Team America: World Police Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)October 21st, 2004
"Team America: World Police" – Entertaining, but with Strings Attached
by Homer Yen
(c) 2004
South Park creators (Matt Stone and Trey Parker) and four letter words seem to be inseparable. Their penchant for foul language, vulgarity, and oddball humor puts them in the arena with the likes of Howard Stern. But like that shock jock, there is a loyal following that tunes in to their Comedy Central television show every week. There was a loyal following who ventured out to see their first feature film ("South Park: Bigger, Louder, and Uncut"). And there will be a loyal fan base that will venture out to see "Team America."
Even though the film centers on terrorism, it doesn't take a political stand. It merely wants to find ways to insult people in a non-partisan way. Everything and everyone winds up in its sights, from the members of the Film Actors Guild (FAG), to the effeteness of Hans Blix and the UN inspectors, to the opinionated gusto of Michael Moore, to the ham-fisted approach of Kim Jong Il. But the greatest insults, I suppose, are lobbed at America who winds up blowing up the Eiffel Tower, the Sphinx, and other world monuments in their quest to root out evil. Kim Jong Il (a puppet ruler?) turns out to be the engineer of an upcoming attack that will feature weapons of mass destruction. He obtains the favor of the FAG and has masterminded the capture of Team America. Can anybody stop this evil-doer who occasionally breaks out into sad songs? The answer lies within the conviction of Gary (voiced by Trey Parker), who is a conflicted actor with a skill for world languages.
"Team America" isn't trying to create a political statement or really any kind of statement. It's just trying to be wacky. And while I was generally amused by all of the antics, I was especially enamored by the craft that went into the making of this film. Any avid filmgoer appreciates a first. And here, you might be surprised to see that the film features marionettes instead of real-people. You can actually see the strings attached to the puppets. Yet, despite the natural limitations in terms of mobility or facial expressions, the end product is actually very impressive. It makes you want to buy the DVD so that you can look at the extras that feature the 'making of' this film.
Given the reduced scope of the film, it's actually quite clever, with the caveat that if it were live-action, the film would certainly be rated NC-17. I liked how cats are used as man-eating predators and how catfish resemble monstrous fish. The amount of work used to build the sets is amazing, from the side streets of Paris to the grandeur of Kim Jong Il's governmental palace, to the hustle and bustle of Times Square NYC. Overall, it is novel enough to maintain your interest.
Hardcore South Park fans will not be disappointed. Or at least that's what my movie partner told me who watches way more South Park than me. It has the same kind of unexpected violence and over-the-top language that characterizes the cartoon. The only difference, I suppose, is that in the cartoon (when a bunch of pre-adolescent, innocent-looking, paper-cutouts abuse each other with the four-letter word), there is a greater sense of irony and surprise. Here, with rough-and-tumble patriotic warriors, the language isn't as unexpected. So, through talking tough and working steadfastly to rid our world of evil dictators, our gallant team puts the "F" back in freedom.
Grade: B-
S: 3 out of 3
L: 3 out of 3
V: 3 out of 3
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