Anthony's Film Review - South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)

A very funny satire of the world around us, not just a long episode of the TV series...

There are two types of movies related to TV shows: remakes and extensions. South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut falls into the latter category because (1) the movie's format and appearance is identical to the show it's based on, (2) the show was still running at the time the movie was released, and (3) the plot of the movie is written so that fans of the show see a continuation of the events in the series while newcomers can enjoy the movie as a stand-alone story. You rarely see this kind of movie released. Any TV-based movie these says is a remake and often does not compare to the original.

The movie, like the animated series on Comedy Central, makes fun of people, society, and current events. You can often guess the year a South Park episode first aired because of the things it satirizes. This movie came out the same year when the Columbine High School shootings (where South Park creator Matt Stone went to high school) prompted President Bill Clinton to urge restrictions for movie theaters selling tickets to R-rated movies. However, minors may still find ways around them.

This is exactly what Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny do to watch Asses of Fire, a highly-anticipated movie featuring the flatulent Canadian duo Terrance and Phillip. Now let me digress for just one second. Going back to what I said earlier, this is where the movie is an extension of the TV show. In an earlier episode of South Park, the kids make preparations to see the trailer for Asses of Fire on TV, very much like the hype for Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace around the same time.

Once the kids see the movie, they do what parents fear the most: use swear words and foul language in the classroom. The teacher Mr. Garrison, with his puppet Mr. Hat, does manage to teach them not to swear in an inspiring musical dance number. There's only one problem: the kids go back to see Asses of Fire and become corrupted once again. Now the parents take charge, with one blaming the whole country of Canada for corrupting their American children. This leads to yet another musical number, called "Blame Canada," that actually received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song. In fact, I still remember Robin Williams and a whole cast perform it during the 2000 Academy Awards.

Meanwhile, Kenny dies (for the millionth time). Of course, this death is different, because while Kenny in the show simply gets reincarnated in the next episode without any explanation, we see Kenny's soul in the movie attempting to enter Heaven. Just as he thinks he's going there, mainly because of an angel with large breasts, he actually falls all the way down into the fiery world of Hell. This is where he meets Satan. With him is Saddam Hussein as his gay lover. Satan may not be the purely evil thing everyone believes. In one scene, he is reading a book similar to "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" and then expresses his true feelings to Saddam.

The rest of the movie leads up to the war between the United States and Canada with many hilarious jokes on the way. I will simply let you discover them yourself. Rest assured that if you are a South Park fan, this is one very funny movie and a fine addition to your South Park DVD collection. If you are not a fan, you might either become one or enjoy it as a hilarious satire about all hell breaking loose. Just don't forget that it's an animated film for adults, not kids. Who knows if this movie could lead to World War III?

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, visit the Internet Movie Database.