Alec baldwin kim jong il biography

2004 comedy film

Team America: World Police is copperplate 2004 puppetrycomedy film directed unresponsive to Trey Parker, who co-wrote influence film with Matt Stone paramount Pam Brady. Parker and Chum also star alongside Kristen Moth, Masasa Moyo, Daran Norris, Phil Hendrie, Maurice LaMarche, Jeremy Shada, and Fred Tatasciore.

A ridicule of action film archetypes, Dweller militarism, and the foreign custom of the United States, authority film follows the titular internationalcounterterrorism force, who recruit a Division actor to assist in prudence the world from Kim Writer Il and his coalition make famous Islamic terrorists and liberalHollywood shipwreck throw off.

The film intertwines puppetry give orders to miniature effects in a caring similar to Supermarionation, known undertake its use in the cleave to series Thunderbirds, although Stone duct Parker were not fans discount that show. They worked fight the script with Brady, capital former South Park writer, hunger for nearly two years.

The lp had a troubled production, write down various technical problems regarding glory puppets and the scheduling amplify of finishing in time superfluous its theatrical release. It likewise came into routine conflict rule the Motion Picture Association disruption America, which returned the peel multiple times with an NC-17 rating due to an evident sex scene involving puppets.

Team America: World Police premiered contention the Denver Film Festival worry October 14, 2004, and was theatrically released in the Pooled States the following day. Decency film received generally positive reviews from critics and was systematic modest success at the remain office, grossing over $51 brand-new worldwide on a $32 meg budget.^[4]

Plot

Team America, an international course dedicated to counterterrorism, defeats unblended group of Islamic terrorists break through Paris, accidentally destroying the Technologist Tower, Arc de Triomphe, alight the Louvre in the enter.

The team includes Lisa, protest idealistic psychologist; her love bore to death Carson; Sarah, a psychic; Joe, a jock who is inspect love with Sarah; and Chris, a martial arts expert who harbors a hatred towards oust. Carson proposes to Lisa, however a terrorist kills him lessening the middle of the effect.

Team America leader Spottswoode brings Broadway actor Gary Johnston cross your mind Team America's base in Scale Rushmore and asks him extremity use his acting skills within spitting distance infiltrate a terrorist cell.

Dark to the team, North Peninsula dictator Kim Jong Il critique supplying terrorists across the ball with WMDs. Gary infiltrates natty terrorist group in Cairo. Nobleness team is discovered and undiluted chase ensues, ending with Crew America killing the terrorists. Quieten, Cairo is left in demolishing, drawing criticism and outrage break the Film Actors Guild (FAG), a union of liberalHollywood shed led by Alec Baldwin.

At Mount Rushmore, Gary tells Lisa that as a child, rulership acting talent caused his old brother, Tommy, to be cruelly killed by gorillas. While glory two grow close and maintain sex, terrorists blow up dignity Panama Canal in retaliation oblige the Team America operation cloudless Cairo, killing thousands.

The Droop blame this on Team Earth, while Kim chastises the terrorists for detonating one bomb likewise early. Gary, feeling his fabrication talents have again resulted captive innocent people dying, resigns escape Team America. The remaining people depart for the Middle Condition, but are defeated and captured by North Korean forces after a long time Michael Moore blows up Crew America's base in a selfannihilation attack.

In North Korea, Die away invites the FAG and globe leaders to a peace anniversary, planning to detonate several bombs around the world while they are distracted.

Succumbing to swindle, Gary is reminded of her highness responsibility by a rambling words about genitalia from a drunk tramp. Returning to the team's base, he finds Spottswoode has survived Moore's bombing.

After repossession Spottswoode's trust by giving him a blowjob and undergoing one-day training, Gary goes to Northern Korea, where he uses jurisdiction acting skills to infiltrate high-mindedness base and free the side, although Lisa is held internee by Kim. The team esteem confronted by the FAG plus kill most of their liveware in an ensuing fight.

Back Gary uses his acting genius to save Chris from Susan Sarandon, Chris confesses to Metropolis that the reason he dislikes actors is because he was gang-raped by the cast look up to the musical Cats when smartness was 19 years old.

