South Park: The Complete Ninth Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

South Park: The Complete Ninth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

South Park's ninth season sees the show just keep on rolling. It's fantastic television that, as always seems the case with these in-hindight reviews, remains on the cutting edge of societal evolution, maintaining a freshness and sense of purpose from beginning to end. Though the season ends on a rather weak episode -- really the only Achilles heel -- it covers a myriad of topics that remain in today's headlines, including gender reassignment surgery and gay marriage, though the season does show its age by, at one point, making mention of Pluto as being a planet. The season features a number of wonderful Cartman moments as he battles hippies and turns "ginger," but the season's best (and one of this reviewer's personal favorite) episodes comes in "Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow," a hilarious send-up of the Roland Emmerich disaster movie.

• Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina: Mr. Garrison undergoes sex reassignment surgery. Kyle tries out for the all-state basketball team, but he’s far too small compared to the competition. Worse, Cartman AND the basketball coach tell him that Jews cannot play basketball. His answer: surgery to become tall and black so he can succeed on the basketball court.
• Die Hippie, Die: Cartman’s been warning about them forever: hippies. But now, they truly pose a real danger. He’s been going door-to-door in an effort to exterminate them from around town. But the infestation only multiplies, his fears grow, and he works overtime to prevent their spread and stop a full-blown music festival from forming. But the mayor signs the permit for their jam festival, Cartman is arrested, and the town’s fate teeters in the balance.
• Wing: Token has just won a Colorado singing contest and is scheduled to perform at a beauty pageant, work for which he will receive $200. Wanting a cut of that money, Cartman and the boys decide to represent him via a new talent agency they’ve just opened. But when a real, L.A.-based agency vies for his talents, the boys are despondent, at least until a new client walks through their door.
• Best Friends Forever: A new PSP gaming console has been released, and Cartman wants his mother to take him to get one first thing in the morning so he can take it to school and rub it in everyone’s face. But the line outside the store is already dozens deep, and Kenny, who has been camping for several days, is first amongst them. Kenny plays his new system nonstop but is accidentally run over by a truck. His soul ascends to Heaven where he learns that his mastery of the game he had been playing makes him the perfect recruit to battle Satan in a war. Meanwhile, Cartman angles to inherit Kenny’s PSP.
• The Losing Edge: The boys are bored with baseball and are thrilled when the final game ends. Unfortunately for them, they are headed to the postseason, which means more baseball. They hatch a plan to throw the game so they can be eliminated form the tournament. Sadly, the other teams have the same idea. Meanwhile, Randy thrives on fighting with dads from the opposing teams.
• The Death of Eric Cartman: When Cartman eats the best part of fried chicken -- the crispy exterior -- it’s the last straw and the boys decide to ignore him. The protest spreads around school. He’s not just flustered, he’s lost, and eventually comes to believe that he’s dead. Butters, the only boy who can still "see" him, becomes a medium to convey Cartman's regrets with his life.
• Erection Day: Jimmy is certain to win a local talent show with his stand-up routine, but he’s reached puberty and beings experiencing erections, which are a cause of great embarrassment. To alleviate his problem, he seeks out a girl for sex.

• Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow: Panic erupts when the dense denizens of South Park believe global warming is out to destroy the town.
• Marjorine: Cartman believes that the girls have a device that shows them the future. To decipher the device’s powers, the boys send one of their own undercover as a new girl in school. Their choice: Butters. His new identity: "Marjorine.”
• Follow That Egg!: Mrs. Garrison pairs the boys and girls together, each couple responsible for caring for an egg. If it breaks, their baby “dies.” Kyle is paired with Stan’s ex-girlfriend Wendy, while Stan is paired with Bebe. Meanwhile, Mr. Garrison attempts to reconcile with Mr. Slave, who is now living with, and planning to marry, Big Gay Al.
• Ginger Kids: Cartman’s school report concerns “ginger kids” whom he labels as “Day Walkers,” similar to vampires. Kyle works hard to disprove Cartman’s assertion that gingers have no soul. Kyle decides the best course of action to change Cartman's mind is to turn him into that which he fears and loathes.
• Trapped in the Closet: When Stan ditches his friends for the day, he takes a personality test administered by Scientologists. The results reveal that he may be the reincarnation of Scientology’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard. When Stan insults Tom Cruise’s acting abilities, the actor locks himself in the boy’s closet.
• Free Willzyx: The boys are enjoying a day at a Sea World-like theme park. Kyle decides to hang out after the performance and get to know the whale a little better. A couple of mischievous workers give voice to the whale, who tells Kyle he wants to travel to outer space, a request Kyle takes to heart.
• Bloody Mary: Randy is arrested for drunk driving and is told his alcoholism is a disease. When he hears of a bleeding religious statue in a nearby town, he visits it in hopes of finding a cure.

South Park: The Complete Ninth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

South Park: The Complete Ninth Season's 1080p Blu-ray presentation is typical of the show on the format. It boasts cheerfully vibrant colors, largely monochromatic but never shying away from wonderfully punchy core shades such as red, blue, green, yellow, and orange, but also finding plenty of punch and intensity to a number of other colors and variations as well. Core textural integrity is very good, and the 1080p resolution allows for a healthy, clear image from start to finish. As with other seasons, bouts of shimmering and jagged edges are occasionally apparent, severely in a few instances, but overall this is a very strong, well defined South Park Blu-ray release.

South Park: The Complete Ninth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

South Park: The Complete Ninth Season's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack shines. Musical clarity is superb, whether the opening title tune, classic series refrains, or a few more intensive beats. Spacing is strong, with front-end width particularly pleasing. Atmospheric effects fill the stage as the situation warrants, such as during densely crowded scenes or when dialogue reverberates about the stage. Heavier action effects present with strong spacial awareness, low end response, and excellent clarity. Dialogue is clear and detailed with natural front-center placement.

South Park: The Complete Ninth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

South Park: The Complete Ninth Season contains only the "mini commentaries" for each episode. Parker and Stone talk up the episodes in short-burst chunks.

South Park: The Complete Ninth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Season nine brings another collection of wonderfully hilarious episodes to the screen. Not quite as politically pointed as some seasons but still endlessly funny with several classic episodes, Cartman moments, and unforgettable zaniness, it's just another in a seemingly endless string of triumphant South Park seasons. South Park: The Complete Ninth Season features series-typical video and audio as well as series-typical extras. Highly recommended.