South Park: The Passion of the Jew (NR, 2004)

SOUTH PARK: THE PASSION OF THE JEW deals with the small town of South Park's reaction to Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. On one side is Cartman, who sees the film as a call to arms to wage war against the Jews. On the other, is Kyle who embraces his Jewish faith and launches a protest against Cartman's proposed regime. Meanwhile, Stan and Kenny, unsatisfied with the film, set off to L.A. to get refunds in person from Gibson. They arrive to find Gibson a certifiable lunatic. A shocked Stan and Kenny hightail it home (with Gibson not far behind), in time to find the town split into warring factions -- one led by Cartman and his brown-shirted minions, the other, led by Kyle and his mother's seemingly on-call protest posse. Will they learn to put aside their differences, learn religious tolerance, and get their money back?

The Passion of the Jew is emblematic of South Park, in that it takes current controversial issues, places them in absurd situations, still managing to skewer both sides while providing insightful commentary. In this case, it's religious zeal and political correctness that are brought into question. South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker hit the mark with Passion, taking to task the media feeding frenzy that came before, during, and after the release of Passion of the Christ. Although at times, lowbrow, Passion effectively addresses the hype surrounding this event and ones similar. It may be one of their best episodes to date -- which is saying a lot for a show that's been on for more than 10 years.

The DVD includes two bonus episodes, Christian Rock Hard and Red Hot Catholic Love that fall along similar thematic lines. Parents should know that The Passion of the Jew is not intended for young viewers. They may want to consider holding a discussion with their children to clarify issues being addressed on the show.