TeamAmerica : World Police

World Of Pussys, Dicks, And Assholes

Published on October 17, 2004 By averjoe In Entertainment

I saw the movie “TeamAmerica: World Police” yesterday. It is a first for me. It is the first movie I’ve seen at a theater that starred puppets. Even if the movie is unique to me in this regard that does not give it an automatic high grade.

The story is about a group called “TeamAmerica: World Police” which is a special force that goes around the world welcomed or unwelcomed killing terrorist or foiling their evil plans. The team foils a terrorist attack in Paris at the beginning of the movie and uncovers evidence of a wider terrorist plot that involves weapons of mass destruction.

TeamAmerica decides they need an actor to join them to try and infiltrate a terrorist cell. The movie revolves around this main theme of uncovering the plans and players of this major terrorist attack and thwarting it.

In the process of protecting the world from terrorist TeamAmerica usually does more damage than the terrorist. I guess this is supposed to be a running joke in the film.

There are lots of things I think the writers want you to notice like how TeamAmerica disguise the actor to look like a terrorist, the lyrics of the score and musical numbers, and the role of actors in all this (you have members of the ‘Film Actors Guild’ or F.A.G. [see the joke] and their desire for peace which ends up with them using mucho violence [see the irony]).

The movie’s characterization of actors is biting and irreverent.

I can see the influence of Star Wars in some of the scenes. The bar scene comes to mind.

Anyway, the movie pokes fun at things in the news today. The question is how successful does it do this?

No matter how clever the comedy movie in the final analysis it must make me laugh and I measure a comedy films success in large part by how much it makes me laugh.

While the story used things like irony and parody well I did not think a lot of it was funny. I did not laugh that much but there was a lot of snickering.

It seems like things are too underplayed (believe it or not) in the movie “TeamAmerica: World Police” in my view. Sure I get it. The jokes are not over my head, but they just aren’t that funny to me. The funniest thing in the movie in my view was the puppet sex scene and even that only received a loud snicker.

I wonder what audience this movie is aimed at. Although the humor is, in some instances what some would consider juvenile (and there was laughter by many unsupervised teenagers at the viewing I went to) much of the humor will probably not be understood by this demographic, especially the jokes that use satire with current events which the young audience will probably not be familiar with. How many kids know about Hans Blix or the leader of North Korea for that matter (although how he is voiced is funny)?

The movie is ‘watchable’ and the use of marionettes in the manner used in the film is somewhat original. I haven’t seen any use of puppets in such a gory, violent or graphically sexual manner (I must admit I haven’t seen many movies period that use puppets). I would give the film a C - but due to its original puppet sex, gore, and violence it scores a few more points (points for its originality not for the mere fact that it shows these things). I would not recommend rushing to the theater to see this one but one can sit through it. I give it a grade of C.

Comments

greywar

on Oct 17, 2004

The incredibly long vomit scene is worth the price of admission:)

Bungy32

on Oct 18, 2004

Here's what gets me about the movie: Apparently, Stone and Parker had to edit the film to get an "R" instead of an "NC-17" rating. The ratings board had no problem with the violence in the film, and relatively little was cut from the straight sex scene (the "naked" puppets, afterall, lack procreative genitalia). What apparently had to be cut was the "trust affirming" fellatio, now suggestively taking place off screen with nothing more than bouncing puppet strings and a blissed out expression on Spotswood's face. Typical. I mean, they're puppets, fer cryin out loud!

Parker and Stone cast their envelope-destroying (forget pushing!) humor against everone and everything. I enjoy their work and have learned with South Park that many of their risks don't pay off but the ones that do are worth waiting for. They are routinely adept at both using and subverting various political and social issues. It would be too simple to call their representations "homophobic," for example. That doesn't mean I don't wince my way through parody's of Rent or constant references to F.A.G. Usually, there is a pay off, and in Team America it comes in the very funny if (of course) over-simplified view of the world as made up, essentially, of "dicks, pussies, and assholes." That philosophy and, well, Spotswood's theories on trust and what makes a real (and trustworthy) man keep me amused and conviced that Stone and Parker use the crassest and most vulgar humor to challenge us all to examine our values and assumptions -- and to be willing to laugh at just about anything. Their's is a more sweeping than pointed critique -- whether you are a whiner or a bully, you need to get over yourself and realize it takes all kinds in this world. That, and well, nothing is so holy that it wouldn't benefit from a good poop joke (or vomit joke or boob joke or fag joke or redneck joke or race joke or...)

I give this movie a somewhat cautious thumbs up, but I should also note that I turned down an opportunity to see it a second time with a different group of friends. Sometimes I have to rest my "envelope" for a while after such an extreme and thorough stretching.

My favorite scene in the movie is Kim Jong Il's killer panthers. Very funny!

justen till

on Oct 23, 2004

this movie is voodoo magic. it is a strange thing to make small effigies of actual people and then elaborately and at great expense kill them in front of thousands of people for amusement. if we truly believe there is power in our actions, then there must be power in our words and thoughts as well. i admire the work and intentions of both Matt Parker and Trey Stone and hope they will make fun of me as well, but not by the idea of people laughing at my gruesome death. what if one of those people were to get seriously hurt, or even murdered after this movie. do you think the creators might feel guilty? i think i would.
what we say and think has real power.
god bless you and keep you all happy, healthy and safe
thanks

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