Everything you expect - but without the bleeps.

Rating: 8/10 (27 December 2010)

Matt and Trey were smarter with South Park. They made their film version when the show still had a lot of momentum, they also had an opportunity to be a little different in the cinema as even though Stan, Kyle Cartman and muffled Kenny were filthy little buggers they couldn't get away with most of the swears that these little 8 year old wanted to say. In the movies? No f*ckin' worries.
The average South Park episode is better than the average Simpsons episode - has been for about 6 or 7 years. The problem is that when both at their very best The Simpsons is clearly head and shoulders above, only The Simpsons haven't been at their best since the mid 90s. For those in their 20s this means there is a real chance that you swear black and blue that Family Guy and South Park kick The Simpson's yellow arses.
Only at this time I am comparing the movies and letting them battle it out for 80 minute supremacy honours, not which show was better over the decades.
The South Park movie takes all the best SP bits, ludicrous premises, sheer genius stupidity, quality musical bits and smart and insightful messages delivered in a profane way by crude cardboard cutouts. Only South Park could take all this sh*t and have it even vaguely make sense.
They also pull the p*ss out of a lot of celebrities (not always the easy targets too) and have the best "post-scene" throw in jokes of any animated show, sometimes the joke has gone and you're wondering if you just heard what you think you did.
This is a seriously short movie but it manages to cram an awful lot in.
(Assuming you know) the boys are going to see the new Terrance and Phillip movie, the romantic comedy (probably) "Asses of Fire". Inspired by the flatulent antics and potty talk they head back to home and school and tell everyone all about it, in no uncertain terms.
After a brief brainwash where the profane tendencies are exorcised from their little cardboard bodies they promptly head back to the cinema for another look, afterwards Kenny is inspired by one of the stupid acts and accidentally lights himself on fire. As you can't live with a baked potato in place of your heart the operation to save Kenny fails and he is sent to hell.
Everyone else is grounded, and Cartman gets a chip implanted in his head that emits and electrical shock if he swears.
Due to their role in the death Terrance and Phillip are arrested due to the shrill barkings of Kyle's Mum and many other do-gooders, America goes to war on Canada (where T&P are from) after the Baldwins are bombed and T&P are scheduled for a very public execution during a big army show emceed by Big Gay Al.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{} Meanwhile in Hell Kenny meets Satan, who is shacked up with the recently killed Saddam Hussein (who wasn't actually dead when the film was made), they announce that the spilling of innocent Canadian blood will allow Satan's rise to Earth, where he can turn it into another level of Hell. Nice.
Kenny's ghost comes back to warn the boys, who in a moment of clarity realise they must stop the execution. Fortunately the war, Satan's rise and the big show where Terrance and Phillip are to be killed all happen in South Park. Lucky! There are a myriad sub-plots and everything wraps up nice and neat, there aren't really many high points but some of the many songs are extremely good, especially "Uncle F*cker" and "Kyle's Mum is a bitch". (What did you expect?) Kenny finally took his hood off which I remember was a big deal apparently at the time, and the boys got to unleash every version and arrangement of the f-word ever thought of.
Final Rating – 8 / 10. Like South Park the TV show over the years. Consistent, full of laughs and good jokes with unlikely situations that somehow make sense. Just lacking that spark of inspiration to push it to greatness.