The transition of the much-loved and occasionally reviled TV series South Park to feature status on the big screen is quite an achievement for its creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who co-write and co-produce, Parker directs and they voice some of the more familiar characters.
In making their point about the hypocrisy of protecting children from life's filth they fling this so-called filth at the audience with reckless abandon. The key characters of Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and Stan are so influenced by sneaking into an R-rated Canadian movie that their conversation instantly becomes rife with expletives. Their classmates follow suit. Kyle's mother becomes an activist, inflaming the nation against the unrepentant Canadians to the point where war is declared.
Kenny meanwhile is undergoing his usual life threatening experiences. Kenny's then thrust into hell where Satan is in a turbulent relationship with Saddam Hussein. This fascinating scenario is dotted with Disney-like songs, but South Park is a long way indeed from Disney animation in sentiment. Perhaps lacking the cleverness of some of the best moments of the TV series, South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut is a brave attempt to fly in the face of contemporary attitudes to the media, censorship and freedom of speech.
