[Ralph Potts]



The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )

Film:

Extras:

Audio/Video total rating:

( Max score: 100 )

85






Studio and Year: Comedy Central/Paramount HE - 2009
MPAA Rating: NR
Feature running time: 308 minutes
Genre: Animation/Comedy/TV

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.78:1
Resolution: 1080p/60


Audio Format(s): English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English
Starring: Matt Stone, Trey Parker
Directed by: Trey Parker
Written by: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Brian Graden
Region Code: A

Blu-ray Disc release Date: March 16, 2010







"Four boys, one completely dysfunctional town"



Film Synopsis:


All fourteen uncensored episodes from South Park's thirteenth season are now available in this exclusive three-disc set. Roll with the boys as they save the economy, the whales, and a bunch of dead celebrities all while discovering the joys of Fish Sticks. For them, it's all part of growing up in South Park!



My Take:

I was late to the South Park phenomena and didn't start watching it until a few years ago. I haven't followed it religiously but catch up by recording them on my DVR and watching when time permits. My kids have been able to download episodes to their iPods and they are hooked. This is a show unlike any other animated series, both in appearance and creative concept. It stretches the boundaries of propriety to its limits and could easily be offensive to those with thin skins. If you look at it for what it is you are sure to be rewarded with deep belly laughs at its unending barrage of crude themes, blunt use of language, and unconventional plots. No stone seems left unturned when it comes to poking fun at celebrities, politicians and society in general. Season 13 has its share of hilarity several of which are priceless. One of my favorites is episode 1302 where Eric Cartman tries to become a superhero, The ****, only to have another fourth grader steal his moment by becoming the shadowy figure known as Mysterion who ultimate gets the respect and popularity Cartman seeks. This season puts the South Park spin on subject's like the economy, the most recent rash of celebrity deaths, and pokes fun at The Smurfs, WWE Wrestling, Whale huggers, and goofs on celebrities like Kanye West and the Jonas Brothers.

While it all sounds a bit ridiculous or absurd it has a proven formula that works. The four mischievous imps Eric, Kyle, Kenny, and Stan (honorable mention to my man Butters) along with their parents/families/classmates provide us with much to laugh at. I think that what brings about such hilarity sometimes is how much the show makes us take a look at ourselves and some of life's experiences that resemble those of the inhabitants of South Park. Note that I said SOME because I assure you that not all apply. Regardless of whether you feel that way or not the show is entertaining, original and honest in its attempt to illicit audience reaction and that is where it succeeds admirably. We caught most of this season's episodes when they were originally broadcast but it was fun revisiting our favorites here. All 14 episodes are spread out over two BD-50 Blu-ray Discs with the bonus material contained on Disc 1.



Parental Guide:


This show contains thematic elements and language that would be inappropriate for young viewers.





AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**


(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)


Audio: 80

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Video: 90


(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

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• Fleshtones:
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South Park: The complete 13th Season comes to Blu-ray Disc from Paramount featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 21 mbps and lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 channel audio that has an average bitrate of 1.7 mbps.

This is a spectacular looking video presentation that boasts snappy, vibrant colors that enhance the show's animated elements. Images are razor sharp with clear definition that brings out plenty of subtle delineation in the characters and backgrounds. This was evident in the patterned texture in the clothing worn by the kids. A similar pattern is shared by objects, backgrounds and to varying degrees in the clothing, hair and other characters. The show's one dimensional animation doesn't offer much in terms of depth of image but resolution was excellent which enhanced the perception of small details onscreen. I was impressed with the shading, contrast, and blacks featured in the nighttime city/street segments in episode 1302 The **** which noticeably stood out compared to the standard backgrounds/scenery typically seen. Other than some minor color banding I didn't see any video related artifacts worth noting.

The show doesn't have the type of sound that calls for demanding multi-channel audio but this Dolby TrueHD surround mix certainly made the most of it. Dialogue had lucid distinction and requisite clarity through the center channel so that it maintained a prominent position within the front soundstage. Channel separation and directional spacing across the front three channels was quite good. The track has a front dominant perspective however the surrounds were used effectively to open up the sound field to enhance spatial presence. The show's music is spread out over the entire system and supplies most of the room filling sound which is nicely underscored by punchy bass that accentuates impact. Detail and clarity were discerning which elevated the perception of smaller sounds within the recording. This mix won't will blow you away but for an animated TV series it sounded great.



Bonus Features:

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• Brief episode audio commentary + extended commentary on the Margaritaville episode
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• (HD) Inside X-Box: A behind the scenes tour of South Park Studios - 4 minutes
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• (HD) Deleted scenes from Episodes:
• 1. 
     
  2. The ****
     
  3. Fish sticks
     
  4. Pinewood Derby
     
  5. Fatbeard
     
  6. Dead Celebrities
     
  7. Dances with Smurfs
  
  
  Season 13 Episode listing:
  1. 
     
