LET'S face it, if the previous work of Trey Parker and Matt Stone - namely one foul-mouthed show called South Park - hasn't impressed you, you're not going to be queuing up to see their new Supermarionation satire.

Using the latter technique developed by Gerry Anderson for beloved shows like Thunderbirds, Parker and Stone have now turned their attention away from the small-town mentality to, instead, have a look at the larger problems of their land, particularly under the control of George Dubya.

This is a land where gung-ho Americans blindly try to impress their authority on foreign lands with the aid of a major weapon or two, with no respect for native culture.

When we first meet the team, they're trashing Paris before returning to their Mount Rushmore HQ to celebrate. But a continuing serious world problem with those pesky Weapons of Mass Destruction causes their leader, Spottswoode, to recruit the "best actor in the world", Gary Johnston, to help them infiltrate the terrorists who are holding the weapons.

But it turns out that the terrorists are not alone - vocally impeded North Korean dictator Kim Jongll and some Hollywood actors under the guise of FAG, the Film Actor's Guild, have more than a hand in plotting the end of the world.

As a satire on the current political situation, Team America doesn't really have much to say, save the obvious. But as a rude comedy, it's absolutely hysterical.

Forget the WMD question, it's the romantic dramas between the gang which really get the laughs, as do some lovely moments which expose how rubbish the marionettes are at performing the simplest of tasks, like walking or properly extending their hands.

There are some great songs - Kim's "I'm so onwey" lonely is the standout number - and scenes which will give fans something to talk about for months, including the mother of all regurgitation scenes and an unbelievably rude puppet sex scene.

It's definitely lewd and obvious, but terrific fun.

If Thunderbirds had ever been this good, all those afternoons babysitting my brother wouldn't have been half as painful.