_Orgazmo_ (NC-17) * 1/2
I am not a fan of _South_Park_--never have been, likely never will be. So I was surprised to find myself laughing during the early moments of this big screen comedy written, directed, and starring the popular adult animated series's co-creator (with Matt Stone, who also has a small role here), Trey Parker. He plays Joe Young, an innocent door-to-door Mormon preacher who unwittingly finds himself an adult film superstar after naively agreeing to play the title role in a pornographic superhero flick called _Orgazmo_.
But as amusing as the setup and a few jokes (an old lady's F-word-ridden tirade about Mormons, a title card reading "Hollywood" appearing on a shot of the Hollywood sign) are, recurring gags that initially garner a giggle wear thin fast. An ebonics-spouting Asian sushi bar owner named G-Fresh (Masao San) is funny the first time we see him, the joke grows old with each subsequent appearance. The same can be said for the knowingly cheesy chopsocky action scenes and Orgazmo sidekick Choda-Boy's (Dian Bachar) vast array of dildo-derived gadgets. (The pervasive presence of sex toys undoubtedly factored in the MPAA's decision to brand this crude but quite tame film with an overly restrictive NC-17 rating.) Before long, the entirety of the film follows suit, straining to fill the rest of its slim 90-minute running time with a dull subplot in which Joe must fight off some heavies harassing G-Fresh.
What is consistently funny, however, are the songs on soundtrack. The Parker-penned opening theme, "Now You're a Man," is a hilarious parody of "macho" hard rock ("What makes a man?/Is it the woman in his hands/Just 'cause she has big titties?"). Even better is the closing tune, a bossa nova groove that is quite seductive... until it gets to the hilariously absurd title lyric, which is repeated ad nauseum in the chorus: "Sorry about your penis."
Michael Dequina
mrbrown@iname.com | michael_jordan@geocities.com
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