It is always nice to see a genius or two make a film that transforms, redefines or creates a new genre of moviemaking, like Tim Burton's morbid clay-animated masterpiece, A Nightmare Before Christmas. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the notoriously controversial creators of TV show South Park, have made a similarly bizarre and disgusting, yet genre-creating, new film made entirely of marionettes, Team America: World Police.
First things first: Parker and Stone's new film is far from a masterpiece—and by far I mean light-years away from anything close to a great film. With that established, there are plenty of redeeming qualities make the eight-plus bucks you dish out on the ticket seem worth it.
Second: this movie is beyond vulgar. It seems that Parker and Stone have reached offensiveness enlightenment and Team America is the manifestation of their insult-churning power.
The movie's setup is hilarious and stupid, which was probably Parker and Stone's intention. A team of five American special-operations soldiers are on a mission to defeat global terrorism, but, in doing so, give no regard to anyone or anything around them, like, say, the Eiffel Tower (which explodes in the opening scene due to a misguided rocket). After losing a member in a mission in Paris, the team quickly finds a new recruit, Broadway star Gary Johnston. Their mission is to stop a new group of terrorists who have obtained WMD's (weapons of mass destruction) by using Gary's acting abilities in a kind of "inside job."
The plot leaves room for every kind of offensive joke imaginable; from simple jabs at political parties, to Kim Jong Il's accent, Parker and Stone have left nothing un-made-fun-of. All these insults are very funny, if you don't mind letting go of all seriousness and letting the mean jokes blast off one after another until the movie's end.
And remember, all the characters are miniature puppets controlled by strings. This fact alone makes for some side-splitting sequences. For instance, imagine a terrorist and one of his American enemies engaging in a heated kung fu battle, resulting in that terrorist's brutal demise. Their motions are so disconcerting to the viewer's live-action-coordinated eye, the movement alone becomes hysterical.
Oh, and did I mention that it's a musical? Even Kim Jong Il sings his part; in fact, Kim's melodramatic solo about being lonely is one of the high points of the movie. Great numbers include the vulgar, angry, adrenaline-starter, "America: F**k Yeah!" and the upbeat "Everybody Has AIDS!" These amusing numbers, all written by Parker and Stone, add to the scattered mess of hilarity that is Team America.
There is a flipside to everything good about Team America: adults and their morals. Everything about this movie screams to get protested by "responsible parents who have concern for their children." In fact, the movie was originally rated "NC-17" and had to be cut down considerably to get the "R" rating. Basically, don't go with your parents.
But do go! Go to this movie and let Trey Parker and Matt Stone take you on a unique adventure filled with all of your wildest, most inappropriate dreams.
Team America: World Police (98 minutes) is rated R for endless amounts of bad language, plentiful bloody violence, a seriously graphic puppet sex scene (what???), and lots of other sick, immoral stuff
Lincoln Bostian. Lincoln is in his third year on print staff as art editor. Lincoln was rushed onto staff in the wake of Shansby's departure, and has attempted to sustain what he can of the art department in his stead. He is a senior and has no … More »
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