'South Park: The Stick of Truth': EW review

In 2002, Trey Parker and Matt Stone wrote “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers,” an All-Time Hall of Fame South Park episode which effectively retells the whole J.R.R. Tolkien Rings trilogy in half an hour. What makes the episode great was that, somehow, Parker and Stone had it both ways with their Rings parody: It simultaneously lacerates the inherent silliness of the phenomenon while glorifying the high-nerd excess of that silliness. (All this, and they still found time for the immortal line: “Backdoor Sluts 9 makes Crotch Capers 3 look like Naughty Nurses 2!”)

The new videogame South Park: The Stick of Truth begins in the same backyard-fantasy milieu as that episode. You play as the fully-customizable-except-for-gender “new kid,” arriving in South Park under mysterious circumstances. You quickly meet show mascot Cartman, in his Gandalf-y guise of “Grand Wizard,” who is leading one group of kids (the Humans) against another group (the Elves). You can choose one of four classes, three of them familiar (Fighter, Mage, Thief) and one of them unique (Jew.)

The game is designed to look like an episode of the TV show, but it plays like a well-tuned retro-adventure. At times, it suggests a lost ’90s Squaresoft RPG — all of the battles are turn-based, and you can spend roughly a fifth of the game navigating menus to upgrade your character. At other times, the game feels a bit like a lost LucasArts game, a point-and-click graphic adventure with the goofy sensibility that defined Grim Fandango and Sam & Max. (The designers themselves have pointed to EarthBound as an inspiration.) After a snappy opening tutorial session — narrated by Cartman as a knowing parody of tutorials which is nevertheless a more effective tutorial than most AAA videogames can manage — you’re set loose in the open world of South Park, which draws on locations and people familiar from nearly two decades of TV mythology.

It might sound weird to ascribe the word “mythology” to South Park — you imagine the lead characters all rolling their eyes — but part of what makes Stick of Truth so much fun is how it takes advantage of the show’s densely-layered world. It’s more than just in-jokes. Like Goldeneye and Arkham City, Stick of Truth is the rare licensed videogame which brings its franchise’s history to life in a radical new way.

At times, Stick of Truth feels like a wonderful bit of nose-thumbing at the general state of videogames. (There are Nazi Zombies.) But at other times, it reveals itself as a love letter to the whole videogame medium. A trip to Canada is rendered as an 8-bit adventure, Ultima-style. There are legitimately difficult boss fights. Parker and Stone actually wrote the game, which explains why Stick of Truth is so funny. But more than the humor, there’s a sense of composition — to the ambient dialogue and to the rising-action storytelling — that most non-BioWare videogames never even try to attempt. Some games hit a high point in the beginning; most good games are at their best in the middle; but Stick of Truth has a great final act, featuring some of the most fun and most disgusting sequences I’ve ever seen in a videogame.

Am I praising the game too much for achieving modest ambitions? Stick of Truth might tip its hat to Skyrim, but it’s a decidedly more compact experience. (I think my total runtime — doing most of the side-missions, on the hardest difficulty — was about 17 hours .) The different classes have slightly different attacks, but they don’t represent radically different experiences: It’s a pretty-good ’90s RPG, not a great ’90s RPG. (It’s Breath of Fire III, not Breath of Fire II, if you know what I mean.)

My PS3 copy was marred by occasional glitches and graphic slowdown, the sort of thing that’s usually a dealbreaker in games with more realistic visuals. I’ve seen a few other reviewers ding the game for these glitches — and this is perhaps another opportunity to discuss how the videogame industry needs to stop relying on day-one patches as a crutch.

But I think it speaks volumes that I loved the game — had to force myself to stop playing it as midnight turned into 2 AM — in spite of the glitches. The relatively simple decision to make Stick of Truth look and feel like a South Park episode gives the game a unique sense of style which sets it apart from the mass of undifferentiated major-release titles. Like the best episodes of South Park, there’s a sense of leave-it-all-on-the-field maximalism. There’s a Kardashian joke that turns into one of the grossest bossfights in history. There’s a primal scene and an abortion minigame and Al Gore. The Stick of Truth is a spoof RPGs which is also a grand RPG. It’s the first great videogame of 2014.

