"Team America: World Police" is a great sendoff to one of the most turbulent times in American history, and "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, both equal opportunity offenders, pull no strings (no pun intended) with this hilarious and blazingly satiric model of the United States and its supposed role in world affairs.

But again, what better way is there to remember the tumultuous reign of the U.S. and its War on Terror than to make a movie that satirizes the living hell out of both? Like their previous effort "South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut," they take chances that no other filmmaker in America is ever willing to take, and that is to be as crude and vulgar as humanly possible for 90 minutes straight.

Anyone expecting an anti-Bush treatise like "Fahrenheit 9/11" or a pro-Kerry ad campaign will be sorely mistaken. It's really best that liberals and conservatives both stay as far away from this movie as possible, as they both get their fair share of bashing. Parker and Stone have even said that anyone who thinks it should be used to sway votes is a "f**king idiot." America itself seems to be at the top of their hit list, or at least American bravado is.

As a casual fan of "South Park," I understand that Trey Parker and Matt Stone go to the extreme in making fun of American culture and lampooning people they don't like. Already they've gotten "fan" mail from Sean Penn, who is understandably upset over his portrayal in the film, as well as several other liberal celebrities who are portrayed as being backstabbing morons.

But I'm not really here to argue political bias in this film (George W. Bush has got to go come November 2nd, in case anyone wants to know),and the perfect satire has come to fuel the fire of the most important election in United States history.

"Team America: World Police" is hugely inspired by the "Thunderbirds" marionette cartoons that aired during the 1960s, and it shows us a TEAM of Americans that POLICE the WORLD. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il has weapons of mass destruction and has implemented plans to use them. So Team America goes to work to foil his evil plans. In doing so, they lay waste to several world landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Sphinx, and the Egyptian pyramids.

"America" parades through virtually every action movie cliché imaginable, most notably from the films of producer Jerry Bruckheimer, whose "Pearl Harbor" (2001) gets lampooned the worst; they even hit "Top Gun" (1986).

There is no question that "Team America: World Police" is inspired and imaginative film-making, made by two creative geniuses who LOVE to push the envelope anywhere they can. Liberal Hollywood celebrities get some of the worst bashing here, with political gadfly Michael Moore playing the part of a hot dog-munching suicide bomber and Alec Baldwin as the leader of the Film Actors Guild (F.A.G., get it?). But conservatives aren't off the hook either, as their politics of U.S. intervention in every world affair is taken to ridiculous heights, hence the title "World Police."

"Team America: World Police" is a brilliant satire of our times, of course that doesn't make it safe from the detractors who claim that Parker and Stone are irresponsible morons. Indeed, there are smarter ways to approach such sensitive material, but Parker and Stone aren't intellectuals who are out to change the world, they're just two guys who like to fool around and make people laugh.

"Team America: World Police" - 10/10

I wonder if anyone was offended by this film?! Well, like any production by the South Park team of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the answer is yup... After all, "Team America" is loaded with tons of expletives, really dirty puppet sex (funny puppet sex, actually) and it attacks Hollywood's self-appointed elite in a way no other film has. Yes, it will offend...and make folks laugh as long as they don't take it all very seriously.

The film begins with Team America and Muslim terrorists blowing up the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe (later the Great Pyramid and the Sphynx also are destroyed)! But, in the process, one of their team members is killed and can only be replaced by one person--an actor! And naturally, the purpose of the rest of the film is having this uncertain actor prove himself. But, despite this being a bit of a cliché, everything else isn't! Yep, what other film would feature an unholy alliance between Kim Jong-Il and the Hollywood leftists?! And in the process, Parker and Stone savagely attack many of the same actors who originally promoted and admired their work. Some of them took it as a joke and enjoyed it, though some hated the film. As for me, I loved seeing these folks attacked so viciously, as normally whatever these folks say is hardly ever confronted or disputed--it's just accepted that they are experts on world affairs! And so, as I said in the summary, they bite the hand that once fed them.

I think to love the film you need to have a high tolerance for the cursing, the vomiting (and wow, there is A LOT of barf),the anti AND pro-American imperialist message and the sex. If you will be too offended by this (and the anti Hollywood left message) then don't watch and DON'T let your kids watch it regardless. But, I found that beneath all the crudeness was a refreshing freshness about the film--there ain't nothing like it! I think I also liked it because the film makers seem to attack everyone in their work--right, left and everything in-between. So, while the left is strongly attacked in the film, the right also is to a lesser extent and is often skewered on "South Park".

By the way, although it is politically incorrect, try switching on the captions when you watch the DVD. Kim Jong-Il's captioning is hilarious, as it is spelled exactly as he talks! Also, watch the special features, as they show you so many wonderful hidden things you could never notice even if you tried repeated viewings--such as the croissants.

Team America:World Police does have its flaws but it is a hilarious and exceptionally crafted satire. It is very easy to be offended by this sort of film, as this film pokes fun at everybody and everything and is not kind about it. And I do admit the plot is a little obvious, some scenes like the vomit sequence are drawn out a bit too much and some(heavy emphasis on this word) of the writing goes overboard. But it is very funny, with some genuinely hysterical moments especially the lampooning of Hollywood stars and works surprisingly well as a satire with clear sardonic wit in places. Technically and visually, this film is exceptional, the backgrounds, puppetry and lighting are all superb and award worthy. The music is also excellent, and there is some great vocal work. Overall, Team America:World Police isn't for everyone, I for one had to see it a few times to completely get what was going on. It is flawed, but it is very well done as a satire. 7/10 Bethany Cox