The vulgar and ridiculous sometimes get to the heart of matters...

Rating: 9/10 (27 February 2011)

This is my comfort movie. When I'm sick, when I'm tired, when I've had a bad day, this movie makes me feel better. It's on my personal Top 10 List of Awesome, and I can't think of Juvenilian Satire done better.
Yes, this movie is crude, and rude, and other words that end in 'ude'. That is kind of the point. South Park always has, and continues to, point out the ridiculousness of our world in a blunt and disgusting way. They point out, and play with, taboos and things we're not 'supposed' to joke about.
I could go on about the parallels in this movie to the initial responses Stone and Parker received making South Park. I could talk about how the movie points out the ridiculous double-standard that Hollywood has regarding content; how the MPAA, and many others, believe that hearing profanity or seeing sexual content will have a greater damaging effect on the population than seeing glorified, gratuitous violence that dehumanizes the on-screen victims. I could even talk about the excellent use of the adults in South Park as representatives of the mob mentality, as well as a population that is complacent in allowing TV to raise their children until they hear something they don't like. I could write essays. I'm sure people already have. South Park is a smart show, and the movie is no exception. Many people can't get past the vulgarity, which is a real shame. They are truly missing out on excellent social commentary.
What I will says is all this movie needed to win me over was Stan's opening ensemble number and Satan's insecure neediness and Disney Heroine-esque solo. And neither of those songs holds a candle to "La Resistance." If you're uninterested in reading too much into the message or purpose of your movies, this is a hilarious musical parody from start to finish. There is a ton of pay-off for fans of the series, which doesn't get in the way of new-comers enjoying the film.