Absolutely hilarious, one of the few big-screen TV adaptations which do the original series justice

Rating: Null/10 (8 October 2008)

One of precious few truly great adaptations of television series for the big screen, "South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut" is an inspired theatrical translation of the glorious satirical television show created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Given the freedom of a feature film the writers create something which justifies a theatrical release based on its scale and storyline, but which also avoids (until the last ten minutes, at least) the sort of bloat and/or dumbing-down which is usually the result of a theatrical film version of a TV show, see "The X Files" or "The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse".
"South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut" is a strikingly, uproariously hilarious satirical take on the MPAA rating system, parents' media watchdog groups, Canadian-American relations (okay, so this part isn't so much a satirical take as a bunch of well-written Canada jokes which, as a Canadian, are absolutely hysterical), "Les Miserables", the controversial nature of "South Park" as a television series, and warmongering in general. Like the television show it manages to be political but completely irreverent and uninterested in expressing any form of liking or support for either end of the political spectrum.
The musical numbers are the most memorable and inspired sections of the film, particularly "Uncle F-cka", "Blame Canada", and "It's Easy, M'Kay". The only musical numbers that don't work are the two relatively short ones by Satan, although his beau Saddam gets a really good one here in "I Can Change". Actually, the film would have been perfect had it not included the really unfunny sub-plot with Satan and Saddam. It fits with how cheerfully offensive the movie in general is, but it's just unfunny. These scenes, and the bloated ending (which goes from tolerable to bad when Saddam and Satan show up) are the only problematic scenes in the whole movie, the rest of which is just perfect.
Sure, it's rude, crude, offensive to some, and jam-packed with profanity, but "South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut" is also, much like the best episodes of "South Park", genuinely funny, intelligent, and perceptive, and it has a lot to say. It's brilliant, brilliant comedy.
9/10