One of the year's best action films is led by a cast of puppets.
"Team America: World Police," directed by "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, combines the duo's humor with Hollywood's big-budget action movie formula, along with an all-marionette puppet cast.
Inspired by the "Thunderbirds," a popular 1960s children's series, "Team America: World Police" uses marionette puppets to create a unique experience similar to the computer-generated film, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow."
Team America's mission is a simple one. Its job is to police the world against international evildoers. The team travels the globe, hunts down terrorists, and kills them before they kill us.
The film opens with several terrorists planning an attack on Paris. Weapons of mass destruction are supplied by North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il, the movie's terrorist ringleader. After an intense gun battle and a lot of blood, Team America successfully saves the French from the impending terrorist attack.
Although the film sports an all-marionette cast, it does not shy away from the established action movie formula. Team America consists of the typical blue-eyed heroes who represent truth, justice and the American way.
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The antagonist Kim will occasionally jump into a musical number, because when it comes down to it, he really is just a sad and lonely man.
Along with terrorists, Kim enlists Hollywood celebrities to aid in his plan to unleash an attack bigger than "9-11 times 200,326." The celebrities believe it is their responsibility to speak out against Team America because of their high status.
Members of the Film Actors Guild, who are always referred to by the guild's acronym, include Alec Baldwin, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn.
The actors believe violence is only necessary if it is to stop Team America from being the aggressor of the world.
Parker and Stone's use of marionettes to satirize the issues of terrorism and the role the United States plays in governing the world was a clever idea.
By using puppets, the filmmakers are allowed to make commentary very few actors would attach themselves to.
In the movie, no one is safe from the filmmakers' jokes and parodies. The celebrities are all caricatures of themselves. Michael Moore is always seen with hot dogs in his hands and Matt Damon only can utter his own name when forced to speak.
The terrorists are also stereotyped as being Middle Easterners who can only say "jihad," "Muhammad" or a combination of both.
The team is so zealous about its purpose in the world, its theme song is simply titled, "America, F--k Yeah!"
"Team America: World Police" is an original idea, as well as a retro take on the big-budget Hollywood blockbusters that invade theaters during the summer months. Parker and Stone combine social commentary and parody along with an occasional musical number to create a film that ranks among the year's best.
"Team America"
World Police
Directed by Matt Stone and
Trey Parker
Grade: A
