7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman sneak into an R-rated movie and it warps their fragile little minds. Soon their indignant parents declare war on Canada and our young heroes are America's last hope to stop Armageddon.
Starring: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, Isaac Hayes, Jesse Howell (I)Comedy | 100% |
Dark humor | 55% |
Animation | 45% |
Musical | 20% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French track is also 640 kbps
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
That movie has warped my fragile little mind.
South Park, Colorado. It's a quaint little country town, surrounded by serene, snow-peaked
mountains. The town seems the ideal slice of Americana; a diverse population, crisp mountain
air,
and a public school system shaping the minds of tomorrow are but several of the town's many
enviable features. On the surface, it's the quintessential "any town, USA," but look deeper and
find
South Park to be not-so-perfect. Thanks to the many exploits of four friends -- Eric Cartman,
Kyle
Broflovski, Stan Marsh, and Kenny McCormick -- South Park has been a hub for alien activity;
destroyed under the power of Mecha-Streisand; witness to They Live-style fights
between
crippled children; the home to unsavory scientific experiments
involving pig and elephant DNA; and plenty of other decidedly politically incorrect exploits that
place
the
town in jeopardy, test the sanity of its citizens, and threaten to warp the fragile little minds of its
youth on a seemingly daily basis. Now, in their big-screen debut, the people of South Park face
their biggest challenge yet:
Canada! Oh, and Satan and Saddam Hussein, too.
This candy has warped my fragile little waistline.
South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut debuts on Blu-ray with a pristine 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Though made for the big screen, this is still "South Park," and it still features the crude animation that reflects the show's construction-paper origins. Characters appear flat and simple by design; many seem to waddle rather than walk, but it's all part of the show's charm, and that same charm is retained in the movie. Colors are many, bright, and accurate. The boys wear their typical garb -- Cartman in a red jacket and light blue cap, Kenny in an orange jumpsuit, Stan with a brown jacket and dark blue hat, and Kyle in an orange jacket and green cap -- and while every shade is basic in appearance, they are rendered with pristine accuracy and appear as they were meant to. The detail in the animation is as good as it can be. Viewers will see construction paper-like textures on walls, clothing, and other assorted objects. The film does mix some more realistic imagery in the bowels of hell where fire has a decidedly lifelike appearance, and it meshes surprisingly well with the animation style. This Blu-ray disc presents South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut as it was meant to be seen: crudely animated but colorful, and there's no single blemish that jumps out to ruin this most faithful transfer.
South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut features a solid Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Though the image may be simple, the soundtrack is anything but. It's decidedly front-heavy through much of the film, but it steps up when called upon, during the musical numbers and the big action sequence at the end of the film in particular. All of the tunes sound great, streaming out of the front speakers with a noticeable boost in clarity and definition across the entire range when compared to previous home video incarnations. A hard rock tune that accompanies Kenny on his journey into hell shakes the soundstage with a hearty amount of bass, and it is here that the surround speakers feature their first bit of intense action as they deliver several sweeping, discrete sound effects. The military confrontation in the film's final act delivers plenty of good surround effects; sound effortlessly traverses the entirety of the soundstage and explosions pack a surprising wallop. Dialogue reproduction is smooth and accurate; whether Mrs. Broflovski's high-pitched, squealing voice or Mr. Mackey's more subtle, relaxed and deliberate vocal deliveries, the "South Park" characters have never sounded so good. All in all, this is a mix that should satisfy listeners both new to the film and veterans of all its vulgar goodness.
Unfortunately, South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut arrives on Blu-ray with but a handful of extras. The primary draw here is a commentary track with "South Park" co-creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. A brand-new commentary, this is a retrospective piece where the pair look back on the movie in the context of having an additional 10 years of "South Park" experience under their belts. Claiming not to have seen the movie since its release, they criticize the animation, reflect on how the movie came about, the hard work that's involved in making a movie, the studio's initial desire to make a PG-13 movie and their insistence on going all the way with the R rating, and more. It's nice to hear the duo deliver a full-length track; their commentaries on the previous "South Park" releases are billed as "mini commentaries" and offer only a fleeting few minutes of insight per episode. Of course, fans are going to want to listen to this one from beginning to end. Also included is the "What Would Brian Boitano Do" music video (480p, 2:45) and the film's teaser (1080p, 0:56) and theatrical (1080p, 1:32 & 1:50) trailers.
Offensive, obscene, and uproariously funny, South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut is not for every audience. It takes an audience member that's almost completely de-sensitized to get through it, and anyone that's unprepared is sure to be shocked and dismayed by what Stone and Parker have put on-screen. Still, for those that understand the finer nuances of "South Park" and are familiar with Stone and Parker's master ability to mesh decidedly politically incorrect social commentary with outrageous humor will come to see the movie for what it really is behind the onslaught of obscenities. Paramount's Blu-ray release of this fan favorite is technically sound. Featuring a perfect 1080p transfer and a solid lossless soundtrack, the disc only lacks a more complete supplemental section. Nevertheless, fans will want to pick this one up in a hurry. Recommended.
1999
Bigger, Longer & Uncut
1999
Bigger, Longer & Uncut 4K
1999
2002-2006
20th Anniversary Limited Edition
2004
2012-2013
2006
2007
2012
2012
2008-2010
2022
2016
1983
1996
2009
1993
2020-2022
2005-2012
Unrated
2015
2009
2002