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Summary: A question and the hunt for an answer.
Review: This film by Michael Moore is a documentary on the subject of gun control. After the columbine shooting and other acts of gun violence in schools, Michael went out to find the causes and effects of these trageides. While searching for answer to why these events happened, Michael asks the greater question about Gun Control. Statistics show that over 11,000 Americans die each year from gun shots, while just about every other industrialized naiton on the earth has a gun fatalty rating about 10% that number or less. Why is this? The question of "Are Americans gun crazy, or are we just crazy?" becomes the topic of the film. Michael follows the stories and documents the actions/reactions of professional social psychologists, police chiefs, television producers, friends and family of shooters and thier victims, Chariltin Heston (the current head of the NRA), and even Marilyn Manson. Some may not like this film, saying that it is slander against the Republican party, but politics is touched on in a very odd way that shined a bad light on both the Republicans (who gave pretty poor excuses in trying to justify the deaths and lack of gun control) and the Liberals (who really failed to make any significant changes). Interesting film that brings many good points to light.
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Summary: It sure isn't "Roger and Me"
Review: I gave "Roger and Me" 5 stars, but I think this is a much lesser effort from Michael Moore. First, here is what makes Roger and Me great: irony and tragedy in parallel. Moore is a genius at putting people into ridiculously ironic situations - for example, filming four rich women golfers, none of whom have ever worked a day in their lives, calling the auto workers "lazy" as they take tee shots. Ronald Reagan brings the workers out for pizza and advises them to move to Texas, and then leaves without picking up the tab. As Roger Smith, CEO of GM, makes a Christmas speech, fired auto workers are evicted from their homes. The movie makes its point in a roundabout way that works with people across the ideological spectrum - and still leaves plenty of room for debate. Bowling for Columbine is a different story. There's still some of Moore's irony left, as when James Nichols (Terry's brother) says "there's some wackos out there!" after pointing a gun at his head and convincingly sounding wacko himself. And the Lockheed Martin exec standing in front of a gigantic missile as he discusses how anger management would have helped with Columbine. But here Michael Moore tries to find a solution to the problem of violent crime in the US. It seems for a while that the solution is going to be, "restrict guns," and the evidence is rather convincing. Until Moore reveals that Canada has relatively unrestricted access to guns, but a tiny fraction of the US's murder rate. After this, the movie seems to go off in too many directions. If this is true about Canada, why is Moore intent on stopping the sales of handgun ammo at K-Mart? He never explains (although I think there could be a plausible case). He ties American violence to a "culture of fear" spread by the American media. But this seems no more convincing than the idea that Marilyn Manson is spreading violence through similar media, and the theory that American media is so much more fear-driven than Canadian media seems doubtful. The movie ends with Moore speeding through many more unconvincing and irrelevant theories: about "Cops" being racist, about workfare causing an accidental shooting, etc. Bowling for Columbine simply doesn't have the irony and dark humor of Roger and Me, and spends too long on unconvincing solutions. Moore makes a weak attempt to substitute Charlton Heston for Roger Smith, but winds up making the old man look sympathetic with his relentless badgering. Moore comes off looking as simple-minded as those who would criticize him: his solutions are no better thought through than his opposition's.
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Summary: If a movie could make you stupider...
Review: I had heard from a number of people that this movie was good...but after having watched it, I cannot understand why people liked it. There were some humorous moments, but there's only about 1 or 2 of them. The movie gets rather old after about 15 mins. His information is fraught with misunderstandings, misinformation, and misdirections leading to an overall cornicopia of ignorance. He harasses numerous people including KMart and Charleston Heston in a sad attempt to be profound. He acts as if those people perpetrated the crime themselves and should be held responsible, when in actuality they had the most minor of roles to play if any at all. Overall this movie (definitely not a documentry) lacks any direction or specific purpose and is just this man's atttempt to badmouth the United States with inaccurate information. If you are tempted to see it just for the hell of it, be warned....take everything that is said in this movie with a grain of salt.
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Summary: Why should American's subject themselves to such hypocrisy?
