Rating: 
Summary: See this movie
Review: This is an incredible and powerful movie - one that many reviewers missed the point of entirely. For example the idiot who blames violence on ethnic minorities, which Michael Moore addressed in regards to Canada, something our hateful friend forgot to mention, which has a significant minority population and still significantly lower crime rates. It examines the origins and nature of our violent society, and was much more anti-violence than anti-gun. I never even got the impression he wanted guns banned, he showed that guns in places like Canada don't cause the same level of violence, he just wants people to THINK about how our society ended up being so full of fear, hate and violence. This is a must-see movie if you ever truly thought about issues like gun control and more importantly if you haven't. I have never liked guns and always advocated for stricter control, but after seeing this movie, and thinking about the issues he pointed out it is easy to see that our culture, not our guns, are what really puts us in danger from each other. I still think guns should be at least as controlled as a car, but I no longer think that it would solve half as many problems. See the movie, listen to the message and think about it!
Rating:
Summary: loved it
Review: I am from Germany! My teacher took us to this documentary and we first thought : oh no! We have no time for it!Everybody loved it! `Cause: Michael Moore shows exactly what we think about Americans!
This film shows the stupidity of NRA members (represented by Heston) and how far from reality they are!
Not to mention the part where Heston says that the American history was more violent than the German! And those who say that the facts given in the movie are [bad]!
Think about it again...Most of the facts Moore mentions are right and informative!...
Rating:
Summary: Sociological, not political
Review: I am a gun owner, and a second ammendment supporter. I just wanted to voice an opinion on this movie and its criticisms. I was skeptical at first about this film before I saw it. I was afraid it was going to be full of anti-gun posturing; a simple "we hate guns" proclamation. But it was not. "Bowling for Columbine" may have initially had the agenda of making guns and gun owners look bad. But the final cut turned out to be a far deeper, abstract statement about the culture of fear in the United States. It examines, albeit in a round about way, comparisons of CULTURES, not necessarily politics. Period. Whether or not Michael Moore twisted the numbers is irrelevent. His film is a brilliant dissection of American culture. I have read all of his books, and seen his other films, and this one is probably my favorite. "The Big One" and "Roger & Me" are still quite wonderful, though. And definitely do not forget to read his books "Downsize This" and "Stupid White Men." Keep an open mind...what have you got to lose?
Rating:
Summary: a movie everyone should watch
Review: There is a long, repetitive diatribe a couple reviews up in which the reviewer gets on Moore's case for his biased portrayal of the subjects of this movie. I think that reviewer is missing the point. Gun control is not the main thrust of the movie, it's that Americans seem to have a great deal more fear than citizens of other countries. The fact that people shoot criminals is not a rebuttal of that argument, in fact it's more proof. The reviewer states that there is less violent crime in states where people are allowed to carry concealed weapons, a solution which boils down to "make criminals afraid as well". Anecdotal or not, the evidence presented fits Moore's hypothesis that fear drives much of the violence in this country. A reading of Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent" (which I'm sure Moore must have drawn from) should further convince you of the media's role in forming public opinion, and in this case fear. In my personal experience as a Canadian living in the U.S. I find that there is a big difference between the two countries, and that is the difference between capitalism and socialism. Capitalism can be summed up as "every man for himself", while socialism is based on spreading wealth to those who need it. One engenders competition, the other cooperation. In America you take what you can get because no one is going to hand anything to you, so naturally you're going to protect what you already have a little more vigorously. That difference goes a long way to explaining why Americans are more afraid, and why they feel the need to own guns. In any event, I grew up without locking my door, although I sure lock it now. Whatever your politics you can't deny that Moore documents a great deal of absurd and dysfunctional behavior in this movie. He makes the viewer think and more importantly, take a stand. It is riveting, heartbreaking, disgusting and funny, all at the same time. this could be the most powerful movie I've seen in years. Oh, and I'm no fan but Marilyn Manson was one of the most intelligent people interviewed by Moore. He gained my respect, if not my admiration of his music.
