Will somebody please think of the children?...

Rating: 9/10 (31 May 2014)

Being commonly referred as the year that changed movies, it's only fitting that 1999 hasn't lost its historical significance on the field of animation.
The year saw the release of Disney's official last animated feature from the 'Renaissance' era, making a successful torch-passing to Pixar animation with the great "Toy Story 2". Although there is a natural propensity to label "Tarzan" the last classic animated film, in my humble opinion, this honor goes to the contender, the unexpected newcomer that blew me away, as a movie viewer, the movie adapted from a 2-year old TV series: "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut".
The most remarkable achievement of "South Park" is its perfect combination between a classic approach to the genre of animation with all the elements that forged the series' controversial reputation, and I'm not only referring to its use of vulgar humor and profanity but also its satirical treatment of timely issues, at a time where "The Simpsons" was starting to show a slight decline of quality. "South Park" feels like a two-part episode but with nothing to envy from Disney classic films, the plot is coherent, the film takes us in one of these unexpected climaxes like only the show has the secret, and I'll be damned if the film doesn't feature the greatest set of songs since "Aladdin".
The songs deserve a whole chapter. The first time I saw "South Park", I didn't see them coming, it starts with what I thought was a cute homage to "Beauty and the Beast" with "Another Quiet Sunday Morning in my Quiet Mountain Town", a sympathetic way to introduce to all the characters (not everyone is familiar with the show after all). Then, the story takes off when the leading quarter Stan, Kyle (and his cute brother Ike) Kenny and Cartman go to the theater to watch the movie version of Terrence and Phillip, featuring the outrageous song with the titular F-verb involving a family member not to mention a very creative use of fart as musical accompaniments.
Naturally, there is an uproar following the film's release, "South Park" prudish inhabitants, mostly mothers, lead by the dominant and hot-tempered Sheila Broflovski condemn the use of profanity, the vulg.wait, didn't I say that before? You got it, it's a self-referential plot where the creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone anticipate the reception of their own movies, something that can be summed up in a catchphrase belonging to the rival series: "will somebody please think of the children" The mothers form an association in order to protect children and since Terrence and Phillip are Canadian, they don't blame the government, nor society, nor the images of TV, they blame Canada!
And right now, I have the "Canada" march in my ears and without a doubt the song of the year (played during the Academy Awards' Ceremony) "Blame Canada", the only one to be nominated for an Oscar, which is a shame, because there was at least 2 other titles to include. Indeed, "What would Brian Boitano Do?" would have been a great second choice, an example of great writing, catchy music and surrealistic fun. If "The Lion King" had three Oscar-nominated songs, I don't see why, "South Park" didn't get the same respect. What would a good juror do? Blame the Academy!
The plot goes on and on and leads to one of these spectacularly cataclysmic twisted twists we never see coming when we watch "South Park", resolving a question many would have in mind. Indeed, I've often wondered why it took 17 years for the most successful TV sitcom of all-time "The Simpsons" to have its movie while "South Park" was still recent in mind, hell, even Butters wasn't a major player and Mr Garrison was still a man  sadly, even Mary Kay Bergman, pretty much all the female voices in the film was still alive (Rest in Peace to one of the most talented female voices ever whose sudden suicide is the only veil of darkness on the film's shining legacy)
Anyway, I guess the fans will know why the show made a movie so early "South Park" plots often start with an ordinary issue and takes inevitably dramatic proportions flirting with fantasy and surreal humor, it's satire to the extreme. This is why it's not surprising that the last act features a war between America and Canada, Stan's quest of Wendy's Heart and the mystery of the G-spot, and an unexpected cameo from the devil himself and his lover Saddam Hussein  well, I understand the makers won't have a soft spot for the late dictator but I give them the benefit of the doubt, this was pre-11 September era (as if it ever meant something) and not all the members are Hitler-like figures.
But the inclusion of hell is a good plot device as it allows one character to be still preeminent even after his death, you know who I'm thinking of, the one that got killed every episode because of some bastards' move. "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" is everything a film can be : an adventure movie, a satire, a coming-of-age story, a fantasy and more than anything, a great musical, this is Golden Globe, what I'm saying, Broadway material and I hope some producers will think of an adaptation, and I'm only half-joking. Witty, intelligent, subversive, the film is perfect to the point it even questions its own criticism through the very plot it features, not "The Simpsons : Movie", no classic Disney film ever achieved this.
And for that achievement, I applaud the film, and me I don't applaud for not getting immediately the joke behind the title.