Cashing in on 'The Passion'

Released to counterprogram against Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," South Park's "The Passion of the Jew" offers three funny episodes, and that's about it.\nSouth Park is consistently funny with its handling of religious issues in our culture, whether it is "The Passion," high sales of religious-themed music or the molestation charges against various priests in the Catholic church. The first episode, "The Passion of the Jew," is most notable, commenting on the phenomena and controversy surrounding "The Passion," where Kyle, a Jew, goes to see the movie because of Cartman's constant berating of Jews with "The Passion" as his source of inspiration. He is in such shock by the movie that he wants to make atonement. However, Stan and Kenny think the movie sucks and head to Los Angeles to get their money back from Mel Gibson. Cartman takes Kyle's atonement attempt as a sign that he is indeed correct and starts a Nazi-esque group using people's love for "The Passion" to make them unwitting pawns in his plan.\nIf the plot seems a little in your face, it is. But the idea driving the episode is that "The Passion" is just a movie and one should not change his or her life based on a movie. Furthermore, people who believe in Jesus should follow how he lived and not obsess on how he died. The other two episodes also use strong religious themes with "Christian Rock Hard" featuring Cartman starting a religious group only to make money, whereas "Red Hot Catholic Love" comments on how some people use religion to justify their own means rather than use what the Bible says in order to guide their lives.\nAll three episodes are funny, but that's all there is. Nothing else is on this disk, no commentary, not even a scene selection menu. If you are dying to see these episodes, by all means purchase the disc, but one would probably be better off waiting for them to come out on the season boxed sets.