Grade: A-

(Available on PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

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What to watch for at South by Southwest

At 2012's South by Southwest Film Festival, a dance party followed screening of "Girl Walk//All Day," a crowd-funded indie film. South by Southwest is a 10-day music, film and tech festival in Austin, TexasPast SXSWs have helped launch Twitter, Foursquare and numerous indie bandsGreen Day will play an anticipated gig after singer Billie Joe Armstrong's rehabSpaceX's Elon Musk highlights a new look at private spaceflight

Austin, Texas (CNN) -- It's a spring break with a purpose: Ten days in Texas when the entertainment and tech worlds collide on the neo-bohemian streets of this Texas party town.

The annual South by Southwest festival will have its share of parties for the tens of thousands who will attend. But it will also be showcasing the best and brightest in its three main subject areas: Music, film and interactive (read startups, technology and the Web).

It's a lot to try to keep up with. So here, broken down by the three major divisions of the fest, are some of the expected highlights we'll be keeping an eye on.

Interactive

It could be ideas, not apps that win the day at this year's interactive gathering.

If there's a new Twitter, Facebook or Foursquare preparing to break out next week, nobody has pegged it yet.

In fact, some of the most "buzzworthy" apps pre-festival are the location-based "discovery" apps that were supposed to be all the rage last year. (And which, by and large, have underwhelmed most digital travelers and may soon face competition from Facebook).

So, if no app leaps to the forefront (and, in fairness, it may take a couple of years to figure out if one did), what will?

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Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, will be speaking at the festival just days after an unmanned freighter owned by the private company arrived with supplies at the International Space Station. It was the second of 12 missions SpaceX will fly for NASA in the wake of the space shuttle program shutting down.

There are no fewer than 15 space-related panels scheduled for Interactive week, including one featuring the Web's viral star of last year's Mars rover landing: NASA "Mohawk Guy" Bobak Ferdowsi.

While gadgets have never been SXSW's forte -- ceding that to the glitzier Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas -- practical applications for emerging tech like Google Glass, 3-D printers and wearable gizmos like Apple's rumored "iWatch" could be on the minds of the technorati gathered in Texas.

Other featured speakers at the interactive portion of the festival include Julie Uhrman, who as founder of OUYA seeks to shake up the video game industry with a $99 Android-based console that raised $8 million on Kickstarter, and Matthew Inman, creator of wildly popular webcomic "The Oatmeal."

Also? Shaquille O'Neal. Yes, Shaq, who is expected to talk about how he followed NBA stardom by becoming a social-media pioneer. His online presence once led Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey to say the site "wouldn't be what it is today" without Shaq.

Movies

Sundance is still the best-known name, but SXSW has become another top destination for filmmakers hoping to launch an independent film or create buzz for a coming studio release.

Having successfully stirred interest in his "Cabin in the Woods" in Austin last year, writer and director Joss Whedon is back this year to work with The Bard.

Whedon shot his black-and-white take on Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" during his off days from filming "The Avengers" and he relies on an ensemble cast from his stable of regulars -- including "Firefly" alum turned "Castle" star Nathan Fillion.

As far as big names go, the festival tops out with Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell in the comedy "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone." It's a quirky tale, a battle between rival Las Vegas magicians, and seems tailor-made for a South-By crowd.

The second coming of cult favorite "Evil Dead" will also be showcasing, as will "At Any Price" starring Zac Efron, "The East" with Alexander Skarsgard and Ellen Page and Matthew McConaughey's "Mud."

Documentaries are always big at the festival and, this year, "Hawking" will bring together film and interactive with a doc about the life of famed physicist Stephen Hawking.

The film, which will air on PBS later this year, featured exclusive access to Hawking's life, is narrated in his own voice and includes contributors ranging from Sir Richard Branson to astronaut Buzz Aldrin to actors Carrey and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Music

In its secret heart, South by Southwest will always be about the music.

Founded 26 years ago to showcase the burgeoning, eclectic music bubbling up deep in the heart of Texas, the festival has become the music world's most well-known and eagerly anticipated annual showcase.

More than 2,200 bands turned virtually every square foot of the city into a music hall last year, and organizers promise to ramp it up even more in 2013.

Most of the acts that play won't leave Austin with a big contract. But it's worth noting that Alabama Shakes was considered SXSW's musical breakout last year, just months before the group won the Best New Artist Grammy.

Established artists will be hitting stages in Austin as well.

Green Day, the band that took snarly punk rock all the way to Broadway, will play one of this year's most anticipated sets. The performance will be their first major showcase since front man Billie Joe Armstrong checked himself into rehab seven months ago for what he called a drug- and alcohol relapse that culminated in a profanity-laced rant onstage in Las Vegas.