  2. 1301 - The Ring
     
  3. 1302 - The ****
     
  4. 1303 - Margaritaville
     
  5. 1304 - Eat, pray, Queef
     
  6. 1305 - Fish sticks
     
  7. 1306 - Pinewood Derby
     
  8. 1307 - Fatbeard
     
  9. 1308 - Dead Celebrities
     
  10. 1309 - Butters' bottom botch
      
  11. 1310 - W.T.F
      
  12. 1311 - Whale whores
      
  13. 1312 - The F word
      
  14. 1313 - Dances with Smurfs
      
  15. 1314 - Pee

Final Thoughts:


South Park: The complete 13th season is another successful installment in the continuing misadventures of the gang from this rather bizarre little town. The show's crude style of humor may not appeal to everyone but if given half a chance Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Eric will succeed at drawing you into their world. This two disc season 13 set comes to Blu-ray Disc from Paramount looking and sounding as good as I have ever seen South Park. The bonus supplements offer little in the way of in depth features but those familiar with the show should enjoy the typical Stone/Parker commentary. As a fan I am glad to add this to my collection and applaud Paramount for bringing it to Blu-ray Disc in excellent high quality fashion. Enjoy!

Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews





Reference Review System:



JVC DLA-RS20 1080p High Definition Front Projector (Calibrated by Jeff Meier)

Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100 16x9 Screen

Anthem AVM50v THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor

Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier

Oppo BDP-83 Universal disc/Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Oppo 970HD universal disc DVD Player (480i HDMI)

Philips TSU9400 Pro Series Touch Panel Remote Control

Canton "Ergo" Series speakers

Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers

SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)

APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector

Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator

Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling

Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package

 

[Toe]

This is probably my favorite show and even though I have seen all of season 13, and some of the episodes multiple times now, I still will probably buy this since the BR version looks so much better than my SD cable broadcast. I just cant seem to get enough of South Park for some reason

Thanks for the review Ralph

 

[Ralph Potts]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Toe /forum/post/18258014


This is probably my favorite show and even though I have seen all of season 13, and some of the episodes multiple times now, I still will probably buy this since the BR version looks so much better than my SD cable broadcast. I just cant seem to get enough of South Park for some reason

Thanks for the review Ralph

Greetings,


If all you have seen is broadcast SD you're in for a treat Todd. Enjoy!

Cheers,

 

[UCFKevin]

I was late to the South Park HD game, having just moved to New York. Comedy Central HD wasn't in Orlando at the time. It's BEAUTIFUL in HD, and I bet it looks even better on BluRay.


Thanks for the review, Ralph. I really dig your work. We tend to have very similar views on movies and such.

 

[MSmith83]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Toe /forum/post/18258014


I just cant seem to get enough of South Park for some reason

Same here. It is because the funniest events and phenomena unfold in real life, and Parker/Stone certainly won't come short of real life things to extract the most laughter out of. It also helps that they can supplement this by drafting some very funny works of pure fiction.

 

[Toe]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MSmith83 /forum/post/18259472


Same here. It is because the funniest events and phenomena unfold in real life, and Parker/Stone certainly won't come short of real life things to extract the most laughter out of. It also helps that they can supplement this by drafting some very funny works of pure fiction.

I agree.......I love how they hit just about everything. I have a friend who is a big Harley Davidson rider and the episode W.T.F. (I think that is the Harley episode from season 13) actually offended him a bit and he is a big South Park fan as well

I had told him how funny it was (Vrrrmmm vrrrmmmm vrrrmmmm

) and when he finaly saw it, he was kind of pissed. He eventually got around it and saw the humor in it, but it is interesting how its only a matter of time before they touch on something you are into or are very familiar with.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph Potts /forum/post/18258289


Greetings,


If all you have seen is broadcast SD you're in for a treat Todd. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Good deal. Looking forward to it

 

[MSmith83]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Toe /forum/post/18259562


I agree.......I love how they hit just about everything. I have a friend who is a big Harley Davidson rider and the episode W.T.F. (I think that is the Harley episode from season 13) actually offended him a bit and he is a big South Park fan as well

I had told him how funny it was (Vrrrmmm vrrrmmmm vrrrmmmm

) and when he finaly saw it, he was kind of pissed. He eventually got around it and saw the humor in it, but it is interesting how its only a matter of time before they touch on something you are into or are very familiar with.

That is funny.

My father, who used to ride a Harley FLHT, had a good laugh when I called and told him about that episode. He probably wouldn't have been so amused if he still rode one.

 

[Toe]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MSmith83 /forum/post/18262183


That is funny.

My father, who used to ride a Harley FLHT, had a good laugh when I called and told him about that episode. He probably wouldn't have been so amused if he still rode one.

That is great. Sounds like he has a good sense of humor.


When does the new season start?

 

[NoobyDoo]

It was a decent for the most part. I'm not sure about the uncensored bits though. From what I've seen, I think they're trying to hard to be vulgar. Alas, I'm still probably going to pick up the DVD version first day.