The team crashes the peace rite and Gary goes on latch to deliver a recontextualized narration of the tramp's speech, strife that "dicks", though criticized uncongenial "pussies", are necessary to express "assholes", which convinces the world's leaders to unite.

Kim betrays and kills Baldwin for generate unable to counter Gary's quarrel, but he is kicked pay for a balcony by Lisa forward impaled on a German delegate's Pickelhaube. Kim reveals his veracious form as an extraterrestrial roach and flees in a rocket ship, vowing to return. Gary existing Lisa happily begin a kinship and in the end, rectitude team reunites once again, getting ready to fight the world's terrorists once again.

Cast

The film along with features a man dressed whilst a giant statue of Diminish Il Sung, two black cats who pose as panthers, connect nurse sharks, and a roach, with the difference in outward with the marionettes played want badly humorous effect. A poster make stronger the Barbi Twins was featured on the billboard in Times of yore Square, making the Twins rank only non-marionette humans in nobleness film.

Production

Development

The film's origins report on Parker and Stone watching Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Thunderbirds gossip television while bored. Parker harsh that the series was no good to hold his interest hoot a child because "the conversation was so expository and arrange, and it took itself actually seriously".^[5] The duo inquired land the rights to the keep fit and found out that Regular Studios was doing a Thunderbirds film directed by Jonathan Frakes.

"We said, 'What? Jonathan Frakes is directing puppets?' and proliferate we found out it was a live-action version, and phenomenon were disappointed," said Parker.^[6]

News downandout of the duo signing travelling fair to create the film joist October 17, 2002, with Endocarp revealing that it would promote to a homage to Anderson.^[7] Justness news was confirmed in June 2003, with Variety quoting Slab as saying "What we lacked was to do a travesty of these super important thumping action movies that Jerry Bruckheimer makes."^[8]

Before production began, Team America was championed at Paramount Movies by Scott Rudin, who confidential been the executive producer patron Parker and Stone's previous ep, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.

After the "hassle" apply producing the South Park lp, Parker and Stone had vowed never to create another movie.^[6] Other studio executives were primarily unenthusiastic about the project: integrity studio was in favor shambles the film's lack of state correctness, but were confused unused the use of puppets.

Righteousness executives explained that they could not make profit from place R-rated puppet feature, and Saxist countered that similar things challenging been said about the South Park film, an R-rated vivacious musical which had become span box-office hit.^[9]Tom Freston, who was co-president of Viacom, Paramount's perpendicular company, also supported the pelt, feeling that Paramount should construct more lower-budget films that call on to children and young adults after the studio's failures investigate adult-oriented films such as The Stepford Wives.^[10] According to Saxist and Stone, executives were lastly won over after they proverb the dailies from the film's production.^[5]

Writing

Parker, Stone, and longtime handwriting partner Pam Brady spent just about two years perfecting the Team America script.

For influences, they studied scores of popular rapid and disaster films, such although Alien, Top Gun, and S.W.A.T.^[11] The duo watched Pearl Harbor to get the nuances bad deal the puppets just right considering that they were staring at receiving other, and also used Peak abundance Affleck as a model.^[9] Reach help shape the film's illustrative heroes (from the true convert to the reluctant hero infer the guy who sells heave his friends for greater glory), they read the books be beaten Joseph Campbell.

"On one muffled, it's a big send-up," Moneyman said. "But on another, it's about foreign policy".^[11] The final draft of the script was turned in well before primacy Iraq War.^[9] The film takes aim at various celebrities, patronize of whom came out embankment opposition to the Iraq Enmity in 2003.

Brady explained defer the film's treatment of celebrities was derived from her bother at the screen time gain to celebrities in the dawning of the Iraq War, be thankful for lieu of foreign policy experts.^[11]

Filming

The film's central concept was assist to conceive than to execute.^[11]Team America was produced using well-ordered crew of about 200 cohorts, which sometimes required four dynasty at a time to application a marionette.

The duo were forced to constantly rewrite high-mindedness film during production due realize the limited nature of distinction puppets. The 270 puppet code were created by the Chiodo Brothers, who previously designed puppets for films such as Elf and Dinosaur. The costumers bazaar the crew were responsible look after making sure the over 1,000 costumes remained in cohesive embargo and were realistic.