Rating:
Summary: Must See Documentary
Review: I'm not going to waste your time with a diatribe 12 pages long about what I liked or didn't like about the film. This is just a brief opinion on my take of this documentary. I found it to be the most enjoyable and thought-provoking documentary I've seen in a long time. I don't care whether he agrees with my personal philosphies or not, this is a good film that moves at a nice pace. The essence of the movie is NOT about gun control or gun violence. Michael Moore is trying to examine a hugely complex issue, which is why America is so violent? I won't insult by telling you how to think or feel when you watch it. Is it accurate? Don't listen to these other "viewers" who try to tell you what the facts are. Research it yourself.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT FILM
Review: I thought this was an excellent film. It so accuratly portrays American society and the way we think. This dark comedy bluntly states how we are frightend of, well, just about everything. ... YOU HAVE GOT TO SEE THIS MOVIE! If you can honestly watch this film with an open mind you'll get a lot out of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Typical Moore
Review: Wow the racists really seem to have flocked to this movie judging from the reviews. All the information given in this documentary is fairly accurate, although being Canadian, I must admit that living here isn't quite as safe as Moore portrays it. The comparison of the two countries is still effective though, mainly because they are so similar save the gun control and mass media issues. It is a shame he didn't focus more on the gun control aspect. While he says that there are many guns in canada this just simply is inaccurate. It is VERY difficult to aquire firearms here. I find his attack on the NRA justified because, in my humble opinion, they are a large part of the problem. They seem to believe that an individual's freedom to shoot someone is more important than his freedom to not be shot. As for the 'black problem', many black people live in Canada also. They do NOT cause a disproportunate amount of crime, but then again, they came here to escape American prejidice. They were not enslaved here. There is no resentment on either side. Moore's film shows that all people are the same; their behavior reflects the way they have been treated. That being said, this film will definately be more popular outside the U.S. Unfortunately this film contains too many ugly truths to be appreciated by many in its country of origin, especially considering who they elected to run the country.
Still, MY American friends liked it, so maybe...
Rating:
Summary: Don't expect Ted Koppel...
Review: In the three years I have surfed Amazon.com, I have never been moved to write a movie review...until now. I add my two cents now because, simply, Bowling For Columbine is the most important movie I have ever seen. However, I will not detail the subject of this movie here. Check the other 100 reviews for that. I will say that Bowling for Columbine is both powerful and unsatisfying. It is powerful through the sheer weight of its subject matter, and the way director Michael Moore presents it. It does not, however, satisfy those looking for an easy answer to the question of American violence. The difference between this movie and the so-called propoganda piece it is made out to be, is that Bowling For Columbine does not leave the audience with a simple mantra to repeat to the world, explaining away gun violence with ease. It empowers a viewer with many facts, raises many questions, and then rolls the credits. Take it as you will.
Those viewers looking for a CNN-style news segment are sure to be outraged by this film. It is neither unbiased nor fair. Michael Moore is not interested in how many lives are saved by private gun ownership every year. He is not interested in finding an articulate, intelligent pro-firearm spokesman. He doesn't really care why you want your gun. But the point many viewers seem to be missing is, he ISN'T SUPPOSED TO. Michael Moore framed his film around a belief, and then sought out and presented information that would sway the audience to his side. This makes it far different from TV news segments and PBS documentaries. Want an open forum on gun laws? Watch Hardball or any of the other asinine pseudo-unbiased edutainment programs. Michael Moore is out to prove a point, and he does it well.
Rating:
Summary: An important documentary
Review: This movie covers many issues, but the main question it asks is, "Why do Americans kill each other more than any other first world country?" There are no easy answers, but whilst searching for reasons the movie raises a lot of interesting considerations. Yes Moore has his own agenda and is clearly in favour of stronger gun control, BUT he backs up his claims with fact upon fact and does not merely wheel out baseless accussation. One of the remarkable things about this movie is that it has actually changed the buying policy of the worlds lagest retailer. This documentary will make you laugh, cry and become extremely angry at what you are seeing whether you agree or disagree with its message. An essential and seminal work.
Rating: 
Summary: Hypocracy and lies to the hilt
Review: This guy is a manipulator, and has no right judging America and our Constitution from Canada. He focuses on a 6 year old in this movie, who uses a gun...in the US over the last 3 years, more children under the age of 6 were killed by drowning in 5-gallon buckets that were left unattended than killed by guns left for them to get their hands on. Yes, all guns should be properly secured, and people who leave them improperly stored and an accident happens should be punished... BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OWNERS OF 5-GALLON BUCKETS!!! Similarly, we have a newsmedia that preys on catastrophe. The truth is that in the last 5 years, there have been more killings by guns in schools in Europe than in the US. Some countries outlaw guns all together, while others have very strict laws and procedures to go through. Yet more children are killed there than here, but this fruitcake of a grandstanding filmmaker doesn't tell the whole truth. "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." That's not a collective right, it's an individual right. No amount of bad press, media grandstanding, or stupid moviemaking will ever change that. But before you take a position, research the issue, don't react with your gut (that's overinfluenced by TV), but rather think with your mind. Research the true statistics, but don't listen to Michael Moore....
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