Team America: World Police (R)

This raunchy movie is not for children.

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Common Sense rates it
2
Seen the movie? Review it
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Movie details
  • Studio: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Pictures
  • Directed By: Trey Parker
  • Running Time: 95 minutes
  • Release Date: 10/15/2004
  • Video/DVD Release Date: 05/17/2005
  • Genre: Comedy
  • MPAA Rating: R
  • MPAA Explanation: graphic, crude and sexual humor, violent images and strong language; all involving puppets

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie isn't for children. It's extremely vulgar and raunchy, with exceptionally strong language and graphic sexual references and situations, featuring naked marionettes engaging in a variety of sexual acts and positions. The movie is oddly homophobic. The organization based on the Screen Actors Guild is called the Film Actors Guild so it can have the initials F.A.G. A male character forces another male character into a sexual encounter not because they are gay but as an expression of power. Later, the experience is made public to humiliate the one who had to submit. There is a lot of graphic puppet violence, with characters getting shot, blown up, decapitated, sliced in half, and burned. Characters drink and smoke. And there's an extended barfing sequence.

Families can talk about why celebrities speak out on politics and how effective they are. They could also talk about what makes the marionettes so funny. Would the movie work as well if it was animated or live-action?

Message

Social Behavior:

The movie is oddly homophobic.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Characters drink and smoke.

Violence

Graphic cartoon-style violence, characters get shot, blown up, etc.

Sex

Explicit sexual references and graphic (puppet) sex.

Language

Extremely strong language.

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Nell Minow

Inspired by Thunderbirds, a 1960s British children's television show, TEAM AMERICA follows the adventures of five all-American, good-looking heroes who are masters of everything from kick-boxing to rocket science. They toss off brave wisecracks while gunning down evil-doers. Their cool clubhouse inside Mount Rushmore has every kind of transportation and weapon system and a swinging cocktail lounge. When one of the team is killed, team leader Spottswoode recruits an actor. Gary, star of the hit Broadway musical, Lease (with a showstopping final number, "Everyone has AIDS!"), is brought on board because the most important skill for fighting terrorism is acting ability. Spottswoode tells Gary, "as an actor with a double major in theater and world languages, you're the perfect weapon!" At first he says no, but there is something about saving the world, or maybe just something about Lisa that makes him change his mind. So, Gary gets a makeover and infiltrates the terrorists. But things go wrong, and the country loses faith in Team America. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Il is plotting total world domination and a bunch of Hollywood celebrities think they have the solution for world peace.

Is it any good?

2
South Park's Trey Parker and Matt Stone have created a fabulously intricate puppet world here, with replicas of iconic monuments from Mount Rushmore and the Sphinx to the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal. The duo take such pleasure in being naughty that it makes their work more silly than smutty. In their best work, the outrageousness is in aid of a statement, a sharp attack, so that the four-letter words and cheerful bad taste transcend their schoolyard shock value to work as satire. But when there is no special point of view and they just decide to bash everyone on all sides, it runs out of steam quickly.

This latest venture would have made a hilarious 15-minute short film, but at feature length it gets repetitive and tiresome. When the movie is good, it is very funny. But Stone and Parker go after everyone here -- people who want to fight terrorists, people who don't want to fight terrorists, people who are terrorists, and people who just have really, really inflated senses of their importance in the world, and so the satire is too scattershot to sustain the film.

Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 17 reviews.

0

Posted on 07/29/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 11

One of the worst films ever- not for children.

First off don't be fooled. Just because it's a puppet movie oh boy it's way more than that. They say the f word throughout and its derivatives, scatological terms, anatomical terms, derogatory terms, graphic sexual references, name-calling, mild obscenities, religious exclamations, and religious profanities. The sex is a big issue. Two puppets are shown having sex and you can see full frontal nudity. One moment in the film two men puppets are having sex. There is constant sexual references that are very explicit. The violence is very graphic and bloody that will scare kids easily. The drug content is really a big issues. Characters drink so much they vomit all over the place. Overall the film is nowhere near for kids. I admit I saw this in cinemas but I thought it was a kids film. Don't be fooled. The sex, violence, and language is seen throughout the entire film. Overall it's awful and not only is it offensive but it makes fun of religion and race.
0

Posted on 07/25/08 by Anonymous Adult contributor

No WAY!

I am an extremely liberal minded person and I would in absolutely NO WAY endorse this movie for children. The satirical humor is too easily misunderstood and the outright ruthless gay bashing is offensive. Many parents may think this is a harmless 'puppet' movie, but they would be so wrong. I found not one thing funny about this movie and really it is not b/c I didn't "Get it". In fact, I totally "Got It," I just can't fathom why anyone from conservative to the most liberal of people would think there was anything worth seeing here. I would say if anything showing it to a child who has no understanding or irony and satire would take this the entirely wrong way and it would be COMPLETELY inappropriate. One of the worst movies I have ever seen.
5


Posted on 06/08/08 by Mindless7333 Kid contributor, age 13

HILARIOUS!

