her character, who only speak in non-canon episodes of for the sake of some inspired gags. Here, we speak her non-existent language, made of raises shoulders, jump scares, running, toddling and frowned eyebrows. We see the world through the perspective of a little baby with all the joys, fears and thrills induced by her small size. The silent format also allows the film to exude some Golden Age vibes (the opening screen shot is similar to Donald Duck's cardboard) and work like something Chaplin would have endorsed, I mean it.

4/ There's a heart in the story from its positive attitude toward animals and a brain through its sharp comment on human methods (especially to detect intelligence in children), both mix perfectly with comedy, the drama works on an emotional level, the comedy on an intellectual one. As they always do.

5/ The film has a bad-ass villain and consecrates Baby Gerald's finest hour, needless to say that the final word belongs to Maggie and she's as heroic as Gerald was naughty.

6/ There's a clever Checkov Gun's in the film and without spoiling it, I'll say the story makes good use of one of Maggie Simpson's trademarks and it's not the one you think, and it's one you don't see coming, say no more and don't try to anticipate, let the story unfold.

7/ The animation is top notch without being too sophisticated, but it also shows that the Simpsons universe is so rich and multi-layered it can work on every format, feature film, TV episode, an episode of a TV episode. If the series ever stopped, I can't see what would prevent them to get back to their roots.

8/ The ending. A short is generally as good as its ending and this one doesn't disappoint.

9/ The run-time again, at four minutes, it's pretty short even for a short but at least it doesn't try to add new material or stuff up the story for the sake of it, we get right to the point, the middle-act leads to a great culmination, and with an emotionally rewarding ending, and a wonderful "A-ha" moment one's not ready to forget.

10/ It was nominated for an Oscar, that should tell you how at least worthy of your attention it should be.

That's all, folks, enjoy your short. Unlike Maggie with her pacifier, it doesn't suck! More seriously, I know this review is preaching a choir, but I wish someone who's not a fan of the series will read this, because the merit of this little gem is that it doesn't depend on any appreciation of the show, it's a standalone little masterpiece.

Maggie Saves the Day

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 28 July 2019]

I enjoyed the fact that the daycare Maggie is left in is named after Ayn Rand. She experiences the whole "virtue of selfishness" thing, being pushed around. I've been through the whole Rand thing, suffering through pretentiousness. Look at our world today! Anyway, Maggie doesn't succumb to the slings and arrows and manages to think her way through the long day

Brilliant Simpsons short film

[wedfan-52803 · 8/10 · 14 September 2023]

I watched Maggie longest day care short film today on Disney plus and it brilliantly music composed by hans zimmer and the animation quality was standard and good in the film and i liked the scene were the butterflies land maggies forehead that scene tickled my throat and I liked the scene were Maggie goes on the mini train around day care park that scene was so adorable and the special effects in the short were 21st century quality and I also liked the ending scene were Marge picks up Maggie from day care centre back to evergreen terrace that scene put a tear to my eye and I totally enjoyed the film.

Not Short Enough

[giggitygiggitygoo451 · 4/10 · 27 February 2013]

The question The Longest Daycare raises is "what is the point?" Overall, it's an interesting enough experience, and it is certainly an antidote to the spectacularly awful standard of the television show for the last few years. But as a standalone experience, it just seems kind of pointless.

For starters, the story isn't exactly the most original ever conceived. We see Maggie being dropped off at daycare by Marge, and she is then left to fend for herself against her arch-nemesis, baby Gerald. Let alone the fact that this kind of story has already been done in various different ways a couple of times, it has also been done much better. The television episode "A Streetcar Named Marge" deals with Maggie being sent to Daycare, and we've seen baby Gerald several times also, so there really isn't many new ideas raised here.

Also, Maggie is actually quite a strong character considering she rarely, if ever, talks, but despite this she is the one Simpson that tends to be forgotten about, so a short based solely on her probably was never going to work particularly well anyway.

It does, however, allow the writers to work without dialogue, which is an interesting idea that we haven't seen from the Simpsons before, and is the strongest aspect of the short, and is certainly the best way to deal with a story based on Maggie.

Unfortunately, this doesn't save the story from being weak, and the adventure Maggie embarks on in daycare is pretty lacklustre and not particularly exciting or entertaining. Couple that with the brand-new animation, which I firmly believe only reminds us that this isn't the same show that was so legendarily hilarious and of such high quality back in its prime, and we're left with merely another hollow shell of what The Simpsons used to be.

The Longest Daycare is another example of the traps the show has fallen into these last few years. The new-age animation can't make up for poor stories, unfunny scenarios and wasted characters. This kind of material is fine for low-rated, low-quality shows struggling to get by, but it shouldn't be enough for The Simpsons.

Proves the decline of the world's yellowest family

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 29 June 2015]

I would usually be careful with such a statement as I have not seen a single Simpsons episodes in its entirety for years, but this 5-minute short film was truly forgettable. I thought it had really only one single moment, which was kinda good, namely when Maggie did not get to sit and play with the gifted kids but with those who had no future and we see her disappointed face there. The rest (which was basically Maggie going against a mean little boy) was neither funny, nor somehow dramatically relevant. One interesting aspect is that, fittingly with Maggie, there is no dialogue in this short film. Then again, we see nobody but Marge from the family and also only for a very short period of time.

There is some irony to the fact that it was actually the smallest Simpson who got them their first Academy Award nomination after the full feature film from 2007 came short and "only" managed a Golden Globe nomination. Then again, I probably should be more surprised that "The Longest Daycare" actually managed nominations at the Annies and Oscars. In my opinion, it was far inferior to the actual winner "Paperman" and also worse than most of the other nominees. Oh well.. in any case this did not get me motivated at all to get back to watching the Simpsons again. Maybe, I will give it another go if they make another theatrical release at some point, but I haven't heard about plans for that. For these five minutes here, not recommended.