The Spirit of Christmas

This first foray into South Park completely stunk. Perhaps it was tarnished because I saw the hilarious Jesus vs Santa Spirit of Christmas first. The only cool thing about this short was that Kenny and Cartman were switched. The fat Cartman we know and love was Kenny (he also didn't talk). I was shocked when Frosty smoked Cartman, he died and I heard "Ohmygod, they killed Kenny!". Neither Kenny nor Cartman spoke (that I remember), and I'm glad Matt and Trey made the changes that did to make Jesus vs Santa break that "sequel is worst than the original" rule in film.

Miss this one, cause you ain't missing much.

This is the very first, early draft of what would become 'South Park'. This is the work of film students in their last year of university/college, and frankly, I like this little short. Why? because it's such a classic, I never even knew about this until 10 minutes ago.

Trey and Matt soon would discover that this little short film will have a sequel to it, in which that will spawn them a TV show, two years later. It's bad quality, but it's 1992, so don't complain. But if you want to be reminded of your child-hood memories, then watch this. A nice 10/10 for originality. You think it starts out as your regular Christmas special or educational Christmas cartoon short, but as soon they put the magic hat on the snowman, everything goes nuts, and you see the true nature of what South Park is today. Again, 10/10 for originality.

This is interesting for the way it shows a very early, very rough version of the show. The four principals are there, though not quite the same way we know them now. Collectors will love watching it, though the 1995 remake is funnier.

For fans of South Park, this is a real treat. We see what was to become of the 4 boys back in 1991. Very rough, very raw, and very scrappy (Matt and Trey did everything on this, like how they did on the 1995 version). A+

The Spirit of Christmas" is an intriguing piece of television history, serving as the seed that would grow into the cultural phenomenon that is South Park. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone as a crude, stop-motion Christmas card, the pilot features the familiar, edgy humor that would later define the series, but it's far from the polished show fans have come to know.

The short introduces a rudimentary version of the main cast-Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny-as they navigate a chaotic Christmas filled with vulgarity and a surprisingly epic battle between Santa and Jesus. The plot is delightfully absurd, a hallmark of Parker and Stone's comedy, and offers an early glimpse into their irreverent approach to religious and cultural satire.

However, as a pilot, it lacks the refined pacing and characterization that the series developed over time. The animation is charmingly crude, but it's also rough enough to be distracting at times. The humor is hit-or-miss, with some jokes feeling more like shock value than clever commentary.

While it's an essential watch for die-hard fans and a fascinating artifact of South Park's origins, it doesn't hold up as a standalone piece of entertainment compared to what the series would later achieve.

Final Verdict: 6/10 "The Spirit of Christmas" is a raw but intriguing prototype of South Park. It's worth watching for its historical value, but its appeal lies more in what it represents than in its execution.