BrianKoller's Full Review: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
The biggest surprise of "South Park" isn't
that it is offensive or blasphemous, or
even that it is funny. The surprise is
that it is consistent, that the movie ends
too quickly instead of dragging, and that
it never loses its edge.
The plot is clearly secondary to the satire.
The pre-pubescent kids of South Park sneak into
an R-rated movie starring a pair of foul-mouthed
Canadians. The kids pick up the lingo, offending
their easily offended parents. Soon, the two
Canadians are arrested and scheduled for execution
as the finale of a USO show. This triggers a
war between the U.S. and Canada, providing an
excuse for Satan to rise from hell to conquer
the Earth. But not to worry, it's just a comedy,
and there is a happy ending.
I have never seen an episode of "South Park",
so I can't compare the film with the movie.
The animation is crude, but with an edge.
The point may be that animation isn't always
about seamlessly replicating real life, but
that it can create its own (and in this case,
jarring) world.
If "South Park" is anti-animated, then it is
also an anti-musical. There are many songs,
some with the slick orchestrations and
stagey choreography of past Hollywood musicals.
Manipulative, maudlin ballads are parodied
by having the misunderstood, 'sensitive'
Satan sing his fantasy of living a hedonistic
gay lifestyle on Earth. By the way, the
Saddam Hussein character may be the most
bizarre comic relief sidekick you'll ever see.
Among the film's revelations is that George
Burns and Gandhi are in hell, and even seem
to be enjoying themselves there. If there
is a hell, "South Park" believes that we
are all going there.
As for the dialogue, half of it can't be
understood. Perhaps I'll rent the movie
someday and find a VCR that plays in 3/4
speed, and perhaps closed-captioning may
provide a translation for tragic Kenny's
muffled exhortations. Of course, the actual
content of the dialogue isn't the point.
This isn't Shakespeare, and the message
seems to be that societal prohibitions
against obscenity only serve to make the
'profane' words more powerful.
I could go on and on about "South Park"
and its commentary on censorship, patriotism,
war, romance, homosexuality, race, and
role models. But I'll save all that for
the sequel. They are making another one,
right? (78/100)
The now-legendary animated series makes a big-screen splash with a feature-length film that features the same crude animation but now has the license ...More at Family Video
Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman sneak into an R-rated movie and it warps their fragile little minds. Soon their indignant parents declare war on Canada ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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