January 1999

South Park: Volumes 1, 2 and 3
Reviewed by Roger Kanno
DVD Format

Overall Enjoyment:
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Starring the voices of Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone

DVD Release: 1998
Stereo
Full Screen

I’ll admit it -- I'm a fan of South Park, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and Beavis and Butthead. Maybe it is the kid in me that likes cartoons or maybe it is the fact that these cartoons are truer to life than most prime-time network comedies. Who doesn’t see a little of Homer's illogical temper or Hank Hill's conservative-but-gentle logic in our own fathers? And who among us does not know at least one teenager like Beavis or Butthead? OK, maybe the characters from South Park are an exception. I certainly don’t know any kids quite like them, but their innocent-yet-profane outlook on life is shockingly entertaining.

The denizens of South Park are the creations of Trey Parker and Matt Stone and appear on the Comedy Central cable network. The extras provided on this disc consist of live-action introductions by Parker and Stone for every episode, each of which they proclaim as their favorite. Some are in the form of fireside chats and some are black-and-white, cowboy-themed productions. None are particularly funny. There are also previews of other Comedy Central shows included on each disc.

So how do you review a cartoon whose funniest moments are so crude and offensive that the dialogue from most of them cannot be repeated? Well, you can’t quote any of Chef's songs or Stan's exchanges with Ms. Crabtree, and pretty much anything that Cartman says is peppered with profanity. Much of what is uttered by the characters, though vulgar, is surprisingly funny.

For the uninitiated, Cartman is the fat kid, and Kyle is the Jewish kid. Kenny is the kid with the muffled voice who gets killed every episode, and Stan is the one who always vomits on Wendy, the girl he has a crush on. They all have big heads and wear winter clothes because it is always winter in South Park. The four boys often stand around in the snow hurling insults and obscenities at each other. It is kind of like A Charlie Brown Christmas -- from hell.

Other notable citizens of South Park include Mr. Garrison, the effeminate teacher who frequently communicates through a puppet named Mr. Hat; the school cafeteria cook known as Chef who sings songs that are mostly about having sex; and Jesus who has a public-access show on the local cable station.

Some of the best episodes included in the collection are "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe," "Weight Gain 4000," "Big Gay Al’s Big Gay Boat Ride," and the classic "Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo." If the names of these titles offend you, then you had best not view the episodes as the content is even more offensive.

After watching cartoons on broadcast television for so long, seeing South Park on DVD is somewhat of a revelation. Gone are the fuzzy images and muffled sound, but the high-quality of DVD reveals the shortcomings in the production of television cartoons. The animation consists of crude drawings resembling cardboard cutouts that make an episode of The Simpsons seem like a Disney-animated classic. The picture quality is good, but not as sharp as can be expected from animation. Colors are muted and everything has a slightly washed-out look. The audio is quite clear but harsh, and there is an occasional popping or crackling distortion that emanates from the speakers. The soundtrack is recorded in stereo, but it might as well be mono due of the lack of stereo imaging and the scarcity of directional effects.

The South Park DVDs will have a limited appeal. This is a cartoon for adults which many will not find humorous due to the abundance of profanity and general lack of taste. The humor of South Park is not as clever or as subtle as that of King of the Hill or The Simpsons, but it certainly has its moments. I frequently found myself laughing my, uh, ass off.

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