Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

South Park: Post COVID Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 6, 2022

When there's a national crisis, a global event, a political fallout, a social meme, or any other number of events that grab headlines, one can be sure that South Park will usually be right behind with its own spin and spoof of it. That was true of the pandemic-shaped season 24 which included only two longer-length episodes: The Pandemic Special and the South ParQ Vaccination Special. Here are the follow-up longer-format episodes Post COVID and The Return of COVID (and there has been some "controversy," er, chatter, about whether these episodes are part of season 24 or not) that continue in the South Park tradition of both tearing down in satire and ironically commenting on the key issues of the day, in this case more of COVID, but post COVID as, in, really post COVID.

Post COVID (59:29): It is 40 years in the future, and the COVID pandemic is finally, mercifully, winding down. The boys are all in their late 40s and have moved on with their lives. Kyle and Kenny still live in South Park, but Stan and Cartman are off doing their own thing. When word comes to the boys that Kenny -- a brilliant scientist -- has died, the boys, and many of their other friends, reunite to discover what happened to Kenny, and why. It turns out that Kenny was working on an ingenious plan to discover COVID's origins and stop it by attempting time travel. The experiment ultimately killed him, and it's up to the boys to discover any clues that might lead them to the truth of what was really behind the forty year pandemic.

Post Covid: The Return of Covid (1:02:10): The second film follows hot on the heels of the first. With a key piece of information discovered, and a major secret identity revealed, the collected 40-something denizens of South Park turn their attention to deciphering a way to finish the work that Kenny began. The work does not prove easy, though, especially with COVID mania spreading through South Park and future technology standing in the way of forward (or backwards, as the case may be) progress.

The more things change, the more they...really do change. And stay the same. Post COVID offers fans a long-desired glimpse into the South Park of the future where the boys are grown up and have moved beyond their youthful shenanigans. The character evolutions feel natural (mostly) and there are some genuine surprises at how some of them have grown into themselves and away from one another. The story is wrapped up in the seemingly endless COVID pandemic hysteria with the typical South Park twists and turns that might defy reality but don't defy the show's core crudity. This is more of a narrative driven story with less in the way of loud and in-your-face goofiness, especially the first of the two films. Stone and Parker have looked into their crystal ball but have done so both through the lens of the present and the multifaceted prism of twenty-three seasons worth of material to build upon and arrive at a very sound future version of South Park. Fans are going to want to see more of the show from this perspective.

South Park: Post COVID Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount's 1080p Blu-ray release of South Park: Post COVID & The Return of COVID looks identical to the season 24 release and pretty much every other modern South Park release. All of the essential characteristics hold here, including abundantly colorful, if not overly simplistic, clothing and location elements as well as good, crisp textures and clarity throughout the two extended episodes. That the show hold to that essential South Park aesthetic is not a surprise, and neither is that the material delights on Blu-ray. That classic textured look remains, with clothes offering a particularly noticeable tactile element. Clarity and sharpness extend through every element and environment, whether in the slick and ultra-modern school's science lab or in the dank and dungy confines within the mental hospital. Colors enjoy a very basic, but also very bright, output that always has been a staple of the show. While the essential "kid clothing" tones are not present in significant quantities, the same color spectrum and look is ever-present. There are a few hints of aliasing and jagged edges here and there, which is also right in line with how the show has always performed on Blu-ray.

South Park: Post COVID Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As per series norms, South Park: Post COVID & The Return of COVID features a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation is not of great complexity, but it does deliver a good, foundationally clear and appropriately engaging listen. The traditional South Park musical cues, and other music throughout these episodes, plays with fine fundamental clarity and yield through the stage, with appropriately balanced surround engagement the order of the day. Surrounds also carry a healthy assortment of nicely balanced and bended surround content, whether considering light immersive ambience or more impactful audio cues. Dialogue is clear and center focused for the duration.

South Park: Post COVID Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Like the last "season 24" release, this Blu-ray release of South Park: Post COVID & The Return of COVID contains no supplemental content. These sets have generally never been huge with extras, but it's a shame that there's nothing here, not even the series staple "mini commentaries." This release is actually fairly different than the others. The packaging has been changed to a simple Amaray case. It's also a single disc set. There is at least inner print artwork. Also, no DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

South Park: Post COVID Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While the future take of South Park veers away from the familiar confines of the character and group dynamics that have defined the show over all these decades, the various changes fit fully in-line with where they all might logically go in four decades. This is well conceived thought project that shifts some dynamics but holds to core South Park shenanigans through-and-through. Paramount's featureless Blu-ray does offer the standard high-quality video and audio presentations. Recommended for franchise fans.