This film was great! It made me laugh many times, and I reckon it's funnier than south park. My 10 year old brother watched it and survived :P The only real problem is the sex scene. Pretty detailed with all the positions :S
5


Posted on 03/28/08 by childsplay176 Kid contributor, age 16

Very funny, but not for kids (or anyone else, really...)

While I have to admit that I laughed my way through this movie, it is not for kids, or even people my age (I'm 15). The movie has a good moral, but the moral gets lost amid all the raw language. MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY.
5


Posted on 03/08/08 by mr. movie Kid contributor, age 12

NOT FOR KIDS

5


Posted on 10/13/07 by ac7193 Kid contributor, age 13

The funniest movie!

Its funny, I saw this movie kinda by accident. My bother, friend, friend's little brother (7 or 8), my dad and I were in Manhattan walking.(We were kinda just wandering around.) Then suddenly, I saw a movie theater. I said, "Maybe we all should see a movie, I mean, we're not really doing anything and I'm bored. So my dad agreed to pay for all of us. My brother wanted to see the stupid movie "Hero" when out of nowhere, God sent me a sign. (LOL) He sent down the "Team America" poster. My friend's little brother and I looked at it and agreed we sould all just watch that movie. So, I asked my dad. (P.S. On the poster I saw a bunch of puppets that interested me. I didn't know what the movie was all about. Seriously. So, we ended up flipping a coin. We won. My brother and my friend where pissed till the movie started. My dad came during the previews since he was buying popcorn and drinks. My dad fell asleep for the first 10 mins. till he heard.. " America, f**k Yeah!" I was like laughing. I thought this film was about lovely little gay puppets. I was soooo wrong. I picked this movie because I was with an 8 year old. Duh! Then everyone loved me for picking the movie. I was in sooo much sh*t when my friend's mom found out that we watched an R-rated movie. Especially with her pure, innocent 8-year old son. Anyways my dad also got in trouble by my friends mom. So this was one of my best expierences at the movies. (Another one was when the same friend and I went to the movies and made out with each of our girlfriends. But I talk about that now sooooo gotta go!)
5


Posted on 06/21/07 by nichts Kid contributor, age 16

Hilarious and inappropiate at same time

The movie is hilariously a satire of everything. Targeting the war on terror, conservatives, liberals, movie stars, AIDS, Michael Moore...the list goes on. Even in it's crude style it's just laugh-out-land funny. Some parts, like the sexual scenes and the intense vomiting scene, pass the line into tasteless, past funny. And it does seem to be a bit homophobic in some spots. The overly crude parts, like the afore mentioned sexual scenes, make it too much for those under 16 or 17.
3


Posted on 06/06/07 by yourboi01 Kid contributor, age 15

wasnt bad

south park movie is better than this
5


Posted on 02/01/07 by bballdiaries Kid contributor, age 13

wow ^^^^

k to the person who said im sick of little teens kalling this plitical humoour...then u are as blind as can get...this is so obviously political satire.that...i dunno...but u were probably offended becuase u did not agree with the political references...well u should not have seen this movie....i was raised in a family left wing politics and thats what this is all about..........its a very intelligent comedy..but at sometimes it as crude and over the top...ex. the sex sceene and the puke scene....but the political humour is VERY well done...
5


Posted on 10/25/06 by willzwire Kid contributor, age 16

c'mon guys, dont try to act all grown up by calling this a "political humor

ok the movie is sick. a puppet sex scene is sickening, the violence is kinda funny, but sickening. the language is horrible. im getting tired of lil' teens of my generation trying to act grown up by saying "this is an awesome political movie if ur smart enough". grown-ups who r smart enough to know politics know that this movie is just another sick teen-targeted movie.

See all 17 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 2 reviews.

0

Posted on 07/25/08 by Anonymous Adult contributor

No WAY!

I am an extremely liberal minded person and I would in absolutely NO WAY endorse this movie for children. The satirical humor is too easily misunderstood and the outright ruthless gay bashing is offensive. Many parents may think this is a harmless 'puppet' movie, but they would be so wrong. I found not one thing funny about this movie and really it is not b/c I didn't "Get it". In fact, I totally "Got It," I just can't fathom why anyone from conservative to the most liberal of people would think there was anything worth seeing here. I would say if anything showing it to a child who has no understanding or irony and satire would take this the entirely wrong way and it would be COMPLETELY inappropriate. One of the worst movies I have ever seen.
4


Posted on 08/01/05 by brezzyegg Adult contributor

lots of action

Kids Reviews

There are 15 reviews.

