The events of 9/11 reshaped the world as we know it, and that includes the entertainment industry as well. Some shows and films took a good, hard look at terrorism, though some, like Fox's 24 for example, have experienced not only high rating but criticism. Others however, have found that there is humor to be found, and Matt Parker and Trey Stone are two guys that know how to poke fun at just about anything. This has been seen time and time again on their hit series South Park. No matter if it's a vote recount, a popular children's animated series from Japan, or even terrorism, they have found just the right things to make us laugh. Not everything they do happens to be construction paper cut outs though, and now they have a new method to make fun of the world . . . . puppets, or more importantly: Team America!

The world is in danger. Terrorists are planning to strike around the world, and there is only one hope of stopping them. That lies in the hands of Team America, a special unit devoted to stopping terrorists wherever they may hide. The team has recently lost a member however, and to replace him and find out more information on the rumored attack, they recruit Gary Johnston, an actor who has the skills to pass himself off as a terrorist. However, even though the plan succeeds, there is another menace lurking in the shadows, Kin Jong Il, and he has a deadly pran that may bring the world to its knees.

Team America isn't about real actors, and instead Matt and Trey have, in their own special way, paid homage to an older series that quite a few people know, that being Thunderbirds, the UK series that used puppets instead of live actors. Team America is almost entirely puppets (though you may find an animal or two) and the film makes no effort to try and make it a secret. This isn't a martial arts film and no one has gone in to try and remove the strings from the actors. However, these puppets have a little more going for them. They have facial expressions at times, they are designed to blink their eyes, they can even vomit when it is called for.

These puppets aren't for children though, and much like what some saw with Peter Jackson's journey into the world of puppetry, Meet the Feebles, this is an adult feature. Team America pokes fun at just about everything, and I think this may be where some critics were a bit confused. Yes, the film tends to be on the ridiculous side at times, but that's intentional. As they usually do, our South Park creators poke fun at America itself. You will find the members of Team America trying to keep things in line as far as terrorism is concerned, but that also includes some destruction as well, and not just garden-variety antics either. You can expect to see a few famous landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Sphinx, suffer some horrendous fates, but that's the American way.

No one is safe in this film though. You will find a number of famous personalities, who don't necessarily lend their voices, but the likeness is uncanny. Michael Moore, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon and a host of other celebrities aren't safe from the sharp witted barbs of the film, and the same is true of dictators around the world, such as Kim Jong Il who, in many ways, is much like what Satan was in the South Park film. In fact, just like that film, you will find a number of musical numbers presented during the course of the movie.

Team America gained a lot of press even before it was released, and everyone should know why that is. The film was forced to be cut down, but not because of violence or profanity, but because of sex. Yes, Team America features a sex scene, between puppets of course, and I'm still wondering what the big deal was. There is no genitalia to worry about, and it's simply put, hilarious. We see Gary and his love interest Lisa in a variety of sexual positions, and this even includes a scat scene. To the members of the MPAA: these are just PUPPETS! Get over it!!

Team America though really is a film that isn't just about puppets and strings. Okay, it is, but there really is a bit more to it. The one thing that really is remarkable here isn't necessarily to puppetry in the film, but rather the set designs. Many of these are done fantastically, and there are some good details included. Not only that, you've got pyrotechnics. That's right. Explosions, destroyed aircraft, even some puppet blood and gore, and it's all for a good cause: to make us laugh.

There are not one, but two different versions of Team America coming out, the trimmed down version, or the uncensored and unrated version. As usual, Paramount has sent us the better of the two versions, and unless you're a large, national video chain, I'd advise getting the real deal. The extra however are unchanged between the two versions. To begin with, you will find a short introduction on Team America, but things go far beyond that. There is a feature that looks at the creation of the world of Team America; another that shows the hard work that went into crafting the puppets themselves. Was it easy? Not in the least, and you'll see the trials and tribulations that the design team went through for the film.

Oh, but that's certainly not everything. After you've seen the troubles that were undertaken in just creating the puppets, you will get the opportunity to get behind the scenes for moving the puppets (not something that anyone can do) as well as how the action was filmed. You'll even get a look at the pyrotechnics of the film. There is even a behind the scenes look at the creation of Kim Jong-Il, at least in terms of the movie itself. The extras continue though with a dressing room test (a rough shot from the film,) tests of the puppets themselves, a collection of outtakes and deleted as well as extended scenes, and then two different versions of theatrical trailer. There are even animated storyboards, but those aren't nearly as fun as watching the film itself, but as mentioned before, for anyone looking to get into the industry, checking out extras like this really can be essential.

So maybe the self-promoting "serious" reviewers didn't like Team America, but for those with a sick sense of humor, Team America is pure gold. This is what you'd expect to find coming form the minds of the creators of South Park, and then some. This probably isn't going to be the type of thing to bring hype back to the world of puppetry where film is concerned, but for some good times and some good laughs, as well as the opportunity to see puppets doing things they really shouldn't be, this is the only way you will probably ever get the chance. This is a DVD that shouldn't be bought for the comedy, nor the genius of the puppets, but dammit, it should be done for America.
 

-mike-