How entertaining? ★★★★★
Thought provoking? ★★★☆☆ 24 March 2013
This a movie review of THE BOOK OF MORMON. |
"You and me, but mostly me, is going to change the world," Kevin Price
The creators of SOUTH PARK and TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE are fearless at jabbing a stick into the festering sore of hypocrisy. And this stick is a mixture of wit, base humour and opprobrium. Only the most churlish will sit po-faced through THE BOOK OF MORMON, their foray into the world of the Broadway/West End musical. It is hilarious and joyous. The creative masterminds:
- Trey Parker (co-director, book, music, lyrics),
- Matt Stone (book, music, lyrics),
- Robert Lopez (book, music, lyrics), and
- Casey Nicholaw (co-director and choreographer).
Let’s not also forget Lopez co-created the brilliantly foul-mouthed theatrical experience that is AVENUE Q.
The creators of SOUTH PARK and TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE are fearless at jabbing a stick into the festering sore of hypocrisy. And this stick is a mixture of wit, base humour and opprobrium. Only the most churlish will sit po-faced through THE BOOK OF MORMON, their foray into the world of the Broadway/West End musical. It is hilarious and joyous. The creative masterminds:
- Trey Parker (co-director, book, music, lyrics),
- Matt Stone (book, music, lyrics),
- Robert Lopez (book, music, lyrics), and
- Casey Nicholaw (co-director and choreographer).
Let’s not also forget Lopez co-created the brilliantly foul-mouthed theatrical experience that is AVENUE Q.
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Opening on a missionary training centre for the Church of Latter-day Saints a.k.a. the Mormons, the first song has the line, “You’re making things up.” The stall of the writers has been set out immediately – they are going to ridicule the basis for Mormonism (and by implication all religions). This is not done with hate, more affectionate finger pointing, and rolling around on the floor laughing. The young men at the centre are now ready for their two-year missions. There are various dream locations, but the one place top achiever Elder Kevin Price (Gavin Creel) wants is Orlando; Disney Land representing his idea of heaven. However, he is paired with the least capable, Elder Arnold Cunningham (Jared Gertner), and they are both sent to Uganda. Our first encounter of the African nation is a villager dragging a dead donkey across the stage.
They are in Uganda to spread the word, and convert as many citizens to Mormonism as possible. Elder Price is uptight and ambitious, while Elder Cunningham is a slacker and a likeable nincompoop. Price all by the book, and Cunningham manic energy and curiosity. An odd couple scenario in a fish-out-of-water story, in a coruscating comedy-musical set in one of the worst places on Earth. Those aware of the writers’ oeuvre will not be surprised to hear songs over the runtime covering topics such as war lords, RETURN OF THE JEDI, sexual repression, turning off pesky feelings, and queuing for a new iPhone while a sister died of cancer. In the wrong hands THE BOOK OF MORMON might have been a cluster-f*ck of offensive proportions, instead it’s a laugh-out-loud needling of attitudes to race and religion. You’ll emerge with an aching face.