OK ... I'm not exactly a big South Park watcher; in fact, I don't watch much TV at all, but I had to see this movie. I had heard some interesting reactions to it: Most of my contemporaries loved it; most of the older persons that I know didn't. Various reviews were going around: It was funny, it was hilarious, every group is insulted. Heck, just for that portion alone, I had to see this movie.

I had seen only a few of the trailers, and I was surprised that this movie was basically an animated musical (albeit an R-rated one). I haven't laughed this hard in a great long while at any particular movie. The makers of this movie, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, throw all political correctness aside for a complete insult-for-all targeting almost all the races, both sexes, religion, and sexual orientations.

The premise of South Park is the degredation of America's youth through movies (specifically the Canadian Terrance & Phillip movie Asses of Fire). The mothers of the main characters (Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman) rage an absurd full-scale war on Canada and what they believe to be the cause of the decline of America's youth. But, in the meantime, Satan and co-hort/consort Saddam Hussein await their opportunity to come forth and wreak havoc upon all of humanity. And it's up to the kids of South Park to fight the censorship and save the world from an impending Apocalypse.

I was greatly surprised that this spin-off of The Spirit of Christmas (the original cartoon short) is actually a MUSICAL. Forget Fantasia. Forget Beauty & the Beast. This animated musical has songs you won't find anywhere else, nor will parents let their kids sing these songs. This ain't Disney, folks. Phillip & Terrance (the Canadian scapegoats in the movie) give their hilarious rendition of "Uncle F-cker," which is hummed by the South Park kids throughout the entire movie. "Up There," sung by Satan, gives the all-around original Christian bad-boy a softer side -- making you feel sorry for the role that Lucifer has to play in religion. I was waiting for some soulful song by the Chef, but was slightly disappointed when it failed to materialize. However, the rest of the songs in this movie more than made up for it.

There's tragedy, as Kenny's claim-to-fame ("Oh my god! They killed Kenny"), goes several steps farther, and there's romance, as Kyle tries to win his lady-love's heart, but still ends up throwing up on her. And there's a definite moral to this sick, twisted, and funny film.

This movie isn't for kids; don't let the 2-D animation fool you. Trey and Stone incorporate some very nice 3-D graphic animation within the Hell sequences, and have implemented some advanced animation techniques within the 2-D work going beyond what you'll see on the Cartoon Network's weekly South Park series.

If you're willing to laugh at yourself, everyone else, religion and the moral fiber of America, go see this movie. It's brash, it's rude, it's crude and it's hilariously funny.

One hint though ... stay through ALL of the trailers. You never know what surprises you might find at the end of the movie.

[ by Jade Falcon ]