Comedy Central Home Video presents

South Park: The Complete Seventh Season (2003)

"My name is Henifer Lopez. I eat tacos and burritos."- Eric Cartman (Trey Parker)

Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone
Other Stars: Isaac Hayes
Director: Trey Parker, Matt Stone

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (adult language and situations)
Run Time: 05h:30m:00s
Release Date: 2006-03-21
Genre: television

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
A-	A+	A-	A-	B-

 

DVD Review

Trey Parker and Matt Stone aren't ones to shy away from controversy, especially when it comes to their hit show, South Park. Now in its 10th season, the series continues to break new comedic ground, thanks to the creators' attitude that no one is safe from their parodying pen. This collection brings all 15 episodes from 2003 on three discs. All of our favorite denizens of this small Colorado town are back for this go-around, including Kyle, Stan, Kenny and, of course, Cartman. Once again, no one is safe from Parker and Stone's comedic wrath, including the physically challenged (there are further adventures of Timmy and Jimmy), gays, Christian rockers, the elderly, and Hooters' employees. The creators are at the top of their game, delivering arguably their funniest all-around season to date.

The fun begins with Cancelled, in which the boys discover that the rest of the galaxy watches Earth as a reality show and it is on the verge of being cancelled. After the byproduct of Cartman's anal probe reappears, the boys realize that their lives are being "rerun." Yes, this first episode is as crazy as it sounds (there's an alien that looks like a taco), but South Park fans wouldn't have it any other way. Krazy Kripples, while not quite approaching the pee-your-pants hilarity of the Season Five episode, Cripple Fight, is one of the best outings. Jimmy and Timmy assemble a gang of physically challenged kids. They don the stereotypical gang attire, call themselves the Crips, and battle a rival gang in epically funny fashion.

The next two episodes are somewhat disappointing in comparison. Toilet Paper stumbles along, focusing on the boys' guilt following a "TP'ing" adventure, and I'm a Little Bit Country finds Cartman traveling back in time to 1776. Of course, Cartman, is always hilarious, but this is a rare case where the usually funny South Park songs don't live up to expectations. Disc 1 ends with a hilarious bang, though, as Fat Butt and Pancake Head is a classic, unforgettable episode. The main reason is Cartman's new friend, Jennifer Lopez, whose face he's painted on his hand. Just hearing Cartman sing about tacos and burritos as "Henifer" Lopez is enough to have you rolling on the floor.

Disc 2 kicks off with Lil' Crime Stoppers and Red Man's Greed; a pair of episodes that don't disappoint. In the former, the boys get in over their heads when they charge South Park residents to protect them, and Stan's dad fights a gambling addiction at an Indian Casino in the latter. A great entry comes next, South Park Is Gay!, which rips on the hugely successful Queer Eye for the Straight Guy show. This is followed by the equally amusing Christian Rock Hard; it doesn't get much better than listening to Cartman sing Christian rock. Grey Dawn is the last episode on Disc 2, and it is an excellent parody on stereotypes that we commonly associate with the elderly. From buffets to the AARP, no aspect of senior life is safe from Parker and Stone's wit.

The third disc starts with Kyle winning a trip (for himself and three friends) to Cartman's favorite place, the titular Casa Bonita. This Mexican restaurant has everything a kid could want, including numerous rides and other fun activities. Since Kyle doesn't exactly like Cartman, he invites Butters instead. Cartman, naturally, won't stand for this, and devises a ridiculous plan to get Butters out of the picture. All About Mormons is a brilliant rip (and history lesson) on that religion, while Butt Out takes a shot at the tobacco companies and Rob Reiner. Raisins' is a kids' version of Hooters, complete with pre-pubescent girls wearing tight clothes. Butters falls for one of these creepy girls, while Stan is trying to win back Wendy, who just dumped him. Season Seven ends in uproarious fashion with It's Christmas in Canada. Kyle's family is upended when Ike's birth parents take him back to Canada with them. When the boys decide to go to Canada to get Ike back, Parker and Stone use the opportunity to rip our neighboring country to shreds. All in good fun, of course.

It's rather surprising that this series continues to thrive after all of these years on the air. The sharp political commentary and unabashed mocking of pop culture's favorite targets is the main reason for its survival, regardless of how many people Parker and Stone offend. As long as this creative duo continues to stick to their guns, South Park will always serve as a great departure.

Rating for Style: A-
Rating for Substance: A+

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: All 15 episodes look fantastic, despite the rough, hand-drawn animation. The vivid color scheme practically bursts off the screen, with reds being particularly pleasing. Black levels are solid and consistent, and there isn't any grain, dirt, or other print flaws.

Image Transfer Grade: A-
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	yes

Audio Transfer Review: The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio is just as impressive as the video, if not more so. The surrounds are much more active than the program is on Comedy Central, and a wider dynamic range, livens things up as well. The hilarious dialogue is always easy to understand, and works in tandem with the rest of the mix.

Audio Transfer Grade: A- 

Disc Extras

Animated menu with music
Scene Access with 75 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English
4 Other Trailer(s) featuring Dave Attell's Insomniac Tour Uncensored!, Mind of Mencia: Uncensored Season 1, Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson, Ren & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes
1 Feature/Episode commentary by Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Packaging: Cardboard Tri-Fold
Picture Disc
3 Discs
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extra Extras:

1. Comedy Central Quickies - Short clips from Comedy Central shows.

Extras Review: As far as extras go, Disc 1 has a trio of Comedy Central Quickies, which are short clips from Drawn Together, Mind of Mencia, and South Park. There are mini-audio commentaries for all 15 episodes by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The guys talk sporadically about a specific episode, about where they got certain ideas, and what they really think of the things they're making fun of.

There's also a collection of previews for other Comedy Central shows on DVD.

Extras Grade: B-
 

Final Comments

While you're enjoying the current season on Comedy Central, don't forget to pop in on The Complete Seventh Season to get reacquainted with some of the show's better installments. Similar to the other season sets, this collection is rather light on extras (the Trey Parker and Matt Stone commentaries are back), but does feature excellent audio and video.

Chuck Aliaga 2006-04-10