South Park: Longer, Bigger, Uncut review

 Number 499 on the top 1000 films of all time is the animated black comedy 'South Park: Longer, Bigger, Uncut.'

This film was inspired by the TV series of the same name and featured all out favourite characters including Cartman, Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Chef. The four boys sneak into an R-rated, Canadian film called Asses of Fire. It is a vulgar and crude film that influences them to start swearing profusely. Their mothers start campaigning for the film and the creators to be executed - sending a moral panic across the US. Meanwhile, after dying one too many times, Kenny is consigned to hell where he discovers a secret plot between Satan and Saddam Hussein to take over the world.

I'm going to preface this review by saying that I don't like South Park. I have watched the first season and I found it juvenile, repetitive and boring. This film is supposed to be a satire of censorship. People should have the freedom to joke about what they like without any consequences. I get that, but I think there were more subtle and sophisticated ways to have gone about it. A lot of the film's humour is based around shock factor and being as offensive as possible. That's all well and good, but that type of outrage humour only works in moderation.

Sure it might have been funny hearing Kyle and Stan sing about "Uncle Fucker" or Cartman telling Mr Garrison to "suck my balls," once or twice, but hearing it over and over became very tedious. I'm sure I'll get some denouncing me as a liberal snowflake, but I don't have a problem, as such, with the content of the jokes, but with how they were told. There is a small clip of Chinese people - drawn in stereotypical ways, singing the Uncle Fucker song in mock Chinese. I am of a Chinese heritage and I didn't find this offensive. In fact, it was so silly, it was actually funny. It's a shame there weren't more jokes like this instead of the monotonous use of vulgar swear words in lieu of any humour.

I much preferred the subplot concerning Kenny, Satan and Saddam Hussein. Not only are the two conspiring to take over the world, but they're also in a relationship. This was so ridiculous that it was hilarious to watch. To see two of the evilest people in history become a bickering, married couple was a clever and funny idea.

South Park wasn't the movie for me. I didn't find it funny. As I always say, there isn't anything wrong with dark/shock humour, as long as it's clever, and not just shocking for shocking's sake.