A masterwork of obscene satire and musical animation

Rating: Null/10 (4 September 2003)

First of all, let me just get something out of the way here, and set it absolutely straight before I begin: Ever since mid-August of 1997 (and probably until around early 2000), I was an unnervingly obsessed fan of the phenomenal TV milestone that was Comedy Central's animated series, "South Park". As it premiered in that actual month (August '97), you could say I was with that show from virtually the beginning. Since I had never seen anything like it before, what with its weird construction-paper-cutout animation and unconventional dark humour, I felt I had found the perfect new cartoon to help cope with the fallout from my equally short-lived "Beavis & Butt-head" phase just a few months prior.
Fast-forward to around December of 1998 - the time I became aware of a fact that, at the time, seemed FAR too good to be true: There was going to be a "South Park" MOVIE!!! You have no idea how wonderful this was to me...and after I downloaded the few teaser trailers (the ones that solemnly started off with scenes of high-tech computer animation before shifting to Cartman's likeness), the taste of anticipation was rising furiously. I can say with 100% assurance that I have never, EVER, at any moment in my life before (or since) anticipated a movie more than I was anticipating "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut". It seemed appropriate enough that the film would be released in the summer of 1999 - the exact period when my obsession with "South Park" was at its highest peak! Of course, nothing could ever top that historical moment (at least from my experience) of walking into the theatre with my dad on opening night (naturally!) and finally watching those lights dim to prepare us for a sick, twisted, epic journey unlike anything we would ever see!
At first, like most other hardcore fans, I was shocked initially when news broke that the "South Park" movie was going to be done in the style of - "gasp" - a MUSICAL! As a matter of fact, for a brief moment I was actually doubting the success of this ambitious project...It certainly had the potential to accentuate the show's sudden leap onto the big-screen format. Still, the question was: Would good ol' Trey and Matt pull it off? I wasn't really surprised when I immediately bought the soundtrack upon its release a while before the film's release; by the time I heard the first track's lilting opening Disney-esque score I had forgotten for a second that I was about to listen to something that could be considered about as ANTI-Disney as one can get! Nevertheless, one couldn't deny the impressive fervor with which the composers/orchestra lampooned such generic animated musical stylings. It obviously made me look forward to the film even more...and boy, did the wait ever pay off! I can't say I've had a more memorable, exciting, and just plain good ol' time at the movies! Even my dad (whom I don't think knew much about the show) was chuckling every so often, making me think he was rather enjoying the offensive chaos - although by its end, and our exit from the theatre, there was actually not a word that was exchanged between us until we got to the car. (I guess he didn't enjoy it as much as I thought) The fact of the matter was, however, that I had finally seen something I had considered to be a golden entry into the annals of film history! Even better was the unexpected critical acclaim that was being showered all over this film, praising it for its refreshingly shocking humour, razor-sharp wit, and merciless satire of everything from Canadians to Conan O'Brien! I was very pleased to see that others shared my strong opinion that this film was - in its own unique, special way - a true masterpiece. Filled with showstopping larger-than-life musical numbers, beautifully "evolved" animation (by comparison to the show at the time - I was shocked, SHOCKED, to actually see the children's feet moving when they walked!!), and of course, a record-breaking number of profanities/offensive images, "South Park: BLU" is one for the ages. Call my taste questionable if you must, but I am (and always will be) an unabashed admirer of such an outrageously fun show, that I never thought could ever follow up to such cinematic success (it didn't). "South Park", as a show and ESPECIALLY as a movie adaptation, has done wonders with influencing my sense of humour, as well as some of my own views of the world and celebrity culture (whether that's for better or for worse is left open for interpretation). It's one of my favourite films of all time, and that will never change.
VIVA "LA RESISTANCE"!!!