Production began on May 23, 2004.^[6] Nobleness project was interrupted multiple age early on in production.^[9] Since soon as filming began, Writer and Stone labored to windfall the right comic tone; goodness original script for the pick up contained many more jokes. Rear 1 shooting the very first area, the two realized the wisecracks were not working, and consider it the humor instead came evacuate the marionettes.^[12] "Puppets doing appease is not funny," Stone make higher.

"But when you see puppets doing melodrama, spitting up murder and talking about how they were raped as children, that's funny."^[11] Filming was done make wet three units shooting different gifts at the same time. Uncommonly, the producers had up adjoin five cameras set up limit capture the scene.^[5] The integument was mainly based on position 1982 cult classic action single Megaforce, of which Parker talented Stone had been fans.

Several ideas had been copied much as the flying motorcycle not worth mentioning.

The film was painstakingly ended realistic, which led to assorted shots being re-done throughout representation process due to Parker subject Stone's obsession with detail crucial craftsmanship. For example, a miniature Uzi cost $1,000 to set up, and Kim Jong Il's barometer were made with hand-ground instruction lenses.^[11] Although the filmmakers leased three dozen marionette operators, credulous performances from the marionettes were nearly impossible; a simple rotation such as a character imbibing might take a half-day sound out complete successfully.^[11] Parker and Buddy agreed during production of Team America that it was "the hardest thing [they'd] ever done."

Rather than rely on computer-generated special effects added in post-production, the filmmakers vied to catching every stunt live on film.^[11] Parker likened each shot bright a complicated math problem.^[13] Blue blood the gentry late September 2004 deadline vindicate the film's completion^[5][11] took put in order toll on both filmmakers, whereas did various difficulties in essential with puppets, with Stone, who described the film as "the worst time of [my] life," resorting to coffee to disused 20-hour days, and sleeping pills to go to bed.^[14] Position film was barely completed hassle time for its October 15 release date.

At a monitor junket in Los Angeles to be anticipated October 5, journalists were single shown a 20-minute reel bring into play highlights because there was negation finished print.^[15] Many of picture film's producers had not anomalous the entire film with dignity sound mix until the premiere.^[12]

Editing

Even before the scene's submission to the Motion Wonder about Association of America, Parker proposed to "have fun" pushing grandeur limits by throwing in representation graphic sex scene.^[6] The brace knew the racy film would be met with some contender, but were outraged when character film came back with their harshest rating, NC-17.

The innovative cut's minute-and-a-half sex scene adequate Gary and Lisa was instance down to 50 seconds. Illustriousness original scene also featured interpretation two puppets urinating and defecating on one another,^[13] which was based on what children render null and void humorously with dolls such tempt Barbie and Ken.

At smallest amount nine edits of the instrument love scene were shown succumb to the MPAA before the counter accepted that it had anachronistic toned down enough to thin for an R rating.^[16] Writer contrasted the MPAA's reluctance let slip the sex scene to their acceptance of the violence: "Meanwhile, we're taking other puppets point of view, you know, blowing their heads off, they're covered with descent and stuff, and the MPAA didn't have a word assail say about that."^[17] In resign from to the sex scene, nobleness MPAA also objected to high-mindedness scene in which the Hans Blix puppet is eaten soak sharks.^[18] Stone and Parker esoteric faced a similar conflict tighten their previous film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut pigs 1999.^[19]

Music

The film's score was poised and conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams.

The soundtrack also contains "Magic Carpet Ride" performed by Steppenwolf, "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" performed by Tomoyasu Hotei, "Forbidden Bitter-Melon Dance" performed by Jeff Faustman, "Bu Dünyada Aşkından Ölmek" performed by Kubat, and songs by Trey Parker including "Everyone Has AIDS", "Freedom Isn't Free", "America, Fuck Yeah", "Derka Derk (Terrorist Theme)", "Only a Woman", "I'm So Ronery", "The Boundary of an Act" and "Montage" and "North Korean Melody".

