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October 19, 2004
AMERICA-F*CK YEAH!
It often happens in high-budget action flicks that the performances of the actors seem contrived, shallow, or artificial. In Team America: World Police, though, even the actors themselves seem somehow artificial, as if they’re made out of plastic or some other inanimate material.
But seriously, they’re puppets, people. Puppets who have intercourse and perform various other sexual acts. Many puppets have had sex before, but very few puppets have been filmed having sex in many various, sexy positions. Missionary, her on top, 69 - you name it, they do it. Team America: World Police is a veritable Kama Sutra of puppet sex.
Of course, as much as the reviewers may wish it, the whole movie can’t be puppet sex. They’ll have to save that for the special-edition director’s cut DVD. No, the plot revolves around the recruitment of Broadway actor Gary Johnston by Team America, an elite counterterrorist group charged with defending the bastion of all that is good and holy in the world (America) against the evils of Islamofascism.
As creators and South Park originators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have said in multiple cable-television interviews regarding this, their latest project: “Puppets can’t do shit.” Overcoming the limitations of the plasticine Thunderbirds Are Go! genre, Parker and Stone manage to somehow convince the audience the puppets are real actors. But the illusion doesn’t last, and Parker and Stone go out of their way to self-referentially demean their puppet leads, as well as themselves, by overplaying the awkwardness of marionette strings and glass eyes.
The film uses action-movie cliches to their full comedic effect. Every action-movie stock character is represented here, from the comfortably bland male lead to the hot-headed maverick to the Armani-suited mentor.
The truly tragic part of the movie is that it’s just barely a parody. Forget that they’re puppets, and ignore some of the more outrageous twists in the movies (like Gary giving team leader Spottswood head in order to prove that he has the courage to save the rest of Team America), and you could almost believe that you’re watching any generic big-budget action movie.
One disappointment was that the movie was not as incendiary as we had expected. The film’s trailer, which presented a long list of world leaders and actors who would be “really, really mad” when the feature was released, set up expectations of mind-blowing outrageousness that this puppet show just couldn’t live up to. For what it is - an irreverent send-up of Jerry Bruckheimerąesque action flicks - the movie is a success. Parker and Stone are much more interested in parodying Hollywood actors than Bush or Osama.
Regardless of whether you’re a red or a blue, this movie will entertain. Just don’t go if you’re not into hot puppet sex.
Posted by msveum at October 19, 2004 11:48 AM
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