‘America: The Motion Picture’ movie review: Netflix’s animated satire is goofy fun

Directed by Matt Thompson, this tongue-in-cheek history of the birth of America has jokes and pop cultural references flying thick and fast, and is a riotous watch

What a riot this movie is! With Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) as producers, irreverent laughs are guaranteed. Directed by Matt Thompson, this tongue-in-cheek history of the birth of America has jokes and pop cultural references flying thick and fast. America: The Motion Picture feels like an animated version of Mel Brooks’ History of the World Part 1 tempered with lashings of Richard Armor’s It All Started with Columbus. . George Washington (Channing Tatum) and his best bud, Abe Lincoln (Will Forte) are hanging out at the theatre when Benedict Arnold (Andy Samberg) who, apart from being a traitor is also a werewolf, tears off Lincoln’s throat. Though he wants to shame Washington “with cutting dialogue,” Arnold decides to dash off, with his coachman (who looks suspiciously like Jason Statham) biting off, “Let us get you transported.”