Pure Genius

Rating: 9/10 (9 July 1999)

Some people might call it crude, vulgar, the core of the problems in our damned society, etc. etc. but that's exactly what this movie is making fun of. It's pure genius. It's absolutely the funniest movie I have seen in years. Behind the crude and "infantile" jokes and gags, there is a wonderful and heart-felt satire -- really makes you think. At one point or another, it manages to offend just about everyone in the world, but at the same time the message is loud and clear -- there are worse things then vulgar languages -- war, hatred, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, religious brainwashing, violence, ignorance, etc. etc. It's all there. We laugh at them, and then we realize we are living with them.
Aside from the social message (OK, maybe it's not as deep as we thought), the movie is just purely entertaining and hilarious (however, I do suggest you not let anyone under the age of 10 to see this) Making it a musical is just marvelous. The songs are catchy (I can't get "Uncle F**ka" and "Blame Canada" out of my head) and the way they parody the various musicals from "The Sound of Music" to "Les Miserables" to Disney cartoons (the opening sequence is a dead-on parody of that in "Beauty and the Beast") is simply delicious.
The movie is not without flaws, however, like everything else. The third act is a bit weak, especially when compared with the first and second. There were some dry spots and some jokes weren't really that funny by the end. And my personal gripe is that they showed Kenny's face at the end. I groaned. Please, one of the joy of seeing South Park is that we never know what Kenny looks or sounds like or says. So that kind of spoiled it for me. And the relationship between Saddam and Satan dragged on a bit too long. Just like any real relationship, I guess.
rating: *** 3/4 out of **** or A-