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by Willie Waffle

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Team America World Police

If you hate South Park or raunchy humor, get tickets for Shall We Dance. For the rest of us, Team America World Police is one of the funniest movies of the year. I love this film, and urge you not to take your kids. This one is for adults only.

Team America World Police is a group of super patriotic Special Forces operatives who fight terrorism all over the world, taking no prisoners and stopping evil by whatever means necessary. The team has come across information pointing to a potentially massive terrorist attack, but, to thwart the plan, they need a new member. Actor Gary Johnston, considered one of the best actors around, who also specializes in foreign languages, is recruited to go undercover and infiltrate a terrorist cell, but things aren't always what they seem, and Team America World Police is facing forces stronger than they could have ever imagined.

Can Team America World Police stop the terrorists? Have they found the true mastermind of the plot?

If the marionette-on-marionette action doesn't have you rolling in the aisles, the razor sharp movie spoofs will. Using marionettes, complete with visible wires like the classic TV show Thunderbirds (but with adult themes and humor), Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with co-writer Pam Brady, have created a perfect parody of Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer action movies like Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, and Top Gun. The three bring together a mix of randy humor, social commentary and movie parody, all of which combine to make you laugh for many reasons and on different intelligence and maturity levels. One moment, you are giggling at some potty humor. The next moment, you are laughing your head off at the Matrix send-up. Somehow, it all comes together and works better than you can imagine.

It's all here. From the pithy banter to the supposedly moving and meaningful dialogue to the super slow motion action in dramatic moments, Team America World Police hits every target. Characters all are stereotypes and caricatures including the no-nonsense, curt leader Spotswood; the grizzled, distrustful vet Chris; and the troubled rookie, Gary. Brady, Stone and Parker do a wonderful job giving each character his own dark, troubled history, just like every big, explosion-filled action movie, and attack some of the most obvious targets around including Alec Baldwin, Michael Moore, Sean Penn and more. They even give you some of the funniest soundtrack music since their last movie, South Park The Movie.

Most of all, Parker, Stone and Brady never hold back for a minute. Every joke is done to the extreme, and they're never afraid to show us the movie is cheap. Part of the fun is watching the marionettes' legs dangle all about as they move around, or the use of house pets as ferocious animals because they tower over the puppets. Since they are willing to laugh at themselves, we get some amusement as well.

If you want to study the movie over and over again to catch every little joke and reference, you could spend weeks watching it and find something new each day. However, the person who just wants some cheap laughs will be just as happy. This is the magic of Parker and Stone.

4 Waffles (Out Of 4)

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