The late 1800s - a time when men were men and blazed a trail to conquer the West. To do so, they had to be the bravest, the strongest and willing to do anything to survive the harsh conditions of the wild. And I do mean anything. Alfred Packer is the only man ever convicted in America of cannibalism - a tragic tale of a man who did what he had to survive and bring civilization to the mountains. Trey Parker, he of "South Park" fame, decided Al's saga was the perfect story to tell as a movie - no, as a musical. So in the tradition of "Oklahoma!" comes the tasty (or tasteless, depending on your point of view) movie CANNIBAL the MUSICAL!

This really is based on a true story. In the stark white wilderness, an enraged Packer mauls his companions and slaughters them one by one in horrendous ways in order to devour their succulent flesh. At least that's the story the DA gives the jury at the trial of Alfred Packer. But Al turns to the camera and intones, "That's not what happened." It's 1883, and Lake City Colorado is abuzz at the trial of Alfred Packer, cannibal. Newspaper reporter Polly visits Packer in his jail cell; wanting to find out why a seemingly innocuous man did the horrible deeds he's been accused of. Al is reluctant to speak, but when Polly (acting on a tip from the horny DA) asks him about 'Leann', Packer spills the beans. Flashback ten years - Packer enters the Utah territory on his beloved horse Leann, singing a rousing 'sphdoinkle' song. Packer meets an old friend Swan in a mining town, where the resources have dried up. Several members of the commune decide to try their luck digging for gold in Colorado, so they ask Packer to be their guide. The six men - optimist Swan, devout Bell, butcher Miller, young Noon, nerdy Humphrey and inept Packer - start their grand journey to fame and fortune. It soon becomes clear Packer doesn't have a clue, much less a sense of direction. They're hassled by roughneck trappers and warned of impending doom by a wanderer who looks like Rasputin. But continue on they do, with a song in their hearts and not much in their heads.

One morning, Packer awakes and is horrified to see that Leann has gone missing! He's sure those dirty trappers stole her, and convinces his men to follow her trail, since it's heading towards Colorado. The group attempts to forage a mighty river, and winds up drenched, without supplies, and even more lost. Packer is inconsolable about the lost Leann, and the distracted guide leads his men right into Indian territory! Captured by a strange band of "Ninja Indians", Packer and his charges take the advice of the chief and settle down for the winter. Also taking refuge with the Indians are those nasty trappers. Confronted by Packer, their leader Frenchy denies all knowledge of Leann, and beats Al up when the guide accuses him of stealing the horse. But Packer vows to keep an eye on him... Back in 1883, Packer is found guilty and sentenced to be hung. Polly realizes she's falling for Al (in a song, of course) and sees him again to find out the truth. Packer tells her of the winter spent with the Indians, learning their ways. When packer hears the trappers have left, he rouses his men to make ready and follow the cads. Reluctantly, they agree, and into the wilds they go, to their destinies...

Several friends who have seen this movie and I concur - CANNIBAL the MUSICAL is a funny musical, but not a particularly great comedy. Considering the potential of material, the film has a very laidback feel and foregoes the rapid-fire gags one might expect from the "South Park" creators. The expected 'gore' scenes are limited to only two - and most of the second happens off-screen (we only see the end results). I really expected something more 'over-the-top' from someone with Parker's reputation. However, the movie does succeed in many areas. The characters may be niched into a particular cliché, but work very well playing off each other. Humphrey (played by Matt Stone, Parker's partner on "South Park") is particularly amusing as the nerd of the group. The musical numbers are spot-on parodies of Rodgers & Hammerstein, so anyone familiar with that team's talents will appreciate the songs and staging of the musical numbers. The opening sequence showing the DA's version of the massacre is an exceptional scene - shot in a forced perspective of black, white and red, it is eerily effective. The filming itself is very well done, with some wonderful shots of the Rocky Mountains. The editing is very good - Parker keeps the pace moving despite a lot of wandering about by our doomed group of would-be miners. The picture image itself is nice and clear, with good eye towards color use. Sound is clear and precise, which is admirable since most of the shooting was on location.

Troma has released CANNIBAL the MUSICAL with a bevy of extras. There are two introductions by Troma head Lloyd Kaufman to choose from, a tour of Troma, Troma merchandise, and Troma trailers. Included by Parker and Stone are the original trailers for CANNIBAL the MUSICAL, behind-the scenes footage, wacky shorts with Lemmy from Motorhead, and more! Best of all is the optional commentary by Parker, Stone and some friends. They decided the best way to do commentary was to watch the film as they got drunk. Well worth a second viewing for that!

CANNIBAL the MUSICAL was obviously a labor of love by Trey Parker, and the energy and ideas he later used to launch 'South Park' can be seen in the efforts of him and his crew - the fun they had making this movie is readily evident in the final results. I can bemoan the lack of wackiness, but CANNIBAL the MUSICAL really is a pretty good musical. Who would have thought cannibals could sing? It's dinner and a movie all in one - or is that dinner is the movie?