When I first heard they were making a South Park movie, my expectations were low. For one, I thought the series itself had run out of steam long ago - it's popularity as well. After it's nice first season, every episode was about some monster or plague attacking the town of South Park, and it just stopped being amusing. The T-shirts and slogans got a little less trendy as well. The movie, I expected, would be a 90 minute mediocre continuation of where the show was at, and would probably bomb.

I was pleasently surprised.

I know the movie didn't do badly at the box office, though it's R-rating kept much of it's core audience out of the theatre. But it took some coaxing from a friend to actually rent it.

Turns out South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was one of the smartest, funniest and dead-on satires to be released by a major film studio in a long time.

It actually has a good issue to deal with, and it was quite timely: basically, sex, violence, and crude language in entertainment (something the highly sexual, violent, foul-mouthed South Park is no stranger to), and the censorship sought by parents.

The plot is as follows: a new movie, Terrence and Phillip: Asses of Fire, has been released. All the kids want to see it, but it gets an R rating. So the kids have a bumb pretend to be a parent, and get in to see it anyway. In the movie, Terrence and Phillip light their farts on fire - so after the movie, aside from gaining the knowledge of some swear words, the South Park kids emulate this themselves. Except their little friend Kenny accidently catches fire and dies in the hospital. Sound funny? Well, Kenny's dying is no big deal because it happens at least once in every episode of the series. But here it is particularly graphic, and this time we actually follow him...to hell. There, a recently executed Saddam Huisane and Satan himself, who are by the way - gay lovers, plan to take over earth. This is made all the easier when an ancient prophecy is about to be fulfilled allowing Satan dominance over the universe - Terrence and Phillip are to be executed by the American Government for the content of their film! Terrence and Phillip are Canadian, by the way, and the Canadian Gov't decides to go to war with America until the farting comedy duo is freed. Whew - complex? Anyway, it's up to the South Park kids to make sure Terrence and Phillip aren't put to death so Satan doesn't gain control of earth. Sure, this Satan seems like a sweet guy so it's not clear why that would be so bad - except for the excessive fire - but it makes for a nice oppertunity to bash the MPAA, parental advocacy groups, and even South Park's own influence on children.

It will however, alienate most of the people who would benefit from it's message. It's filled with dirty words, mocking of religion, brutal violence, and even a giant talking part of the female genitalia.

But those who aren't too stuck up and don't vomit easily, it's pretty damn funny and makes some good points. It also contains some catchy musical numbers, one of which was actually nominated for an Acadamy Award!

The show itself has even come back around since the movie - and captured a satirical spark of it's own, spoofing every issue from gays in the boy scouts, to sex education in school, to even our current 'war on terrorism'. I'd even dare to say it's currently smarter and more witty than the Simpsons is anymore.

So despite it's popularity with younger kids and abundance of toilet humor, South Park isn't the brainless romp many assume it to be, and the movie is a pretty good balance between crude humor, and top-notch social commentary.

Highly recommended for those who love to see society skewered with smart and subtle comedy.


Recommended:
Yes