Love Subplots and Matt Damon

Through uniquely rendered and poorly hidden sarcasm, the makers of Team America: World Police criticized the American government, politically-minded Americans on both sides of the spectrum, and all of Hollywood. The most poignant criticism, however, may have been that made about the single most typical film cliché: the love story in the subplot.

All too many mediocre Hollywood movies have a nauseating love story thrown in for no apparent reason. Some of these movies include: Bruce Almighty, Major League, Pearl Harbor, Rebound, The Island, and The Terminal. It seems that when a movie has only a moderately good plot line, producers decide to spice it up with a love story. Some of these movies have love-triangles, some have sex scenes in poor taste, some have the death of one lover, and all of them have heartache. Luckily for viewers, Stone and Parker make sure to include all of the above in Team America.

I know a movie is bad when it has a poorly thought-out subplot involving a love story. I know a movie is good when it takes this relationship over the top and makes it ooze of banality. Carson dying as he proposed to Lisa was the first sign of a well-woven storyline. I appreciated the unreciprocated love that Joe had for Sarah (who, like Lisa, was attracted to Gary), and I found the sex and oral sex scenes to be nice touches. Quite possibly the single best line in the movie had to do with satirizing the love story cliché. Better than the Titanic line “Never let go” was the Team America line “If only you could promise never to die, I could make love to you right now.”

I really hate the typical Hollywood subplots about love, and apparently, so do Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Also, on a side note, Matt Damon was the funniest part of the movie.