Director: Trey Parker
Writers: Trey Parker & Matt Stone and Pam Brady
Producers: Trey Parker & Matt Stone
Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker
Cast: - Trey Parker
- Matt Stone
- Mary Kay Bergman
- Isaac Hayes as Chef
Voice Talent (amongst others):
- Dr Gouache: George Clooney
- Brooke Shields: Minnie Driver
- Saddam Hussein: Saddam Hussein
- Dr Vosknocker: Eric Idle
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The latest work from that mad comedy team, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the ones who brought us the television series "South Park", has just hit the big screen. "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" has everyone talking.
The basic story line? Well it's complicated and bizarre, but what else would you expect: "Asses of Fire", an R-rated film starring two Canadian comedians, Terrace and Philip, succeeds in raising a storm in the small Colorado mountain town of South Park. Having conned their way into a screening, Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman give the film their thumbs up, encouraging their third grade classmates not to miss this Wow of a movie. Foul language spreads like wildfire and the incensed parents introduce measures to re-educate their children, and declare war on Canada! Somewhere along the line Satan and Saddam Hussein get into the act, along with the Canadian and US military, but all ends happily, after all this is a musical!
Parker's first feature-length, live action film was "Cannibal The Musical", an "Oklahoma" style telling of the life of the infamous Colorado cannibal Alfred Packer (or so the press notes tell me). Here Parker once more indulges in his "love" for the musical with memorable songs such as "Blame Canada", "Up There", "Eyes of a Child" and "Kyle's Mom is a Bitch". Be warned; all those wonderful tunes from recent musicals such as "Les Miserable", and those stunningly choreographed Busby Berkely routines from the Hollywood musicals of the 30s will never be quite the same again, once you've seen how Parker & Stone re-work them.
Needless to say the film is full of the offensive kindergarten-style humour we've come to expect, delivered by deceptively simple-looking cartoon characters. But how offensive is it really and how crude in its style?
Well the targets of this humour are many and varied: television censorship, military policy, racism, popular culture, crude cartooning, politics, software billionaires. Nothing and no-one is exempt, and every PC attitude is fair game.
Confronting, intelligent, aware, "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" is kindergarten humour brought alive by sharp intelligence. It becomes a critique of American society and some of its most cherished ideals. The film challenges you with every frame. Be prepared to be shocked, to laugh, but also to question.
Fans of the series will love it. It has all your favourite elements from music to characters and extends from memorable moments in the series. With an MA rating much of the film is aimed at adults - and if you are not easily offended, sit back, enjoy and don't take anything too seriously.
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