Dave Grohl has parlayed his drummer gig for one of the most influential rock bands of the last quarter-century (that's Nirvana, in case you forgot) into the front man role with perennial Grammy winner Foo Fighters and is now a sort of de facto spokesman for the world of rock.

He'll be the music keynote speaker for the festival.

Grohl will also be playing with his latest project, Sound City Players, which, against all logic, brings together artists ranging from Rick Springfield and Stevie Nicks to Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty to members of Slipknot, Fear and Rage Against the Machine.

Punk-rock icons Iggy & the Stooges will play, as will gothic troubadour Nick Cave, psych rockers The Flaming Lips and reunited British ska act The Specials.

Pop star/actor Justin Timberlake, who has become a bit of a tech entrepreneur in recent years, is hosting a private party and rumored to be pondering a surprise gig himself.

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Half of girls in South Sudan forced to marry

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — The 17-year-old beaten to death for refusing to marry a man old enough to be her grandfather. The teen dragged by her family to be raped to force her into marrying an elderly man. They are among 39,000 girls forced into marriage every day around the world, sold like cattle to enrich their families.

More than one-third of all girls are married in 42 countries, according to the U.N. Population Fund, referring to females under the age of 18. The highest number of cases occurs in some of the poorest countries, the agency figures show, with the West African nation of Niger at the bottom of the list with 75 percent of girls married before they turn 18. In Bangladesh the figure is 66 percent and in Central African Republic and Chad it is 68 percent.

Most child marriages take place in South Asia and rural sub-Saharan Africa, according to the population fund. In terms of absolute numbers, India, because of its large population, has the most child marriages with child brides in 47 percent of all marriages.

Government statistics in South Sudan show half the girls there aged 15 to 19 are married, with some brides as young as 12 years old.

"The country's widespread child marriage exacerbates South Sudan's pronounced gender gaps in school enrollment, contributes to soaring maternal mortality rates, and violates the right of girls to be free from violence," says a Human Rights Watch report published Thursday ahead of International Women's Day on Friday.

The report blames child marriage in part for an appallingly low female school attendance, with girls making up only 39 percent of primary school students and 30 percent at secondary school.

A UNICEF report this month blamed child marriage in part for poor school attendance figures in Congo, where one in four children are not in school.

Child marriage is not common in South Africa, where prosecutors are investigating what charges can be brought in the case of a 13-year-old epileptic girl who was forced to leave school and marry a 57-year-old traditional healer in January.

Human Rights Watch said that in South Sudan there is a "near total lack of protection" for victims who try to resist marriage or to leave abusive marriages. It called for a coordinated government response including more training for police and prosecutors on girls' rights to protection.

Aguet N. of South Sudan, for example, was married to a 75-year-old man when she was 15 years old, according to testimony she gave to Human Rights Watch.

"This man went to my uncles and paid a dowry of 80 cows. I resisted the marriage. They threatened me," the report said. "They said, 'If you want your siblings to be taken care of, you will marry this man.' I said he is too old for me. They said, 'You will marry this old man whether you like it or not because he has given us something to eat.' They beat me so badly. They also beat my mother because she was against the marriage."

Reducing child marriages is key to achieving U.N. millennium goals to improve child mortality and reduce maternal deaths, according to Malawi's Health Minister Catherine Gotani Hara. She said teen pregnancies accounted for up to 30 percent of maternal deaths in that southern African country.

"By ending early marriages we can avert up to 30 percent of maternal deaths and also reduce the neonatal mortality rate," she said in a statement published by the World Health Organization.

Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are leading causes of death in young women aged 15 to 19 years in developing countries, according to Dr. Flavia Bustreo of the WHO.

Early marriages also will prevent South Sudan from achieving the goal of having women hold 25 percent of government jobs, said Lorna James Elia of the local Voices for Change advocacy group.

She said women activists grouped under a project "Girls, Not Brides," are trying to engage community leaders and traditional chiefs to end early and forced marriages.

Young brides also confront more violence, according to U.N. studies: Girls who marry before they are 18 are more likely to become victims of violence from their partner, with the risk increasing as the age gap between the couple gets larger.

Traditionally, poor families marry off young girls to reduce the family expenses on food, clothing and education. A big incentive can be the dowries older men will pay for a young bride, sometimes hundreds of cows.

Another South Sudan child bride, Ageer M., told Human Rights Watch, "The man I loved did not have cows and my uncles rejected him. My husband paid 120 cows. ... I refused him but they beat me badly and took me by force to him. The man forced me to have sex with him so I had to stay there."

