Posted on 06/01/2005 12:55:25 AM PDT by ambrose
The guilty pleasure of 'Team America'
By Gary Arnold
The most astonishing and hilarious movie of last year, "Team America: World Police," finally has made its belated transition from theatrical to home-video release. The adventure-flick parody from "South Park's" Trey Parker and Matt Stone ridicules in one fell swoop the U.S. war on terror, a lucrative Hollywood genre, Kim Jong-il, several Hollywood stars and their most conspicuous political propagandist, Michael Moore.
It was never in the cards that such a movie would be in serious contention for Academy Awards. Nevertheless, "Team America," a marvel of satirical perversity and technical craftsmanship, deserved the Oscar for best animated feature and nominations for best art direction, visual effects, cinematography, editing and costume design. The DVD edition,released May 17 and retailing for $29.98, provides behind-the-scenes featurettes showcasing many of the people responsible for the movie's conceptual effrontery and pictorial sophistication.
"Team America" hit on a happily brazen way of cutting Hollywood down to size, literally as well as figuratively: The characters are played by 2-foot marionettes.
The timing of its theatrical release was dandy. This uninhibited smack-down of Hollywood cliches and pieties appeared in the wake of a long summer of derision aimed at President Bush and his re-election aspirations. The one-sided malice began with Mr. Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" and continued through such summertime monstrosities as "The Day After Tomorrow" and "The Manchurian Candidate."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Ummm...because it is a vulgar comic book?
My wife once watched "A Clockwork Orange", and said afterwards that she didn't get it, that it was just random violence. I told her that she got it, and didn't even know it. That was the whole point. With "Team America", I heard someone say that it is just so politically incorrect that it cannot be watched. I told them they got the gist of the movie right there.
No, really, there is some great satire in there. Hey. It isn't deep. But it is funny! I do believe in aiming your satire to the level of the target of your satire, but I suspect, with respect to liberals, the producers did not aim quite low enough.
I couldn't believe I liked it either. (;
I love it. It is my favorite file of 2004. I have sent copies to Iraq.Hell, there were bootleg copies for sale in Baghdad while the movie was still in the theaters here.
-Eric
-Eric
I adored this movie - it's absolutely hilarious and completely and totally vile. I saw it 2x in the theaters (2nd time had to bring DH, who didn't want to go with us the first time) and then bought the DVD the day it came out.
The diff between the theatre and the "unrated" version, from what I can tell, is a nasty addition to the "puppet sex" scene.
My favorite scene is the where they release the "panthers" onto the 2 Team America members. So as not to spoil it for anyone who hasnt seen it yet, I won't tell you what those panthers actually are.
It's definitely best the first time through, because of the pure shock of it mixed with the comedy. But the DVD is worth it to see how they did it.
I agree it deserved some Oscars but after what it did to Hollywood (F.A.G.!) there's no way they would let them have any.
LQ
Thanks for the insight... I've asked my in-laws to purchase this and bring it to Europe when they come to see us around the end of the month. (We're on assignment/adventure.)
When my husband saw it on the list of stuff to pickup for us, he just looked at me questioningly since he didn't remember hearing about it.
I've heard good and I've heard bad about it but this posting makes me want to see it all the more (or Moore).
I am a huge Phil Hendrie fan so I had to see the film when I heard Phil was doing some of the voices.
I think I got the biggest laugh out of the Broadway musical parody and the song "Everybody's got AIDS!" LOL.
Maatt Daaamon!
Remember, there's no "I" in Team America...well, actually there is one near the end...a small one
'Everyone's got AIDS...even spades!'
LOL! Now I remember that scene.
*giggle* bears repeating. "Maatt Daaamon!"
After a particularly nasty hearing in a particularly nasty divorce case, I confronted the other attorney in the hallway and chewed him up one side and down the other about honor and integrity and accusing him of having any shred of concern for the 6 year old girl in the case. As I talked, he got redder and redder and the muscles in his face twitched. I never raised my voice and I never used any language which could be deemed offensive. After I had finished, he called me a cun* and walked off. He's a federal judge now. But his wife wears Christmas sweaters in February. LOL
When I saw it in the theater, it must have been "divorced dads' day with the kids", because there were a lot of four- and five-year-olds there with their fathers to see "the puppet movie." I'll bet they learned some interesting new words to repeat to Mom when they got home...LOL!
This is really beginning to drive me nuts! I can't wait to see it but how to go about that with the parents here? ...hmmmm.... got to start planning now.....
I know my son won't be allowed to watch it but I think I better watch it before allowing my husband's parents to see it....maybe even before I allow my husband to see it... heh heh
Still makes me chuckle.
All in all, it was a very good movie, slapping the tar out of the arrogant Hollywood elite. No wonder they were so offended by it.
:-)
To Damon's credit from what Parker says Damon is the only actor they satirize in the movie who contacted them and said he liked it. Sean Penn hated it, and nobody else has contacted them.
ROFLOL.
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