RSS 2.0Team America – World Police (2004)
Team America – World Police is a funny parody on shows such asThe Thunderbirds by the creators of South Park. Using the qualities of puppets with all their silly characteristics to extremes. Although it contains the type of humor you either love or hate, personally I thought it to be highly predictable yet very entertaining. No-one is spared, especially not America, many politically correct American actors and Michael Moore.
Team America is a special force called to the rescue whenever terrorists threaten to strike. The team doesn’t mind destroying historical monuments while accomplishing their missions. Hey, all for the sake of peace and safety. When the team ruins some important buildings in Cairo, the world, led by Alec Baldwin and a group of fellow-Hollywood actors, blame it all on Team America. The leader of Team America has recruited a Broadway actor called Gary Johnston to use his amazing acting capacities to fool the terrorists. Soon, the team finds out the one responsible behind setting up the international community against Team America is North-Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
This is just another extension of the jokes that arose from South Park, not only because South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are responsible for most of the voices, but also because of its typical cheap but very effective sense of humor. Normally, TV shows or films starring puppets try to hide the elements that ruin the spell and show the audience it’s just a bunch of puppets tied to strings. In the case of Team America nearly everything is focused on showing the goofiness of puppets: their strings are prominently present on screen and the camera intentionally zooms in on the way they move and walk.
It is rather easy to simply make fun of everything from American politics to actors, from political correctness to terrorism and it makes you wonder why the hell Parker and Stone get away with it so easily. The reason must lie within the obviousness of their jokes making it extremely recognizable. Although not mind-blowing, Team America is fun for the 98 minutes it lasts.
Directed by: Trey Parker
Starring the voices of: Trey Parker, Matt Stone
Runtime: 98’
Release Dates: US: 15 October , UK: 14 January, The Netherlands: 24 February
Official Website
Arjan Welles (213 posts)Arjan Welles - law graduate. I work at a bank, I work as a film critic for Dutch and English media. My favorite directors are David Lynch, David Fincher, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino. I love arthouse over blockbusters.
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noticable the entire Bush administration is spared which is what makes Team America so grossly repugnant. Too make jokes at politically correct actors is fine. they need to be taken down a notch every now and then anyway. it’s good for the over inflated ego’s that come with celebrity. What is absolutely unacceptable is to poke fun at the Army but not attack their commanders. This obvious ommission gives Team America just enough shady vagueness as to give it the tint of a pro-Irak war propoganda piece. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are the real marrionettes. One would think they would have actually shown some real cahones in the face of a post Patriot Act America.
Comment by denise — Sun March 6, 2005 @ 21:52I saw an interview in which T&M said they didn’t want to make the movie “administration specific”. I agree that adding a Bush puppet would have ade the movie a whole lot more fun though
Comment by weefselkweekje — Sun March 6, 2005 @ 22:08Blow it out your ass. We all hate Bush too, But let’s at least try to escape the fact that he is president while we watch a puppet movie!
Comment by Batty — Mon January 8, 2007 @ 15:59