Recently I had a chance to see "South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut". Hell, I watched it four times in a 24 hour period, which I guess spoils the final rating in the end of this review. SP:BL&U is the big screen version of one of the most original and hilarious TV series to ever come along. If you've never seen the South Park series, when you finally do you will either want to watch it again, or want to start a letter writing campaign to have it removed from TV. There are very few in-betweens when it comes to this show.
First off, don't think this is just an extended episode of the crude cartoon that airs on Comedy Central, as it's much more. It is BIGGER than the show, with enhanced animation in spots which works as an interesting juxtaposition along side the simple animation of the South Park characters. It's LONGER, naturally, which brings us to UNCUT. Let me give a word of warning, this is not a kid's movie. This movie damn near got itself an NC-17 rating, and had it been a live action film would have pushed the boundaries of an X rating.
The story goes like this- Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny head off to the movies with a song in their heart to see "Terrence and Phillip: Asses of Fire". Fans of the show will know Terrence and Phillip as the Canadian stars of a crude and crass series that the South Park kids love so well. After paying a homeless person to get them in past the R rating, the kids hear Terrence and Phillip hurl obscenities at each other and sing a catchy, slap- happy song about being an "Uncle F#*ker", and naturally, being impressionable youths with open ears and eyes and hungry minds, they think that it's all pretty sweet. So off to school they go, where they start hurling some EXTREMELY colorful words at each other, the other kids, and the teacher. What happens next is a nightmarish snowball effect in the little mountain town which shows what happens when people get it in their heads to blame someone for all of societies problems. Eventually Kenny dies (surprised?) and goes to hell, war is declared on Canada, and before it's all over the world is on the brink of Armageddon... all because of the Terrence and Phillip movie.
Most of it is Kyle's Mom's fault anyway. What a bitch.
What makes this movie so funny is that it's a big production cartoon musical, kind of a "Walt Disney meets Maxim magazine". The movie is peppered with hilarious and downright vulgar songs from start to finish. Like most musicals they break into numbers which start small and end up with the entire cast at times singing and dancing.
I freakin' hate musicals.
Maybe that's why I find the whole thing so hilarious, it's the first musical I just can't seem to get enough of. NOTHING is sacred to the South Park creators, and nothing is sacred in this movie. Whether you want to see Satan lamenting in song about how Saddam Hussein only wants sex and doesn't want to talk anymore, or Bill Gates meeting a nasty end while trying to weasel out of being faced with the limitations of Windows 98, or Winona Ryder amusing the American Troops fighting the Canadian scourge with slippery stage antics featuring Ping-Pong balls, this movie has surprises and twists around every corner.
Plain and simple, this movie is brutally funny. Howlingly funny. Blisteringly funny. Sometimes the humor comes from the fact that you simply cannot believe what you have just seen or heard, and sometimes it comes from the fact that it's just so witty and well written, but this movie will make you laugh till you pee yourself.
Of course, if you're a prude who can't take anything stronger in content than a Donny and Marie rerun, then avoid this movie. People call each other crude names, they light farts, they puke in each other's faces, and Saddam Hussein takes the Lord of Darkness from the rear. In fact, if this review has offended you in ANY way whatsoever, then do yourself and the rest of the world a favor and don't see it. Go rent that latest Olsen twins thing instead.
Everyone else, be prepared to laugh, and sing, and all that.
I would have to call "South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut" the funniest movie of 1999. I can't remember laughing this hard in a long time. I'll never be able to look at Canadians the same again.... or Cartman's mother for that matter.
In this world that has gone WAY overboard on being politically correct, it's sure nice to see a movie that not only flips the bird in the direction of the PC movement, but literally waves it's pecker at it.
Until next time, the balcony is #&*%ING condemned.
Dr. Torgo