TEAM AMERICA

[godfry n. glad]

Heh...

I saw this election day. Funny movie. Interesting concept, the puppets. I don't think I'd encourage further efforts in this medium. At least at this level of "sophistication".

My friend and I almost fell laughing out of the chairs we sat in...and we were the only ones in the theater. Mind you, the humor is pure Southpark.

AMERICA - FUCK YEAH!!!

godfry

[Adora]

OMG I have to see this movie. They had an ad for it last night before South Park, and I nearly pissed myself. Muuusssttt Seeeeeee

[Petra]

When I saw the thread title, I thought, "Shit. Team New Zealand I can handle; all they do is float boats" - but something with the temerity to call itself "Team America" gives me the heebies, I'm afraid.

Better tell us more, g'n'g, and put a poor gal's mind at ease.

:popcorn:

[wade-w]

It's a rather "in your face" satire, Luna. Making fun of the US as a "world police agency."

[Petra]

Phew! Satire. I can dig that. :)

Thanks. :wave:

[Goliath]

AMERICA - FUCK YEAH!!!

That song was my favorite part of the entire movie (not that there weren't other funny parts, too).

I think that the "AMERICA - FUCK YEAH!!!" song should be our new National Anthem. :D

[godfry n. glad]

O...it's outrageous satire in a killer format.

You've got the idea. Add cheezy melodrama, a truly despicable evil mastermind and some inspired set destruction. Viola!...

godfry

"Tuba!" just doesn't sound the same."

[Godfather]

About the only thing about Team America I didn't like was the way it demonised outspoken celebrities. Apparently actors aren't allowed to have opinions, but animators are. How does that work?

[Farren]

I haven't seen Team America but I'd have a hard time characterising anything by the creators of South Park as "demonizing" people. Even Sean Penn, having a rant about the movie, admitted he didn't mind when they ripped into him in a South Park episode (he thought it was funny). Hell, I'd be honoured to get ripped off by that lot.

[godfry n. glad]

I suspect that the running gag about the Film Actors Guild (F.A.G.) with Alec Baldwin as their leader is that when you stop to think about the TA animation, it did not use a single actor. No actors. I'd bet they had some leaning on them from the RL actors' guild about employing RL actors.

It also had to do with plot development...remember the "rookie hero" has a skill; a skill necessary for the success of Team America: Acting. That the hero be faced with a seemingly overwhelming conflict seems to have been part of the plot....what better way than the misguided FAG?

One of the places I laughed myself onto the floor was the "terrorist disguise" the rookie hero took on.

And, remember the FAG folks were dupes of the dastardly evil mastermind.

godfry

[LianaLi]

It was the perfect movie to see after elections, I'll give it that.

The only quibble I had against that movie was that it had a "happy" ending. After all that work to show how america fucked up every rescue job they went in to do, they actually successfully thwart the bad guy? C'mon, can I get a little consistency with satire, please?

[Godfather]

I suspect that the running gag about the Film Actors Guild (F.A.G.) with Alec Baldwin as their leader is that when you stop to think about the TA animation, it did not use a single actor. No actors. I'd bet they had some leaning on them from the RL actors' guild about employing RL actors.
I don't think that had anything to do with it. Matt Stone and Trey Parker have said in several interviews that they were disgusted by Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, etc. being so outspoken about the invasion of Iraq. They find it hilarious that mere actors think they are important enough to speak out about political issues. I mean, they're right that a celebrity's opinion isn't inherently more valuable than anyone else's, but they seem to think that it is somehow less valid, just because they are famous. As they often do, Stone and Parker let one slightly amusing gag (the idea that actors think they should be in charge of the world) take over the whole project. Far more of the film focused on 'FAG' than on (Team) America's foreign policy, which is just insane.

It also had to do with plot development...remember the "rookie hero" has a skill; a skill necessary for the success of Team America: Acting. That the hero be faced with a seemingly overwhelming conflict seems to have been part of the plot....what better way than the misguided FAG?
That's putting the cart before the horse. Making the hero an actor was the main way they satirised actors' self-importance.

And, remember the FAG folks were dupes of the dastardly evil mastermind.
Yes, that idea is about as fresh as 'Hanoi Jane' Fonda.

[ApostateAbe]

I saw the movie. I loved it. I feel guilty for seeing it on my roommate's comp because I owe Matt and Trey ten dollars.

