Review: South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999)

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South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

Rating

Director

Trey Parker

Screenplay

Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Pam Brady

Length

1h 21m

Starring

Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, Isaac Hayes

MPAA Rating

Review

“The movies teach us what our parents don’t have time to say” is one of the more insightful lines in the screen version of the hit television series “South Park.”

From the twisted minds of Trey Parker and Matt Stone (both wrote and voiced the film), “South Park” is one of those rare series that are both topical and irreverent. Dozens of groups have criticized the series for putting the foul language of most adults into the mouths of kids, but it is the wisdom behind the series that makes it one of TV’s best.

After two years on television and countless followers, the series has made its first foray into film and it lands with a terrific bang. The series is about four young heroes. There’s “big-boned” Cartman, Jewish Kyle, quiet Stan and death-plagued Kenny.

On Sunday morning in the “quiet little, redneck town” of South Park, Stan finds that the latest import from Canada is showing in town. It’s Terrance and Phillip, two Canadian comedians who “fart and curse” constantly. They have also made it to the big screen and the kids really want to see it.

In an interesting opening number, each of the kids has to convince their parents to go. Stan is first and tells his mother that it’s a “foreign film from Canada.” Kenny’s mother says he can’t miss church, but Kenny insists, so she says that when he goes to hell, he “can answer to Satan.” Next, Kyle tells his mother that he’s going skating and is forced to take his adopted brother along. Finally, Cartman doesn’t have to tell his mother anything, he just goes.

When they arrive, the ticket office won’t sell them a ticket, so they pay a homeless guy to get them into the film. The audience is quite full, but as soon as the farting and cursing begins, the adults in the audience or disgusted and leave, but the kids stay.

The next day at school, they start cursing heavily and are sent to the principal’s office where their mothers are called and they are chastised for what they’ve done. It doesn’t end there, though. The cursing continues with all the children and on top of everything, Cartman sings his television-originated song about Kyle’s mom and she catches him. Then Kenny is set on fire and dies on the operating table. It’s the last straw.

South Park’s parents decide that they will put an end to all of this. First they introduce a “V-Chip.” Unlike those used in television, this chip is installed in children’s heads and if they try to say an expletive, they are shocked. It doesn’t work as they plan, so in a terrifically satiric song, the parents say to “Blame Canada” and they do.

A war begins and Terrance and Phillip are slated for execution. Meanwhile, in hell, Kenny catches word that when the blood of the innocent Terrance and Phillip are spilled, Satan and his minions (including his gay lover Saddam Hussein) will rise and take over the Earth.

“South Park” is a wonderful series and makes a great movie. It focuses on the censorship and blame-laying that has become rampant in recent years. The film is so wise in its analyses that it doesn’t ever come right out and speak its intentions, but lets the story and the actions of the characters pull the idea into the minds of the viewers.

For the most part, the movie is a musical. Every song is superb and each would be worth Oscar nominees, but since most contain a high amount of questionable language, it will be unlikely they’ll even get noticed.

“South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut” is easily the funniest film so far this year. The first 30 minutes are hysterical and the rest is quite amusing. While the subject can be serious, Stone and Parker are able to mold their comedy brilliantly into the film with very little effort.