Team America: World Police [2004]

There's some spectacular cinematography in the Panama Canal scenes and in Egypt, where the Great Pyramid and the venerable Sphinx suffer the same fate as the Eiffel and the Louvre. The Mount Rushmore scenes, (HQ of Team America) are also impressive.

Gary is an actor appearing in a Broadway musical when the Team approaches him for help. One of the most gripping scenes is Gary singing lead in a rendition of the hit song Everyone Has AIDS. The camera catches the emotional audience as some individuals shed an elegant, politically appropriate tear or two. Priceless!

Things turn even more hilarious with the appearance of the Film Actors Guild (FAG), led by the silver-tongued Alec Baldwin. His speech, interrupted by rapturous desk-thumping by the assembled FAG-ers that include Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Jeanine Garofalo and a particularly DUH Matt Damon, is something to cherish. The media comments by some of these esteemed celebrities are equally hilarious.

Then there is of course the intercourse, a passionate scene between two attractive teamsters, giving new meaning to Leonard Cohen's album title Various Positions. This is just a short interlude; I didn't find it particularly shock- or noteworthy. People do get up to these types of trick in the grip of passion.

Kim Jong Il is definitely a star of the movie with his cute accent and his banally evil personality. I caught myself entertaining thoughts of sympathy for Kim as he fed Hans Blix to his pet sharks. And the feeding itself reminded one again of the awesome savage power of nature. "Brix" (as Kim called him) learnt a lesson for trying to impose his silly western cultural norms on the beloved leader of North Korea. What arrogance to attempt such a thing!

In the meantime, the porcine propagandist, also known as Michael Moore, has caused great damage at the Mount Rushmore HQ by blowing himself up with a suicide jacket. But when things look bleak, Gary returns as the hero. Kim is entertaining the FAG celebrities plus delegations of dignitaries from around the world. This is to distract them while his minions are preparing to set off 230 major bombs around the world.

Just in time Gary frees the team, then he uses all his skills as an actor and orator to deliver an eloquent speech that completely upstages Alec Baldwin, the master of ceremonies. The detonation of the bombs is averted and a fight to the death ensues between the Team and the Hollywood actors. A particularly sleazy looking Sean Penn meets his end at the fangs of a big black kitty cat, Sarandon is sliced in two and the others are shot in riveting gun battles.

My only complaint is that I sorely missed Parker and Stone's most lovable characters, the Canadian master comedians Terrance and Phillip, whose movie Asses Of Fire contributed so much to making the South Park Movie so unforgettable. A bit of Terrance and Phillip's flatulence and coprofilia would have made this little gem even funnier.

Easily bored, I don't like long movies. I am pleased to report that Team America: World Police is just the right length. No scenes are superfluous or too lengthy, and the action sequences are all in the right places. I think it is going to become a cult movie like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The best songs are the aforementioned Broadway number and Kim's I'm So Ronery ...

Team America: World Police has a progressive and subversive message that ought to please everybody across the political spectrum, from the leftist moonbat to the conservative fruitcake and all people with a sense of humour inbetween. The Gnostic nature of Gary's speech with which he wins over the audience of worldwide dignitaries, is particularly striking. Underneath all the vulgar references to reproductive and other organs, there is a profound message to people who like to ponder these things.

I also strongly recommend Stone and Parker's South Park TV series, the movie South Park: Bigger, Better, Uncut and the CD Chef Aid. This talented duo's talents and wicked sense of humour are quite unmatched in popular culture today.


Genius. Silly, irreverent, childish. But absolute genius.   June 6, 2005
wiz
26 out of 30 found this review helpful

Not for the faint-hearted nor easily offended, this incredibly silly, juvenile film is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. It is a brilliant piece of puerile, slap-stick, rude school-boy comedy, that somehow ends up as a very witty satire that pokes fun at just about everyone.