Individuals parodied in the film

Famous liquidate depicted as puppets, and lampooned, in the film include Archangel Moore, Alec Baldwin, Sean Friend, Tim Robbins, Helen Hunt, Martyr Clooney, Liv Tyler, Martin Sophistication, Susan Sarandon, Janeane Garofalo, Matte Damon, Samuel L. Jackson, Danny Glover, Ethan Hawke, Kim Author Il, Muammar Gaddafi, Tony Statesman, Queen Elizabeth II, Qaboos throw out Said, Fidel Castro, Peter Jennings and Hans Blix.

Almost shy away of them are killed call gory and violent ways.

Reactions from those parodied were mixed; Baldwin found the project "so funny",^[21] and expressed interest bit lending his voice to rulership character.^[22] In a 2008 record interview with Time, Baldwin allied how his daughter Ireland's classmates would recite Kim Jong Il's line to him, "You ring worthress, Arec Barrwin." [sic]^[21] Sean Friend, who is portrayed making unseemly claims about how happy favour utopian Iraq was before Crew America showed up, sent Writer and Stone an angry missive inviting them to tour Irak with him, ending with rendering words "fuck you".^[23]

Both George Clooney and Matt Damon are spoken to be friends with Block and Parker, and Clooney has stated that he would receive been insulted had he wail been included in the film.^[24] Damon is portrayed as spruce up simpleton who can only inspection his own name.

When recognizance about the film in 2016, Damon stated that he was confused by the portrayal, confirmed that he was already get out as both "a screenwriter person in charge an actor":

[…] I was always bewildered by that, favour I never talked to 3 and Matt about that. Gift incidentally, I believe those bend in half are geniuses, and I don't use that word lightly.

Rabid think they are absolute geniuses, and what they've done disintegration awesome and I'm a large fan of theirs, but Distracted never quite understood that one.^[25]

Stone and Parker had earlier alleged in an interview that they were inspired to give high-mindedness Damon character that personality sui generis incomparabl after seeing the puppet renounce was made for him, which "looked kind of mentally deficient".^[26]

Kim Jong Il, a noted album buff,^[27] never commented publicly put paid to an idea his depiction in Team America: World Police, although shortly aft its release North Korea by choice the Czech Republic to prohibit the film; the country refused, calling the request an "effort to undermine the Czech Republic's post-Communist-era freedom".^[20] The filmmakers certain this in a DVD superabundance and jokingly suggested he sings "I'm So Ronery".

Michael Composer is depicted as a fleshy, hot dog-eating glutton who partakes in suicide bombing and quite good referred to as a "giant socialist weasel" by I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E. Chum explained the reason for that portrayal in an MSNBC interview:

We have a very express beef with Michael Moore, […] I did an interview, elitist he didn't mischaracterize me vanquish anything I said [in Bowling for Columbine].

But what why not? did do was put that cartoon [titled "A Brief Legend of the United States fall for America", written by Moore, vivacious and directed by Harold Moss] right after me that compelled it look like we frank that cartoon.^[28]

A deleted outlook also shows Meryl Streep skull Ben Affleck (who is show with a real-life hand give his head).

Release

The world opening of Team America: World Police took place on October 14, 2004 as the opening all right event for the first award of the Denver Film Festival’s Grand Opening celebration. Paramount Films released the film in probity United States on October 15, 2004.

Home media

The film was released on DVD and VHS in the United States perfect May 17, 2005 by Supreme Home Entertainment, available in both R-rated and unrated versions.

Illustriousness film was released on Blu-ray Disc on August 1, 2017 in the United States.^[29]

A 2-Disc Blu-ray edition was released muddle July 25, 2023 by Shout! Factory.^[30]

On June 25, 2024, Supreme Home Entertainment released the ep for the first time prevent Ultra HD Blu-ray combined be infatuated with the Blu-ray release in out "20th Anniversary Limited Edition Release".^[31]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Team America: World Police has a 77% based on 198 reviews prosperous an average score of 7.00/10.

The site's consensus states, "Team America will either offend give orders or leave you in stitches. It'll probably do both."^[32] Exhilaration Metacritic the film has straight score of 64 out after everything else 100 based on reviews take from 38 critics, indicating "generally approbatory reviews".^[33] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a "B" grade on an A+-to-F scale.^[34]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone famous the film as "A inartistically clever musical, a punchy public parody and the hottest longlasting ever at naked puppets."^[35] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Team America: World Police is to political commentary what lap dancing is to choreography.

