fun fastpaced comic adventure

Rating: Null/10 (27 January 2000)

The animated feature length film "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" is an endlessly creative, imaginative and high energy version of the hit TV show. But amidst all the unbridled crudity, clever movie musical parodies and incisive social commentary, the question must finally be asked: is it funny? Actually, not as funny as it could be or as it thinks it is but amusing enough for a rollicking good time, provided one is able to overcome the nagging suspicion (one its makers are more than happy to instill) that one is witnessing the beginning of the end of western civilization as we know it.
The makers of this film show a remarkable ability to look inward, turning the spotlight on both their own product and the cultural phenomenon of which they are a major part. In its plotting, "South Park" wisely goes the route of self-parody having enormous fun with the issue of censorship (particularly in the realm of foul language vs. violence as sources of offensiveness), while pushing the envelope of tastlessness about as far as it will go. In its tale of a group of youngsters "corrupted" by their exposure to a crude R-rated feature from Canada and the hysterical overreaction by a group of irate parents (actually resulting in a war against Canada), the filmmakers are obviously addressing the issues surrounding their own creation.
"South Park" sparkles most in the ingenious parodistic musical sequences which brilliantly approximate in both style and sound those found in productions like "West Side Story" and "Les Miserables" (with lyrics that would get them banned in Boston of course). The animation matches the sound in its inventiveness and high energy style. Much of the imagery also echoes sweetly those "Peanuts" cartoons of yesteryear.
So, given all these virtues, why does the film not register more highly on the laugh meter? I suspect that it arises from the fact that the makers too often fall into their own trap of expecting the constant repetition of foul language to be a source of comedy in itself. Unfortunately, though i am far from offended by such a barrage of obscenity, I am also not much amused by it. Hopefully, most adults have long since passed the stage in their lives when the mere utterance of toilet humor can elicit a burst of hysterical laughter. Luckily, the filmmakers provide enough creativity in story and style to make "South Park" a very entertaining piece of entertainment anyway. One simply regrets that it isn't a funnier film all around.