The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 96

MATTRESS MATTRESS SIISTAMES SIISJIAXES lib Crude humor alert: Code Orange However "Team America: World Police" is a goofy good time filled with its fair share of puerile filthy-minded gags (many of them included on the soundtrack which is the most giggle-inducing part of this movie) A wise man once said that you can pretty much get away with saying anything you want as long as it's being said by a puppet The hit Broadway play "Avenue won a bunch of Tonys when it put that theory to the test The profane puppet fiesta "Crank tankers" (which also airs on Comedy Central the same cable channel that airs "South is still on the air So it was only a matter of time until Parker and Stone manipulated wooden puppets to point out just how silly everything has gotten lately between Cartman from "South Park" and that Chinese-waiter character the late Buddy Hackett used to do in his act) He is masterminding a massive attack that would turn the world into one big Third World country He even suckers the liberal Hollywood community (where Alec Baldwin is the leader and Sean Penn George Money Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins are all card-carrying members) into believing he wants to create world peace Even though Parker and Stone go about exposing the bullheaded stubbornness of US anti-terrorist tactics the self-importance of Hollywood celebs and whatever else they consider ripe for ridicule it's still a movie starring a bunch of puppets When you have stringed-up performers as the stars of your movie everything comes out more giggle-inducing than thought-provoking (For many stoned college students this will certainly be the movie of the year) 772-8666 woo qj tilittYt It itIANCI COIN "MI DONNIE likiNG CIIEUNG MING YIN pllikaNAK 4 411100 cocbE 4 as PAIEIG14 RAC ion SOPPOINI CNN 16 It OK StIVISONG is CVOSSICADS Goc zwa I 11A BLAST OF FRIGHT AND FUN!" -MEOW MEM KNOCK-DOWN LALIGHOLITLOLID FUNNY! 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"Team America: World Police" has "South Park" evil geniuses Trey Parker and Matt Stone doing what they do best: savagely making fun of big-game targets while burning every bridge around them Proving once again that a cup of ridiculousness vulgar crude hilariously profane ridiculousness makes the medicine go down Parker and Stone go about revealing the absurdities of our globalpolitical climate in the most absurd way possible This time instead of cartoon kids saying the darnedest things it's adult marionettes And by having a cast of marionettes act out this warped action movieparodysatirecommentary the filmmakers dare the audience (and the people they skewer) not to take their presentation seriously yet give the subtext some considerable thought With help from puppetmasters the Chiodo Bros Big Parker and Stone assemble a international police force that wipes out terrorists by wiping out whatever county they're in When one of them gets killed on the job an acclaimed Broadway actor gets recruited to go undercover and infiltrate terrorist circles so he can get info on the next attack Unbeknownst to the team the terrorists are all working under North Korean dictator Kim Jong 11 (whom Parker voices as a cross CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Show) It doesn't help that the movie's two stars Gere and Lopez have no chemistry None! you hear me? Lopez once again shows up in a film appearing more chaste than carnal continuing her streak as Hollywood's most baffling sex goddess Her rapport with Gere who always makes being both bland and dashing on screen work for him feels pointless I don't know if movie review Team America: World Police Voices: Trey Parker Matt Stone Director: Trey Parker hour 24 minutes Web site: wwwteamamericacom Theaters: Cary: Crossroads Chapel Hill: Varsity Durham: Southpoint Willowdaile Wynnsong Garner: Towne Square Morrisville: Park Place Raleigh: Brier Creek Carmike Grande Mission Valley Roxboro: Palace Rating: (graphic crude and sexual humor violent images and strong language all involving puppets) robbed of its elegance Anytime a movie has a rap-concert scene and the only rapper the filmmakers could get was Ja Rule you know you're dealing with something that doesn't have its act together The Japanese "'Shall We Dance?" was glorious The American "Shall We Dance?" is gloriously out of it Staff writer Craig Lindsey can be reached at 829-4760 or mit 11 OLP It '1 Ett-----S'i mi 4- a 4 pooaamommettaawla1t041 la a 10 1 -N 10 i' 0 SO 1 1 Po7 4 4 4 Ji J----)-vt 1 4 4 4 4 41'''4''''' e''' )4 2 c4i ri I dn 7 acir 4-' it i -9 pr 0 i NO 41 1 I 1' A 4 4 4 '14141111-''' 4 Wt' '0 0' 0 -7tr111(141Ple' 0'" i 0'1 2 Staff writer Craig Lindsey can be reached at 829-4760 or clindseynewsobservercom sweaty Alive? This is supposed to be alive? I've seen old people do that Fat Joe "rockaway" dance with more gusto than this! The movie's lust for life is so fake that Iggy Pop showing up to sing "Lust for Life" couldn't even convince us otherwise As always "Dance' is another foreign film that's been banally Americanized to the point where even its most ecstatic moment (the climactic waltz between the two lead characters) has been Puppets who cuss and have awkward sex do not inspire much contemplation but the creators of 'South Park' dare you not to think Nt IN 1-- -ti (r) I this is the movie's fault for downplaying the mutual-yet-respectful attraction their characters had in the original or the actors' fault but it's painfully obvious This is oh-so-evident in a seductively-lighted dance sequence that forces them to passionately dance Lopez looked more erotic when she was dancing with former beau Diddy in that "Been Around the World" video years ago "Be this alive" no tells American Gigolo after they've gotten all 8 11.