I heard it said that Team America has enough in it to offend everyone, but that isn't true. It just offends everyone but shock-loving libertarians, like me.

Godfather, they probably wouldn't take your criticism seriously, because, if they think like I do, they believe that celebrity actors in general are idiots when it comes to politics who get way too much attention. Sean Penn et al deserve all the ridicule in the world. One of my favorite parts was when Janeane Garofalo had the top half of her head blown away. That was very satisfying.

[Petra]

I saw Team America today. :D

We had a biggish deadline yesterday at 6pm, so at 3pm today we stopped work, got in some pizza and beer, and used the conference room's big screen to watch a colleague's copy of it. It was nothing like I had expected at all. All I knew was that it was very funny satire. I had no idea it was stringed puppets! :D

I thought it was brilliant. And very funny. Especially the sex scene. :rofl:

[Ensign Steve]

Ooh! I'm adding that to my netflix queue right now! I wanted to see it when it was out, but I never got around to it. Thanks for the reminder.

[Petra]

I wanted to see it when it was out, but I never got around to it. No, me either. I actually went to go see it, with money in my pocket and everything, but a day late. Typical!Thanks for the reminder.
My pleasure. I really think you'll enjoy it. :D

[godfry n. glad]

My buddy and I went to see it on election day...I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the re-election of the presidential chimp. We were the only people in the theater.

The collateral damage is a big laugh and the sinister criminal mastermind is just...inspired.

I nearly fell out of my seat, I laughed so hard at some moments.

[viscousmemories]

I've put it in my queue too. :1thumbup:

It won't be released until May, though. :sadnana:

[LadyShea]

We rented it last night, and not only was it funny (if you like Parker and Stone's brand of humor, that is) but the puppet concept was amazing. Watch the special features to see all the work going into making the sets and what the puppeteers went through.

I especially liked the music. Listen to the words on every song, I rarely do that on movies and had to rewind several times to catch the lyrics when I found myself tuning it out as usual, I laughed my ass off.

[livius drusus]

I've added it to my Netflix queue as well. I think I'll watch it with subtitles on so I can catch all the lyrics. I've done that with Deadwood too, and it's downright illuminating.

[viscousmemories]

I've had it sitting on the counter for a few days. I'll watch it soon.

[Mok]

One of the funniest movies I have seen. As far as F.A.G., Alec Baldwin was disappointed that he couldn't provide the voice for himself. George Clooney and Matt Damon both said they would have been disappointed if they weren't in the movie.

Has anyone here watched the unrated, uncut sex scene? Wow.

[Ensign Steve]

I'm so glad this thread got resurrected. I watched this movie a week or so ago and LOVED it! I also watched it with the subtitles on. That song about the Pearl Harbor movie sucking was to die for. I also watched the special features, and liked them more than the movie itself. I am in love with miniatures, always have been. I did see the unrated sex scene, and WOW. OMG was that gross and hysterical. I wonder also if the barfing scene was quite as long in the R-rated version. I recommended the movie to my mom, but suggested she try to find the R-rated version to rent, if possible.

[Petra]

What was in the uncut sex scene that was missing from the cut version?

[Ensign Steve]

I never saw the cut version, but I am guessing that it didn't have the pissing and the shitting. Or maybe I'm giving too much credit to the MPAA.

[Crumb]

I just got the DVD from the library. I will be watching it this evening. :)

[Petra]

I never saw the cut version, but I am guessing that it didn't have the pissing and the shitting. Or maybe I'm giving too much credit to the MPAA.

Ahhh, okay.

No, it didn't.


Perhaps I should be grateful for that small mercy. :eek:

[viscousmemories]

I laughed hard from, "I promise. I will never die." to the end of the sex scene. Aside from a few random chuckles outside of that, that's all I got. I did think it was an amazing puppet production but a bit shallow on point and heavy on fart jokes for my taste. I know, I know... Matt and Trey. Anyway I also agree with Godfather's comments on the previous page.

[Crumb]

I found this movie mildly amusing, but I was somewhat disappointed. The puppet thing can only be amusing for so long, then they need to do something interesting with it, but it just seemed to get boring fast. I chuckled a few times. Maybe I was disappointed because I heard it over hyped on the radio. :dunno:

[California Tanker]

Bump to the top for Clutch Munny's benefit.

NTM