Who's in It: Morgan Spurlock
The Basics: Spurlock goes to several dangerous Middle Eastern countries and eats 12 Big Macs a day in all of them. OK, actually he does something just as stupid by dressing up in traditional Arab garments and pretending to look for Osama Bin Laden. The closest he gets is when he has himself digitally animated and fights a video-game version of the terrorist. Great.
What's the Deal? I am not opposed to there being YET ANOTHER DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HOW EVERYTHING IS A COMPLETE MESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND HOW IT'S MOSTLY AMERICA'S FAULT. But I would like for Spurlock to decide if he's making a funny film (if he is, then I want way more ha-ha parts), or if he's making a serious "can't we all just get along" statement. Because if he's going to just aim for the middle and then turn in a movie that gives no new information about anything beyond how we're all one big human family and that we have to pull together to save the world, then I'll just watch Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay instead.
Disingenuous Premise: That because he's finally bringing a little Spurlock into the world, someone has to get serious about ending terrorism.
Best, Yet Simultaneously Also Incredibly Difficult to Implement, Bit of Wisdom: Comes from a female Muslim academic who asserts that civilians of goodwill around the globe will have to ignore world leaders and corrupt foreign policies on all sides and being making alternative connections with each other. Translation: People have the power. See what I mean by not-so-easy?
Funnier and Smarter Commentary Found Here: David Rees' blog and comic strip called Get Your War On at http://www.mnftiu.cc (but don't go there until you've spent a lot of time here clicking on all kinds of things at Movies.com; I don't want to get accused of diverting traffic).