0

Posted on 07/29/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 11

One of the worst films ever- not for children.

First off don't be fooled. Just because it's a puppet movie oh boy it's way more than that. They say the f word throughout and its derivatives, scatological terms, anatomical terms, derogatory terms, graphic sexual references, name-calling, mild obscenities, religious exclamations, and religious profanities. The sex is a big issue. Two puppets are shown having sex and you can see full frontal nudity. One moment in the film two men puppets are having sex. There is constant sexual references that are very explicit. The violence is very graphic and bloody that will scare kids easily. The drug content is really a big issues. Characters drink so much they vomit all over the place. Overall the film is nowhere near for kids. I admit I saw this in cinemas but I thought it was a kids film. Don't be fooled. The sex, violence, and language is seen throughout the entire film. Overall it's awful and not only is it offensive but it makes fun of religion and race.
5


Posted on 06/08/08 by Mindless7333 Kid contributor, age 13

HILARIOUS!

This film was great! It made me laugh many times, and I reckon it's funnier than south park. My 10 year old brother watched it and survived :P The only real problem is the sex scene. Pretty detailed with all the positions :S
5


Posted on 03/28/08 by childsplay176 Kid contributor, age 16

Very funny, but not for kids (or anyone else, really...)

While I have to admit that I laughed my way through this movie, it is not for kids, or even people my age (I'm 15). The movie has a good moral, but the moral gets lost amid all the raw language. MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY.
5


Posted on 03/08/08 by mr. movie Kid contributor, age 12

NOT FOR KIDS

5


Posted on 10/13/07 by ac7193 Kid contributor, age 13

The funniest movie!

Its funny, I saw this movie kinda by accident. My bother, friend, friend's little brother (7 or 8), my dad and I were in Manhattan walking.(We were kinda just wandering around.) Then suddenly, I saw a movie theater. I said, "Maybe we all should see a movie, I mean, we're not really doing anything and I'm bored. So my dad agreed to pay for all of us. My brother wanted to see the stupid movie "Hero" when out of nowhere, God sent me a sign. (LOL) He sent down the "Team America" poster. My friend's little brother and I looked at it and agreed we sould all just watch that movie. So, I asked my dad. (P.S. On the poster I saw a bunch of puppets that interested me. I didn't know what the movie was all about. Seriously. So, we ended up flipping a coin. We won. My brother and my friend where pissed till the movie started. My dad came during the previews since he was buying popcorn and drinks. My dad fell asleep for the first 10 mins. till he heard.. " America, f**k Yeah!" I was like laughing. I thought this film was about lovely little gay puppets. I was soooo wrong. I picked this movie because I was with an 8 year old. Duh! Then everyone loved me for picking the movie. I was in sooo much sh*t when my friend's mom found out that we watched an R-rated movie. Especially with her pure, innocent 8-year old son. Anyways my dad also got in trouble by my friends mom. So this was one of my best expierences at the movies. (Another one was when the same friend and I went to the movies and made out with each of our girlfriends. But I talk about that now sooooo gotta go!)
5


Posted on 06/21/07 by nichts Kid contributor, age 16

Hilarious and inappropiate at same time

The movie is hilariously a satire of everything. Targeting the war on terror, conservatives, liberals, movie stars, AIDS, Michael Moore...the list goes on. Even in it's crude style it's just laugh-out-land funny. Some parts, like the sexual scenes and the intense vomiting scene, pass the line into tasteless, past funny. And it does seem to be a bit homophobic in some spots. The overly crude parts, like the afore mentioned sexual scenes, make it too much for those under 16 or 17.
3


Posted on 06/06/07 by yourboi01 Kid contributor, age 15

wasnt bad

south park movie is better than this
5


Posted on 02/01/07 by bballdiaries Kid contributor, age 13

wow ^^^^

k to the person who said im sick of little teens kalling this plitical humoour...then u are as blind as can get...this is so obviously political satire.that...i dunno...but u were probably offended becuase u did not agree with the political references...well u should not have seen this movie....i was raised in a family left wing politics and thats what this is all about..........its a very intelligent comedy..but at sometimes it as crude and over the top...ex. the sex sceene and the puke scene....but the political humour is VERY well done...
5


Posted on 10/25/06 by willzwire Kid contributor, age 16

c'mon guys, dont try to act all grown up by calling this a "political humor

ok the movie is sick. a puppet sex scene is sickening, the violence is kinda funny, but sickening. the language is horrible. im getting tired of lil' teens of my generation trying to act grown up by saying "this is an awesome political movie if ur smart enough". grown-ups who r smart enough to know politics know that this movie is just another sick teen-targeted movie.
0


Posted on 07/13/06 by WayTooDramatic Kid contributor, age 14
See all 15 kids reviews >
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