In South Sudan, and some other countries, early marriage is seen as a way to protect girls from sexual violence and ensure that they do not bring dishonor on the family by getting pregnant out of wedlock.

Human Rights Watch called for South Sudan's government to clearly set 18 as the minimum age for marriage. But the country's minister for gender and child affairs, Agnes Kwaje Losuba, said the Child's Act already does that.

"We need to make sure this is implemented," she said.

---

Associated Press writer Michelle Faul contributed to this report from Johannesburg.

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3D animation puts South Africa film in the picture

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'http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/26/showbiz/zambezia-animation-south-africa/index.html' : 'http://www.cnn.com'+location.pathname;cnnad_newTileIDGroup(['607x95_adlinks','336x280_adlinks']); EDITION:  INTERNATIONAL U.S. MÉXICO ARABIC TV:   CNNi CNN en Español Set edition preference Sign up Log in Home Video World U.S. Africa Asia Europe Latin America Middle East Business World Sport Entertainment Tech Travel iReport /* STORY PAGE SPECIFIC CSS */.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr { background:#fff url('http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/mosaic/bg_speccov_hdr.gif') 0px 0px repeat-x; height:74px; overflow:hidden; width:980px; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspcvh1 { position:relative; height:74px; background:url('http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/ssi/story/3.0/banner/inside.africa.inc/inside.africa.jpg') 50% 0 no-repeat;overflow:hidden; width:980px; }.cnn_stryspccvrgebot { height:3px; background:#e6e6e6; font-size:1px; line-height:1px; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspcvh2 { font:bold 10px/12px arial;color:#666;padding:0 0 2px 0; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspcvh3 { font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; font-size:18px; line-height:21px; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspcvh5 { float:right;margin:30px 10px 0 0;display:inline;text-align:right; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspcvh20 { padding:0 0 2px 0; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspccvh6 { text-align:center; left:0; width:200px; height:74px; position:relative; margin-left:390px; overflow:hidden; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspccvh6 a { display:block; margin:0 auto; width:200px; height:74px; }#txtbnr .cnn_stryspccvh6 { display:none; }#txtbnr .cnn_stryspcvh1 { background:none; }Part of complete coverage onInside AfricaShare this on:FacebookTwitterDiggdeliciousredditMySpaceStumbleUponLinkedInViadeo 'Zambezia': 3D animation puts South Africa film in the pictureBy Teo Kermeliotis, for CNNJuly 26, 2012 -- Updated 1433 GMT (2233 HKT)if (typeof cnnArticleGallery=="undefined"){var cnnArticleGallery={};if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=="undefined"){cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=[];}}var expGalleryPT00=new ArticleExpandableGallery();expGalleryPT00.setImageCount(10);//cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Adventures in Zambezia", 1);.cnn_html_slideshow_metadata > .cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:'>>';font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:#004276;outline:medium none}.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}"Zambezia" is a new South African 3D animation feature film featuring a voice cast of high-profile actors, including Samuel L. Jackson and Abigail Breslin.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":true,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":1,"title":"Adventures in Zambezia"}Its main character is Kai (Jeremy Suarez), a brave, intrepid young falcon "with an impulsive, daredevil streak that often gets him into trouble."cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":2,"title":"Adventures in Zambezia"}The young falcon lives with his father, Tendai (Samuel L. Jackson), in a deserted outpost before leaving to explore life in the famed bird city of Zambezia.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"Adventures in Zambezia"}He realizes that living in a city can be more difficult but also learns the true values of togetherness and community.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"Adventures in Zambezia"}"Zambezia," produced by Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios, has been chosen to close this year's Durban International Film Festival.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"Adventures in Zambezia"}"I want people to sit back and have a fantastic time with the characters and have a fantastic insight into some of the amazing African landscapes that we've put into this film," says "Zambezia" director and co-writer Wayne Thornley.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"Adventures in Zambezia"}The concept for the movie originated about seven years ago but production took just over two years to be completed.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":7,"title":"Adventures in Zambezia"}The movie started with a team of five people but ended with some 100 people working on it.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":8,"title":"Adventures in Zambezia"}Zambezia is targeted at children aged five to 11.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":9,"title":"Adventures in Zambezia"}"The film is a wonderful ambassador, in a way, of South Africa and I think as it travels the world it's going to spread the word about an industry that is young and vibrant and extremely talented," says Thornley. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":10,"title":"Adventures in Zambezia"}HIDE CAPTIONAdventures in ZambeziaAdventures in ZambeziaAdventures in ZambeziaAdventures in ZambeziaAdventures in ZambeziaAdventures in ZambeziaAdventures in ZambeziaAdventures in ZambeziaAdventures in ZambeziaAdventures in Zambezia<<<12345678910>>>Event.observe(window,'load',function(){if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined'){cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image,"Adventures in Zambezia");}});STORY HIGHLIGHTS"Zambezia" is a new South African 3D animation feature filmThe movie stars the voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Suarez and Jeff Goldblum It has been chosen to close the 33rd edition of the Durban International Film Festival"Zambezia" is targeted toward children aged five to 11

