Bowling for Columbine

Rating:
Summary: Documentary? Try political propoganda!
Review: Having sat through two screenings of this film, I can only conclude that Michael Moore so thoroughly hates himself, or perhaps where he comes from, that his only form of catharsis is to subject his viewing audience to endless tirades against gun owners, white people, Republicans, and President Bush in particular. And while I do not dispute the man's right to hold whatever opinions he wants, I think this film is filled with many factual errors, baseless and politically-motivated assertions, and does not in fact deserve the title of 'documentary'. Rather, it's a propoganda piece, a kind of cinematic grinding axe, wherein Moore launches into soft-spoken yet clearly enraged tirades against a range of targets, capping it all off with an ambush on Charlton Heston. Balance? Dispassion? Critical analysis? What are those? Moore doesn't seem to know, nor does he seem to care. I recommend this film for all capital 'L' Leftists, who will surely adore it because it basically says nothing they haven't been saying for a long time anyway. The rest of us who live in reality have better things to do with our time than let Moore occupy it with his films.

Oh yes. Since Moore seems so certain that the television program "COPS" is a giant KKK rally against African Americans, how come when I see "COPS" the police are always busting white trash in trailer parks? Just a small point, something I'd ask Moore face to face if given the chance.

Rating:
Summary: Moore needs to be more factually honest and less deceptive..
Review: ...in his presentation. Like his books, I don't feel like this movie can really stand up to a serious factual analysis. Which is sad, b/c I think there are some great ideas and good points made in the movie. The footage of the Columbine massacre is chilling, but the subsequent visit to the missle plant left me cold, because it perfectly exemplifies the tenuous connections, and leaps in logic, that Moore expects his viewers to make.

Really, this movie was made for a very specific consituency with already firm anti-gun positions. In a sense, just as Coulter and O'Reilly are to the Right, Moore is a producer social pornography appealing to the emotions and desires of a marginalized social group: taking all teh correct positions in an entertaining fashion. However, his journalistic credibility is shaky, at best, and he seems incapable of clearly positing a real position butressed by well-researched facts.

Rating:
Summary: Horrid example of propaganda
Review: Do not pay money for this production. Do not support Michael Moore. He scripts dialogue and passes it off as interviews. He deliberately brainwashes his constituents.
Don't believe me? Did the Pilgrims really jump off their ship and immediately start shooting Native Americans? No. But after watching the cartoon, what's the first image that will pop into your head when you think about it? ("I loves my gun... Loves my gun...")
What was the purpose of a cash refund for the bullets? They quite obviously worked! And what was "won" at K-Mart? Nothing!

How does 11,000 gun-related deaths per year (I won't even check the figures) suddenly become 11,000 murders? What about self-defense situations, accidents, suicides? Michael Moore is trying to convince you that American is cuture of paranoia. It isn't, but it may be if people keep listening to this idiot.

Do yourself a favor and research gun control and crime statistics yourself, rather than wasting time with *Bowling for Columbine*.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Thank you Michael Moore for making this documentary! It truly is an eye opener for Americans. Now if only we can really DO SOMETHING about these serious issues in our country! This DVD is 5***** all the way!!

Rating:
Summary: You either love it or hate it
Review: Just look at the stars...it either gets 5 or 1. Personally, I love it.

Rating:
Summary: When It Comes to Gun Control...
Review: Michael Moore asks some serious questions. Why does the United States have so many murders compared to other westernized, modern and developed countries? Those countries don't have the poverty we do, they don't watch or play or listen to the violence we enjoy or other reasons shelved out to respond to the epidemic of gun violence in this country. Moore takes all those arguements and effectively contradicts them with well-thought out counter-arguements. He focuses on two infamous acts of gun violence: the Columbine shootings and the shooting of a six year-old girl by a class-mate that occurred in Flint, Michigan as examples. It is extremely easy to get the guns used in these shootings and even easier to buy the ammo, Moore points out. At K-Mart, one can buy ammo at any age with no i.d. But the film does not focus the bulk of its time on Moores' inheritantly liberal standings (the film features a scathing cartoon that satires the history of white people in America, and Moore unfortunatly skewers a couple facts for more liberal effect), but far more on the issue at hand. The Columbine shooting was done by two boys who played violent video games, listen to violence ridden music and watched violent t.v. and movies. But Moore points out that many other developed countries watch the same movies, listen to the same music and play the same video games. Japan, the global epicenter of violent video games has less than one hundred murders a year. Many European countries watch the same movies and listen to the same music we do, but their combine murder rate for a year is serveral thousands less than America. The Flint shooting was done by and African-American child. But people of African heritage live all around the world. Canada has the same percentage of African- American population that we do, but their murder rate is no more than a hundred a year. So why does America have so many more murders that the rest of the developed, modern world (somewhere around an alarming 11,000, 11,000 a year)? Without giving away too much, Moore hypothesises that the reasons are socital and the media. We have always been brought up with you have the right to own a gun and that you have the right to use it . Also, look at the news the next time you see it...how much time is spent on covering the negative side of human nature and crime. It may surprise you. It obviously did that to Moore.

Rating:
Summary: Great documentary, also for Europeans
Review: The film provides a lot of essential information and interesting insight into the American culture and social system. I think it is most important for European viewers like me that the film makes us think about our own social systems and the path our countries have taken recently. It can be seen as a warning and stimulation for our peoples to rethink these recent changes and the increasing "Americanization" , especially as far as economic and social aggravations are concerned.
I am a high school teacher and watch the film with all of my students. They love the film too. It is great to have such an authentic documentary about many differences between Europe and the US.

Rating:
Summary: Just Dumb
Review: You can read all the other reviews for synapsois and analysis, but as far as entertainment value, this movie sucks. It tries to hard to pack political points.

Rating:
Summary: Guns Are the Problem?
Review: I just wanted to add that......Guns don't kill people, PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE. Guns are not the problem, we are.

Rating:
Summary: had some holes in it but still interesting
Review: this documentary had some good information in it that i found interesting and helpful. i thank michael moore for that. there was some good stuff in this documentary. however, i did not like some parts in it that i thought were a bit overdone i.e. the "what a wonderful world" segment, and the part where moore goes to kmart headquarters and makes a big fiasco over them selling bullets. the most troubling part of the film was about the woman from his hometown in michigan who was forced to drive an hour and a half to and from work every day and worked 70 hours a week at two jobs and still could not make ends meet. it must have been horrible to endure all that only to be evicted. the most disturbing parts of the documentary where the actual columbine shooting survaillance camera footage and the six year old shooting call to 911. i was shocked to find out that the nra held meetings in both of these towns right after these shootings occured. i liked the interview with moore and heston at the end. heston is a cool old guy, and sadly, i liked him more than moore himself. i wish moore didn't make such elaborate confrontations with people. it seems overdramatic and fake to me i.e. the dick clark confrontation and the heston confrontation where he is showing the picture of the little girl. the documentary could have done with out some of that stuff but overall i learned a lot and would recommend it to anyone. it is definitley worth watching.