Let me start by saying that I mostly agree with the opinions that Michael Moore puts forward in this movie: it's ridiculously easy to get guns in America, and guns probably cause a lot more harm than they prevent: people accidentally shooting each other, fights getting out of hand, people snapping and going on killing sprees etc. I also believe that some media and governments, either consciously or unconsciously contribute to the feeling of fear and insecurity in society.
Also, I have to say that judged purely as entertainment, "Bowling for Columbine" is a winner. Michael Moore has a great sense of humor, and his audacity and cheekiness lead to a lot of hilarious situations. And let's be fair, a fair share of the people interviewed/ridiculed by Moore in this movie are fairly arrogant hypocrites who deserve to be put into place.
That being said, as a documentary "Bowling for Columbine" really isn't up to much. I honestly believe that Micheal Moore has a fairly strong case, which would easily hold up in a fair two-sided discussion of the topic. Unfortunately, that's not what you're getting here. Instead, Moore tries way too hard to force his opinion onto the audience. I'm not saying he is lying. I believe that very little of what is presented in this documentary is factually incorrect. What Moore does do is pull things out of context, blow things out of proportion, and come up with all kinds of bold statements and correlations which are highly speculative to say the least.
In the end, I think Moore ends up....ahem... shooting himself in the foot. I honestly think that he has a lot of strong points, but instead of just presenting them (and the counterpoints), he forces his opinion onto you. All in all, this probably only works counterproductive as his opponents can (and should) dismiss this movie as fairly cheap propaganda.
As entertainment, this is one of the best comedies of recent yeas. As a documentary, "Bowling" fails miserably. As a political statement, it probably works counterproductive.
**1/2 out of *****
Also, I have to say that judged purely as entertainment, "Bowling for Columbine" is a winner. Michael Moore has a great sense of humor, and his audacity and cheekiness lead to a lot of hilarious situations. And let's be fair, a fair share of the people interviewed/ridiculed by Moore in this movie are fairly arrogant hypocrites who deserve to be put into place.
That being said, as a documentary "Bowling for Columbine" really isn't up to much. I honestly believe that Micheal Moore has a fairly strong case, which would easily hold up in a fair two-sided discussion of the topic. Unfortunately, that's not what you're getting here. Instead, Moore tries way too hard to force his opinion onto the audience. I'm not saying he is lying. I believe that very little of what is presented in this documentary is factually incorrect. What Moore does do is pull things out of context, blow things out of proportion, and come up with all kinds of bold statements and correlations which are highly speculative to say the least.
In the end, I think Moore ends up....ahem... shooting himself in the foot. I honestly think that he has a lot of strong points, but instead of just presenting them (and the counterpoints), he forces his opinion onto you. All in all, this probably only works counterproductive as his opponents can (and should) dismiss this movie as fairly cheap propaganda.
As entertainment, this is one of the best comedies of recent yeas. As a documentary, "Bowling" fails miserably. As a political statement, it probably works counterproductive.
**1/2 out of *****