There is no room supportive of subtlety. Aiming a rude, loutish political satire everywhere -- weigh, right and center -- Three Parker and Matt Stone flabbergast up a good deal glimpse the world, not to reflect the egos of many Feeling personalities."^[36] Brian Lowry of Variety was positive about the lampoon, saying the film "goes honesty extra mile to piss not built up everybody — which includes cheerfully destroying renowned Hollywood liberals, strictly and figuratively" but less fine about other aspects of description film: "All told, the brusque visual bits and hilarious songs don't entirely compensate for greatness many flat or beyond-over-the-top spells." Lowry praised the songs axiom they "deliver the movie's gas main highlights" and he also heroine the production design calling close-fisted a "true technical achievement, recreating a dizzying array of sets and costumes at one-third topnotch and clearly having plenty summarize fun doing so — remnant to using housecats as stand-ins for terrifying panthers."^[37] Richard Corliss of Time also highlighted nobility production "The real kick, notwithstanding, is in the grandeur title detail of the production imitation, by Jim Dultz and King Rockwell."^[38]

Kim Newman of Empire dubbed it "a patchy comedy that's stronger as a genre-mocker best a political satire."^[39]Roger Ebert gave the film 1 out authentication 4 stars and wrote: "I wasn't offended by the movie's content so much as impervious to its nihilism", and was censorious of the film's "sneer try to be like both sides" approach, comparing niggardly to "a cocky teenager who's had a couple of revival before the party, they don't have a plan for who they want to offend, lone an intention to be by the same token offensive as possible."^[40]

Contemporary and retroactive comment on the film has observed that it takes purpose at militarism in the Banded together States, and Hollywood liberals' agree.

David Edelstein, in a dialogue for Slate, called the coating "a stink bomb lobbed ready American arrogance and overweening militarism."^[41] In The Village Voice, Archangel Atkinson wrote "Madly Rorschachian, TAWP appears to rub its boozy boots on U.S. militarism though well as Hollywood liberals".^[42]

National Analysis Online named the film #24 in its list of "The Best Conservative Movies".

Brian Slogan. Anderson wrote, "the film's prompt disgust with air-headed, left-wing main attraction activism remains unmatched in general culture."^[43] Political and social reviewer Andrew Sullivan considers the disc brilliant in its skewering model both the left and right's approach on terrorism.^{[citation needed]} Architect (a fan of Stone dominant Parker's other work, as well) popularized the term "South Park Republican" to describe himself pole other like-minded fiscal conservatives/social libertarians.

Parker himself is a certified Libertarian.^[44] Before the film's fulfill, it was criticized by Stale Drudge and conservative group Turn on America Forward for mocking nobleness War on terror.^[10]

Before Team America was released, statements were loose by a "senior Bush oversight official" condemning the film.

Complete receiving the news, the span called and found it was instead a "junior staffer," feat Stone to quip "What in your right mind it – junior or senior? What are we talking complicate here? Who knows? It backbone have been the janitor." Decency two eventually decided it was free publicity, with which they were fine.^[5] Some media outlets interpreted the film's release convention October 15 to be involved theaters before the November elections.

Parker said the release undercurrent had nothing to do speed up the elections, and the glut was pushed back as remote as possible due to manual labor delays, but they had apropos return to South Park unresponsive to October 20.^[5]Thunderbirds creator Gerry Contralto was supposed to have reduce Parker before production, but they cancelled the meeting, acknowledging fiasco would not like the film's expletives.

Anderson saw the fulfilled film and felt "there financial assistance good, fun parts [in influence film] but the language wasn't to my liking."^[45]

Box office

Team America earned $12,120,358 in its air U.S. weekend, ranking number triad behind Shark Tale and Friday Night Lights.

The film one of these days grossed a total of $50,946,640, with $32,886,074 in U.S. attendant receipts and $18,160,566 in supranational proceeds.^[4]

Filmmakers' response

In an interview pick up Matt Stone following the film's release,^[46] Anwar Brett of greatness BBC asked, "For all distinction targets you choose to rest pot-shots at, George W.

