8.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
All ten episodes from SOUTH PARK'S epic 17th season are stuffed into this exclusive two-disc set. Join Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Princess Kenny as they infiltrate the NSA, thwart patient zero, tame some strange and fight in the greatest battle of their young, hot lives. Throw in some big floppy never-before-seen deleted scenes to dangle in your face and you've got a box set that will make everyone jelly. Yummy yummy!
Starring: Matt Stone, Trey Parker, Isaac Hayes, Mona Marshall, April Stewart (I)Comedy | 100% |
Animation | 76% |
Dark humor | 47% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1, 1.33:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Bonus View (PiP)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Don't let the fact that, after seventeen seasons, South Park has dropped its episode total for a single season lower than any of the previous sixteen seasons. That's not an ominous sign that the series is tanking or heading out to pasture. While this latest season is home to only ten total episodes -- several less than the previous record-holding eighteen in season two, a few below the previous low of season one's thirteen, and four fewer than the standard fourteen that comprised seasons eight through sixteen (and season five) -- it remains rich and relevant, irreverent and incredibly funny. Sure, more is always better -- how could one not want to experience more antics with Cartman, Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and the entire South Park gang -- but less is still something, and even a second of South Park remains better than hours of most of the drivel on television these days. And no matter the minutes allotted to this particular season, it keep the core of what makes the show great, blending pop culture, politics, and poor taste humor into one uproariously funny show, but one that's also complex and meaningful below its fart-infested, potty-mouthed façade.
Lower learning.
South Park: The Complete Seventeenth Season offers viewers a crisp, handsome 1080p transfer. The animation looks beautiful in high definition; the simplicity allows for excellent clarity and definition of the basic shapes and lines that make up the show, with special attention paid to various surfaces that enjoy a bit more texturing than basic facial and clothing details. The image produces a beautifully simple color palette, with nicely presented reds, greens, oranges, and other bright colors that jump off the screen. Light banding is evident in a couple of places, and there are a few times when the animation style is altered to an Anime appearance and others when cruddy live action Internet video of Black Friday stampedes are inserted into the show, but otherwise it's smooth sailing and a gorgeous picture throughout.
South Park: The Complete Seventeenth Season features an enjoyable Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The opening theme music is lively and nicely spaced, supported by even, well pronounced bass and an effortless surround element. Supportive sound effects are varied and precise throughout, playful but satisfying in delivery and stage presence, including explosions, punches, and other action-oriented effects. Atmospherics are never really fully realized, but there are several nice moments, including a wide, stage-filling dialogue reverberation heard near the end of the "Ginger Cow" episode. General dialogue plays cleanly and evenly through the center channel.
South Park: The Complete Seventeenth Season contains a few extras on both discs.
Disc One:
Sometimes South Park really is nothing but irreverent humor, but sometimes its satire is so smooth and accurate and on-point that the show can also be, and is frequently simultaneously, one of the most clever, meaningful, and thought-provoking programs on television. Matt Stone and Trey Parker have mastered the art of modern humor, making a show that's accessible to the masses yet smarter than that it appears. In many ways it's perfect television, equally capable of raw entertainment and topic education alike, even if that entertainment and education don't really fit their classic dictionary definitions. South Park: The Complete Seventeenth Season is no different, episode count lowered or not. There are a few duds, as there always are and probably always will be, but the bulk of the season's ten-run string ranks right up there with the best the series has ever offered. Here's hoping for at least seventeen more seasons and 170 more episodes. Paramount/Comedy Central's Blu-ray release is excellent. It offers strong video, quality audio, and a few fun little extras. Highly recommended.
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