Starring (the voices of): Matt Stone, Trey Parker

Cert: 15

Released: 23^rd May 2005

With the rise in terrorist threats around the World, an independent team of global peacemakers is formed to jet off at the sign of danger and protect the innocent citizens of the planet.

            Unfortunately the defenders of justice only seem to be stopping the branches of terrorism rather than getting to the roots of the problem. A new tactic is required and a new member is recruited to the squad; a Broadway actor by the name of Gary . Hopefully with his excellent acting abilities he should be able to infiltrate the terrorists’ base camp and lead Team America to the top dog.

            But Gary isn’t trusted by his team mates and later becomes disillusioned about his abilities when the team is put at risk and lives are lost as a result of his acting. He flees, Team America get captured and Michael Moore blows up their headquarters in Mount Rushmore and their boss.

            Gary returns to the destruction to make amends, receive some intense training and flies off to save the World with an acting face-off against Alec Baldwin.

Of course, if you didn’t know, this is all performed by marionettes in the style of Jerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds but with the scatological humour of the South Park creators Stone and Parker.

            The comedy is, mostly, incredibly juvenile and disgusting but at others is an incredibly clever satire on the politics, paranoia and emotions surrounding the subject of terrorism – who is more the terrorist? The bomb wielding maniacs from Durkadurkastan or the gung-ho World Police who destroy Paris just to stop four men?

            The puppets are brilliant and their downsized existence is used to great affect when they sometimes crossover into reality. Also, it seems that Stone and Parker can get away with a lot more gratuity because of their wooden actors: graphic deaths, torrential vomit and a drawn-out sex scene are a few of the choice moments.

            The characters are all basically stupid but well defined and excellently orchestrated. The script is hilarious taking overused film clichés to their extremes and given that sardonic twist.

DVD Features

There are the standard featurettes on here going behind the scenes to explain the film’s inception and the processes behind making the puppets as well as making them act.

            There’s a bundle on there to keep fans interested but most fans will know that missing from the theatrical release were a couple of rumoured sequences of the South Park boys taking the extremes to the extreme. Even the censors seemed unwilling to allow full penetrative sex and scat play to go out even if it’s performed by puppets. But the rumours were fuelled by the boys saying they could put the scenes on their DVD release. Well, I couldn’t find them and feel slightly ripped off that, once again, we will be confronted with the ‘Ultimate Collector’s Special Limited Edition’ in a few months.

            Of course, that’s not to say that was the only reason I got the DVD, right? I’m not into puppet porn or anything but there’s a principle involved here, okay? I’ll shut up now.