(CNN) -- He's got blue wings, an adventurous spirit and is poised to be the latest film star to come out of South Africa.

A high-spirited young falcon, Kai is the main character in "Zambezia," a new South African 3D animation film featuring an all-star voice cast, including Hollywood A-listers Samuel L. Jackson, Abigail Breslin, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy and Jeremy Suarez.

Set in the majestic Victoria Falls and inspired by southern Africa's startling artwork, "Zambezia" is hoping to put South African animation on the map while enthralling children around the world with its uplifting message of togetherness.

The movie, produced by Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios, has been selected as the closing film of the 33rd edition of the Durban International Film Festival, which runs until July 29.

"The film is a wonderful ambassador, in a way, of South Africa and I think as it travels the world it's going to spread the word about an industry that is young and vibrant and extremely talented," says "Zambezia" director and co-writer Wayne Thornley.

"In and of itself, I think it's just an enjoyable ride for children and they're going to come away wishing they could fly."

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Everyone can relate to that idea that it's better, it's easier to do things together, that teams are just more vibrant and get more things done.
Wayne Thornley, "Zambezia" directorThe movie, which is targeted toward children aged five to 11, tells the story of Kai, an intrepid young falcon that's brought up by his strict father in an isolated outpost. His lonely life is turned upside down when a kooky bird crashes into his world and tells him of Zambezia -- a bustling bird city where "there's amazing food, music, sights and sounds."

A talented flier, Kai decides to leave his isolated upbringing behind him and explore life in Zambezia. He quickly realizes, however, that getting by in a city can be more difficult and demanding than living alone.

Yet, after joining Zambezia's air force and defending it from a band of marauding lizards, he also discovers the true values of teamwork and community sharing.

Thornley says the movie was guided by the traditional African principle of ubuntu, which he describes roughly as "a person is a person only because of other people" -- he says that the movie's heartwarming theme will resonate with both African and international audiences.

"Everyone can relate to that idea that it's better, it's easier to do things together, that teams are just more vibrant and get more things done," he says. "They are difficult and messy and it's not always easy but it is worth it -- I think that's a universal theme and I hope that audiences around the world come away with that kind of message going: it's safer to stay alone but it's not better."

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The concept for the movie originated about seven years ago but production took just over two years to be completed. The third computer generated 3D film to be made in South Africa, "Zambezia" is "probably the biggest budget animated film ever to come out of anywhere in Africa," says Thornley -- Triggerfish was unable to disclose how much the film cost, but said its budget was under $20 million.

The movie's international appeal is expected to be raised by the high-profile roster of actors lending their voices to the characters. Thornley says it all became possible after well-known U.S. producer Mace Neufeld saw the film by chance. "He liked what he saw and he finally got involved and started opening doors for us."

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Working with top Hollywood stars such as Jackson and Goldblum was "an honor" and "really fun", says Thornley.

"It was gratifying that they treated it seriously like any project," he says. "We tend to think of ourselves that we're this little studio but they were fantastic and it was really a great experience," he adds.

"Zambezia" had its world premiere at France's Annecy Animation Festival last month and was released in Israel earlier in July. It will hit the big screen in Germany and Switzerland on August 30, while its South Africa release is scheduled for December 26.

It has already been sold in more than 30 territories for screening in over 50 countries, including a distribution deal in English-speaking territories with Sony, according to Triggerfish Animation.

Thornley says South Africa's animation industry is still young and small but it is "definitely punching above its weight."

"I want people to sit back and have a fantastic time with the characters and have a fantastic insight into some of the amazing African landscapes that we've put into this film," says Thornley.

"But also I want them to come away really surprised that something like that could come out of Africa and South Africa in particular."

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