South Park: Bigger, Longer Review
by Jerry Saravia (faust667 AT aol DOT com)July 11th, 1999
I am not sure what I expected from this feature-length version of the cult animated series but certainly not the high-voltage blast of laughs I got from this "redneck mountain town." South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut is a spry surprise: a delightful, profane and inventive film guaranteed to offend, upset and, most significantly, incite laughter from many audience members.
Our good old cardboard cut-out buddies, Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny are back - this time, they are giddy trying to get in to see an R-rated film called "Asses of Fire," which stars two movie stars, Terrance and Phillip. Naturally, they can't get in so they bribe a homeless man into buying them tickets. After seeing the profane film, the South Park kids litter their mouths with four-letter words and objectionable phrases galore. Their parents are outraged and insist on causing a media stir by claiming that the movie is dangerous, and this all results in a war with Canada and a face-to-face encounter with Satan and Saddam Hussein!
"South Park" does not shy away from delivering on its promise as indicated by the title. The movie is bigger (there's a deliciously hellish Inferno sequence), longer (a bit too long even at eighty minutes), and uncut (and proud of it, too). There is enough here to draw ire from all social groups concerned with demeaning values, deteriorated morals, and bad taste in the cinema offerings of today. In a sense, the creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone comment on such issues by making a movie about them (apparently, they fought long and hard with the MPAA over maintaining an R rating for this movie). This is a great, postmodernist hook for "South Park," and it is possible that the series could be enlivened greatly with such inventiveness.
There are many good jokes concerning Winona Ryder, Bill Gates, the Baldwins, the Internet and the litter of adult websites, electric-shock V-chips, abortion, Satan and Hussein's romp in the hay, the question of censorship, parental responsibility versus the media's towards the young, etc. Is this a comedy or a political film? Both, and it was smart and timely for the creators to invest such interest in today's post-Littleton, Colorado issues. Name one other recent film with this much political commentary.
"South Park" runs out of steam after a while partly due to the numerous song-and-dance numbers (some are funnier than others). The characters are still quite engaging (the mortal Kenny is still my favorite) and the situations are clever and involving (the attempt to save the movie stars from possible execution is hilarious). I may draw some ire for saying this but "South Park" should be seen by kids under 18. It is important and addresses many issues with wit and obscenities galore. It is a film of the times, it is about us, and it is about how we live now. Whoever thought a cartoon could have this much potential?
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