Review: I'm still trying to figure out why so many people writing reviews feel this is a "must see", so called documentary? It's full of lies, deceit and crafty editing just so the filmaker could make his point, which he failed horribly at. I can't believe so many of you actually took what Moore presented, at face value. Many of you in these reviews criticize Heston and the NRA for thier "actions" that Moore portrays in this movie, yet anyone with an Internet connection and a few minutes can find that Moore fabricated the whole thing from several speaches that Heston gave, NO WHERE NEAR the time of the incidents. The real point Moore is trying to make, is that it's easy for the media, for movies, etc to pull the wool over the average American. He shows how the average American is too stupid to actualy question his so called "documentary" to see if his so called "facts" were indeed factual. It's a real gut buster in that regard. It is so true that most are just robots who believe whatever they read or see in a movie or on the news. They don't bother to question or seek out different views on the same subjects. They just blindly believe it. That's the scary thing. To me, American's do need a wake up call. But not because of what Moore shows in this movie, but because American's are getting lazy (mentally) and no longer think for themselves, or no longer question authority. History shows that as the gap grows between the time our Forefather's had to fight for their freedoms to today, the more our young youth take that freedom for granted. Do you think we liberated ourselves by using film? Did we do it by using knives? Computers? No, we liberated ourselves because we were an armed nation of people who believed that we should think for ourselves and should always keep an eye out for our freedoms. Most don't even realize that our freedoms are being taken away, piece by piece, year after year.
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Summary: A film not for all
Review: Many have said that this is merely manipulating trash. However. What this film has is a scary thing that most films today are lacking....gasp, a opinion. A view. A point. Yes, this is Michael Moore's own voice, but it's a voice that screams for those of us who can't. It uses fiction and fact to make an entertaining piece of film that gives you some information has well. Yes, Roger & Me was great, but let's face it. It was a bit boring, that's what this movie picks up on. By giving the facts a exciting look, Moore draws in more people to educate. It may have fiction, but fact lives in fiction.
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Summary: Superb movie!!!
Review: As the majority of the other reviews already state, this is definitely an eye opening and emotionally charged movie. Some claim that the facts may be skewed. However even if this is true, this movie is worth seeing just for the scene with the surviving kids from Columbine. So yes buy it for yourself. Also pick up a few copies for that special, gun-loving, Rush worshipping, armchair super-patriot you know. Sadly we all know a few of these types. The ones who expect at any moment foreign troops will invade their trailer park, enslave them, and burn their bibles. Thankfully they have a dozen assault rifles under their bed to repel these invaders, thus insuring freedom for all. Right. For fun read the negative reviews posted here. Amazing how similar they sound. Like a rehearsed chorus of morons yodeling about freedom, liberals, founding fathers, Constitution, and the like. It also seems obvious that these "reviewers" actually haven't seen this movie! With that said beware of bogus reviews. So enjoy the movie and enjoy reading the gun-nuts sound off. Peace to all.
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Summary: Should be shown in every high school...
Review: Yet another brilliant flick from Michael Moore, in the same league as his "Roger and Me" skewering of General Motors' premeditated and royal screwing of Flint, Michigan. Moore tells it like it is: that we Americans live in one of the most deeply psychotic societies in the world. Our standard of living may be one of the best, but our quality of life is close to nil in comparison with that of other First World countries (Canada, Japan, Scandanavians, the UK, etc.)---not when 90% of the populace is brainwashed by a capitalist-driven media and right-wing ideologues in both government and industry, so that we live in a state of continual fear and compulsive consumerism. Yes, Moore does take a few liberties here and there with statistics (neglecting to compare murder rates between different industrialized countries on a per-capita basis, for instance---but either way the US is still way way ahead of everybody else). But overall his portrayal of America is just spot-on: we are a nation of control freaks who are out of control, a bunch of dogs barking at mirrors and chasing their own tails. The question is, will this film really reach the Nameless Majority of simple-minded suckers and rednecks out there on Main Street who have made popular men of such flaming morons as Rush Limbaugh and George W. Bush?
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Summary: Complete Fiction
Review: Well, while it may have some truth scattered about to through you off the scent, this movie stinks of fiction posing as a documentary. Michael Moore is at it again.
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Summary: Excellent Documetary
Review: Bowling for Columbine is an excellent documentary about Guns and America. It's an excellent film that no one should miss. This is not only worth renting but worth purchasing as well. Don't be mislead by other reviews, this IS in fact a documentary not only about columbine but Guns and how our nation thinks altogether. Buy this film and show you're support for a non-violent America and anti war solutions.
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Summary: thank god for Michael Moore
Review: Bowling for Columbine is an uproarious yet sobering look at America's fascination with guns. Using the Columbine tragedy as a starting point, filmmaker Michael Moore examines America's tendency of extreme violence toward each other and other countries. Moore pulls no punches in exposing the media's fueling the public's fear of each other through overreporting of violence. Moore is an activist. He presents his side of the gun isssue and not the unbiased side. But what an argument he makes. He urges his viewers to become active and write their congressmen. Also, he is very entertaining. The DVD is 1.85:1 widescreen. The special features include intern commentary, photos, trailers, Charlie Rose interview, U.S. comedy festival interview, and more. Share this movie with everyone you know and get up and fight.
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