Team America: World Police

Team America: World Police

2004

Comedy

Rated: R

Running Time: 98 minutes

Directed By: Trey Parker

Rating: 8 out of 10

Outline

An American anti terrorist team is travelling the world, battling terrorists and finding hidden weapons of mass destruction.

Review

We live in a world where you have to watch every word you say, and we live in a world with a culture of political correctness. In this world, Matt Stone and Trey Parker are like rays of sunshine in the dark. They say to hell with being loved by the masses. Hell, they are not even liked by the masses and I am sure they are more than okay with that. What they are though, are two very intelligent, funny dudes who deliver another film that will have you laughing hysterically. This movie is about a North American anti terrorist group called Team America. They recruit a famous Broadway actor named Gary, who has to help them infiltrate a terrorist cell in the Middle East. Team America is looking for weapons of mass destruction and will stop at nothing to catch bad guys.

If you are a fan of the television show South Park, then you should know by now what to expect from these guys. If you have never seen the show, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker like to make fun of a society where we take everything too seriously and this film is no different. Shot almost entirely using marionettes, (that’s right, mother flipping puppets) this film will wow you with its attention to detail. Famous cities and landmarks are painstakingly crafted to support the puppets on screen. This film will also wow you by its ability to offend virtually everyone on the planet. Team America travels all over the globe in this, trying to fight crime and root out terrorists. In that journey this movie will see a little bit of everything. They make fun of the French, Middle East, Americans, A-List Actors, Asians, and many more all to the delight of the viewer. The film plays out as a musical, and the puppets rip on everyone from Kim Jong Ir to Matt Damon (Myat Daamon.) It is Team America versus evil terrorists to the death, and it is a bloody battle you should not miss. In conclusion, this film is about puppets swearing, having sex, killing each other, and making fun of a lot of stereotypes in the process. How can that be bad? It is hilarious from the first Broadway song, to the end fight scene. To be fair if you don’t like musicals and do not like crass humor then this movie can be appalling (be warned.)

Director Trey Parker knows his comedy and has been doing it for years, (Baseketball, South Park BLU) so it should come as no surprise that this was so uproariously funny. What should surprise you is how much you will enjoy a film made entirely with puppets. His attention to every detail in this is superb and it is the little things that make this film special. Fight scenes that see puppets tangled up with each other, a puppet hitting the camera while on a motor bike, and the use of real animals only adds to this films charm. The film has slow parts but for the most part it flies by on the power of its comedy. This film can be brutally frank and then subtly genius with its jokes, and that is also to be appreciated. The one negative thing is I would have liked them to have used more voice actors. Stone and Parker's voices are overused in this but I am being picky. I hope it isn’t true that they won’t make another one of these films so fingers crossed. Finally I end with, Myat Daamon!

I give this movie a huge recommendation especially to those who like crass humor and do not take life too seriously.

T Factor + If you are a fan of South Park then this could score higher on the rating scale.

T Factor – If you are not awesome then this could score lower on the rating scale.

If you liked this film reel recommendations: South Park BLU, Baseketball.