Team America: World Police

Let me start by saying that Team America has generated some of the most laughable commentary from film reviewers that I have ever seen. I'll use David Stratton, formerly of SBS's Movie Show and now with the ABC, as the perfect example. He was appalled by the film, or more accurately, he was appalled by the film when it wasn't lampooning the Americans. His co-host, Margaret Pomeranz was more even-handed about it and liked the film. Stratton was incapable of seeing a genuine lampoon of both sides of politics - dirth of a sense of humour on the left.

TA is one of the funniest films I have ever seen. I was laughing myself stupid for the entire film, almost without rest. The film mercilessly attacks Americans' lack of knowledge of the outside world, critiquing wanton destruction without any cultural sensitivity, and contrasts this with mindless repetition of talking points on the left and the incredible hubris of actors to think that just because they play the President on TV, or appear on screen at all that their opinions and indeed knowledge base are more weighty or valid than the average person.

The plot: The plot is straight out of a John McTiernan action blockbuster, and intentionally a parody of such films. Team America is a group of five pseudo-specialists in fighting, ESP, psychology, leadership and acting/spying. They police the world, tracking down terrorists with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and stopping them before they can unleash them on an unsuspecting world.

One of their own in killed in the opening scene of the film and they need to replace him for an important mission. Thus they recruit Gary Johnston, a 'top gun actor'. There are several fantastic scenes, including a bar almost out of the original Star Wars film (IV), but populated with terrorists instead of aliens.

To put it succinctly, Gary helps TA stop one terrorist plot only to see another one unleashed. Only after Gary leaves TA and their headquarters is attacked by an explosive laden Michael Moore is the true villain revealed - North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. Is it irony that a puppet comedy has the guts to be closer to real life world events than the usual Hollywood crap?

In Summary: Profanity reigns in this film, unsurprising as it comes from the minds and mouths (literally) of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who created South Park. Indeed Kim Jong-il is essentially an Asian-sounding variant of South Park's Eric Cartman. The puppetry is fantastic, and Parker & Stone make sure to ham it up with puppet jokes and taboos - puppets fight, vomit and have sex. But don't be fooled - there is a message too. It's that everyone is a fool in this thing, but those that take themselves the most seriously - the actors - are clearly the biggest ones.

The Casablanca comparison: Lisa, Team America's psychologist, reminds me of Ingrid Bergman's Ilsa. Both beautiful women who lost a man that they loved, only to find another whom they almost immediately jump into bed with. Well ok, Ilsa doesn't jump into bed with Rick (but she would if given the chance), and Victor Lazlo isn't dead (though he was in a concentration camp for a while).

The Rating: I give Team America a 9 out of 10. It does exactly what it intends to do perfectly. The only reason it doesn't get a 10 is that it's comedy is very male focussed and thus women will largely not get the joke. A film has to be able to deliver its message broadly in order to get a sought-after 10.