When it comes to South Park, little can be said that hasn’t already been said. Further, little can be done or pushed farther than their debut big screen film did. So, with that in mind, here we are as the eleventh season of the massively influential, not to mention successful, adult cartoon comes to DVD.
Much like the last few seasons, the eleventh continues the struggle to find the shows feet again. What began as a funny show that stopped short just in time, has been unable to find that balance again, continually jumping over the edge into vulgarity for little reason. Unlike last season, eleven manages to land a few funny moments including the incredibly funny “Guitar Queer-O” episode, the season’s rightful centerpiece. The episode goes to great lengths to criticize the odd fascination with the Guitar Hero video game, noting how people are becoming increasingly convinced that they are actually creating music instead of playing a video game. “The List” is another funny episode, tackling the ever sensitive idea that fourth grade girls have a list that rates the boys according to how good looking they are. Both of these episodes are a throwback to the original trio of seasons, the most successful time for the franchise, but they come as literally the last two episodes and it winds up being too little too late as you have been subjected to world record breaking bowel movements, racial profiling, the “n” word, religious mockery, and a bizarre string of otherwordly episodes entitled “Imaginationland” that simply don’t make any sense.
I have to admit that when I was in my early twenties South Park seemed hilarious. Now firmly in my thirties, my contention that this show peaked during season two seems more on target than ever. Unless you are looking for something that pushes envelopes for no apparent reason, wandering aimlessly through each episode, I’d stick with earlier seasons.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