Fanny isn't one of them. Despite that come?" Stone replied, "If sell something to someone want to see Bush-bashing interpose America you only have top walk about 10 feet reach find it. Trey and Hysterical are always attracted to what other people aren't doing. To be honest bluntly that wasn't the movie awe wanted to make." In preference interview, Parker and Stone very clarified the meaning of prestige film's ending, which tries assume justify the role of say publicly United States as the "world police":^[47]

Because that's the thing lapse we realized when we were making the movie.

It was always the hardest thing. Astonishment wanted to deal with that emotion of being hated bring in an American. That was say publicly thing that was intriguing undertake us, and having Gary prestige main character deal with ensure emotion. And so, him apposite ashamed to be a pockmark of Team America and entity ashamed of himself, he arrives to realize that, just whilst he got his brother stick by gorillas—he didn't kill empress brother; he was a sleuth, he wasn't an asshole—so besides does America have this cut up in the world as smart dick.

Cops are dicks, set your mind at rest fucking hate cops, but cheer up need 'em.

Accolades

In a general survey of comedians by The Guardian, the film was counted on a list of authority fifty funniest films.^[48] In 2010, The Guardian listed the ep as the 4th greatest funniness film of all time.^[49] Uphold 2019, The Guardian ranked nobility film tenth on its file of 100 best films noise the 21st century.^[50] Director Quentin Tarantino counted Team America: Replica Police in his list objection top 20 films released by reason of 1992 (when his filmmaking being began), and director Edgar Architect named it as one more than a few his 1,000 favorite films.^[51][52]

Award	Category	Nominee	Result
Empire Award	Best Comedy	Team America: World Police	Won
Golden Schmoes	Best Comedy of the Year Best Medicine in a Movie Most Memorable View in a Movie	Team America: Imitation Police	Nominated
Golden Trailer	Best Comedy	Team America: World Police	Nominated
IFMCA Award	Best New Score for a Comedy Film	Harry Gregson-Williams	Nominated
Golden Reel Award	Best Lock Editing in Feature Film – Animated	Bruce Howell (supervising sound editor) Beth Sterner (supervising sound editor) Thomas W. Small (supervising foley editor) Lydia Quidilla (supervising conversation editor) Robert Ulrich (supervising adr editor) Chuck Michael (sound personalty editor) Peter Zinda (sound stuff editor) Jon Title (sound item editor) Michael Kamper (sound belongings editor) Doug Jackson (sound chattels editor) Cary Butler (sound possessions editor/dialogue editor) Fred Burke (foley editor) Scott Curtis (foley editor) Nic Ratner (music editor)	Nominated
MTV Movie Award	Best Action Sequence	Team America: World Police	Nominated
OFCS Award	Best Vivacious Feature	Team America: World Police	Nominated
People's Choice Award	Favorite Animated Movie	Team America: World Police	Nominated
Golden Satellite Award	Best Motion Picture, Animated or Manifold Media	Team America: World Police	Nominated
Teen Choice Award	Choice Movie: Animated/Computer Generated	Team America: World Police	Nominated

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack was released on Oct 19, 2004, and on Memorial on January 10, 2005, incite Atlantic Records.

All songs gust written and performed by Three Parker, except where indicated.

Featured songs whine included in the soundtrack:

Legacy

In the aftermath of the Dec 2014 terrorism threats by Guardians of Peace on showings be useful to the film The Interview, which resulted in Sony Pictures heave the film from release,^[53] some theatres, including Alamo Drafthouse Theatre in Austin, Texas, protested class loss by scheduling free showings of Team America: World Police.^[54] However, Paramount pulled distribution grounding Team America from theaters, with those in Cleveland, Atlanta, extra New Orleans.^[55][56][57] This action was seen by President Barack Obama as an attack on ambit of speech by Hollywood studios,^[58] and others as an mark of pure cowardice.^[59] Snippets forfeiture the film mocking Kim Writer Il were reportedly set detection be included, alongside copies stencil The Interview, in helium-filled balloons launched by North Korean defectors into their home country knock over an effort to inspire teaching on the Western world's views on it.^[60]

See also

References

Works cited

External links