The plot is suitably silly, and sounds vaguely familiar: The world is threatened by a group of terrorists and Team America: World Police is on their trail to bring them to a very brutal conclusion. In the interests of "saving the world", World Police justify much mayhem and destruction, and in the pursuit of a particular group of terrorists, destroy Paris and Cairo in hilarious ways. Like a pubsescent-teenage-remake of Thunderbirds, somehow crossed with Muppet-mayhem and seemingly directed by Terence & Philip from SouthPark, it is riddled with swearing, gratuitous violence and bloodshed and, yes, even sex. The references to Ken & Barbie in this particular scene are not, I'm sure, entirely coincidental. The violence is gloriously overstated, with the puppets getting a thorough ketchup-producing mauling either from simulated gunfire, explosions or real kittens.

It is directed with a mock-solemnity that gives it a big-budget, event-movie quality that just makes the whole thing more preposterous - the fact that grown men actually made this film is refreshing and scary in equal measure. The back of the DVD is like a who's-who of action film production - and it shows. Yes, its puppets, but it looks and feels like it should.

I loved this film on so many levels - partly because it is just great comedy and a fantastic satire on the state of the world the way it is at the moment - to pinpoint one character here, Kim Jong-Il is a fabulous caricature and his speeches and singing are truly hysterical. The self-appointed sanctimonious attitude of Hollywood do-gooders is equally ridiculed.

I also love this film because it doesn't preach or take sides, other than to point out how silly everything is. It doesn't take itself seriously and it is made for fun, not as a political statement. It is blindingly funny, it has to be said.

Its also a treat for the film-buff as the number of deliberate references/homages to other films (from StarWars to Kill Bill, to any number of Jerry Bruckheimer films) is a joy to watch as one joke-ridden scene of mayhem, carnage and stupidity blends perfectly with another.

It is a fundamentally ridiculous, childish and stupid film that quite simply made me laugh so much I had to regularly hit PAUSE on the DVD so that I would not miss the next scene.

For me, this film hit a lot of the same buttons as "beavis & butthead do america" did. Team America: World Police, is probably as funny, but is cleverer, and a more keenly observed piece of satire. It also has that "repeat-viewing" feeling that makes it an essential DVD!

just please let there be a sequel...


Puppet Satire   May 9, 2005
JD
25 out of 31 found this review helpful

This film draws together much of the stuff that has been banged on about since 9-11. Islamic terrorism, something that breeds fear and therefore serves as an effective way of controlling the public. The only words you can make out from the muslim terrorist characters in the film are 'mohammed' and 'jihad'. Each time these characters appear they have their own musical motif (think snake charming), which contrasts with the American characters' theme (Team America F*** Yeah!). Its all brilliantly handled and well executed, and rather than picking at any one particular group - it satirises the present situation.

Some say that this results in the film failing to convey a clear 'message'. Why does that matter? This is a wry comment on the current political climate, not a lobbiest movie, and it comes with several scenes of memorable puppet sex. What else do you want?


Laughed my ass off!!   May 24, 2005
Andy Raffan (Glasgow, Scotland)
25 out of 28 found this review helpful

I'm afraid if you dont laugh hugely at this movie then there is no hope for you. It rips right into the Hollywood blockbuster mentality and delivers a hilariously funny film which very rarely misses its targets - unlike the members of Team America! There's more than enough here for anyone with even a hint of a sense of humour, as well as a desire to see the major monuments and tourist attractions of the world blown to bits. What made the movie even funnier for me was the songs (what? you say!) - yep, the songs were absolutely fantastic parodies and even the stoniest hearts amongst you will feel a wee bit of sadness during Kim Jong Ils rendition of "I'm so ronery". As for the look of the film - think Thunderbirds with swearing and much better explosions and effects and you've just about got it - the guys involved in making this obviously went all out to make it look and sound great, and the DVD features which delve into the 'making of' side illustrate the time and effort the crew put into the look and effects of the film. And of course they made the puppets have sex!! My advice - get it, grab some beers and popcorn and laugh yourself stupid. Remember, sometimes believing is all we have.