| Review | Apr. 17, 2008 | 11:59 pm |
A review of Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?
By
Director Morgan Spurlock embarks on another entertaining adventure to educate Americans in his latest documentary, Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?, which punctures the myths Americans have about terrorism. Spurlock uses the same mix of facts, comedy and nerve that won him fame in 2004 with his documentary Super Size Me. Given his ability to tackle heavy topics with humor and intelligence, we compare the two films to help break down Spurlock’s winning formula.
| Super Size Me | Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? | |
| A high-concept journey | Morgan Spurlock searches for the cause of obesity in America. He goes on an all-McDonald’s diet for 30 days to see whether or not fast food makes people obese. Turns out it can. Throughout those 30 days, Spurlock also tours the country and sees the state of the nation’s health, including school lunches and physical education programs. | In an attempt to make the world safer for his unborn child, Spurlock sets out to find Osama bin Laden. In the process, Spurlock visits several Mideast countries including Israel, Egypt and Pakistan. He meets with several people, including relatives of terrorists, who provide different perspectives on Osama bin Laden, U.S. relations with the Mideast and their view of Americans. |
| Cartoons & satirical comedy | Most of the laughs came from little snippets of irony, sarcasm and satire. Recall the doctors’ reaction to the idea of an all-McDonald’s diet or the children who could recognize Ronald McDonald but not the president. Also, there’s footage of paintings of an obese Ronald McDonald as well as cartoons used to inject humor in Spurlock’s explanations of obesity and fast food statistics. | Spurlock doesn’t stray far from the comedic formula used in Super Size Me. There are still some snippets of irony, sarcasm and satire. He treats the whole documentary as a video game, complete with a virtual fight between him and Osama bin Laden in which Spurlock uses his “moustache power” against Bin Laden’s “turban power.” As in Super Size Me, he has some cartoon footage. | Growth of relevant facial hair | In his first documentary, Spurlock sports a thick Horseshoe Moustache. Spurlock may not have grown the ‘stache specifically for the documentary, but it goes well with the All-American theme of the documentary and allows him blend into the crowd. | Spurlock trades his trademark moustache for a thick beard after his Arabic teacher suggests it might save him from danger. The beard goes well with the Mideast setting of the documentary. Strangely enough, he comes off looking very jolly. | Cast of intriguing characters and cameos | • Spurlock’s girlfriend pops in every now and then (I still believe her role was unnecessary. I didn’t really need to know how Spurlock was performing in the bedroom, thank you very much). • Jared from those Subway commercials. • A man who only eats at McDonald’s. • A painter who is devoted to painting about fast food chains. |
• Spurlock’s wife (Who was his girlfriend in Super Size Me. Her only importance is getting knocked up with Spurlock’s child, forcing him to try and make the world safer) • Daryl Isaacs, the bearded, lethargic doctor from the first movie. • Bin Laden’s uncle. • Reality-based protection trainers. We see footage of Spurlock beating the guys with a bat as well as clips of the guys pretending to be terrorists and yelling at Spurlock, “Are you going to convert to Muslim?!” |
| A non-shocking moral | McDonald’s and other fast food chains are not good for you, but obesity in America is not only the food industry’s fault. Americans should start exercising and cooking healthy meals at home. | There’s no way Osama bin Laden is responsible for everything bad that happens in the world. Capturing bin Laden won’t solve anything if relations between the West and the Middle East remain the way they currently are. |
Overall, the documentary was very informative. With Super Size Me, Spurlock only solidified the widely held belief that obesity is linked to fast food. In Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?, Spurlock skillfully proves the not-so-widely-believed fact that not all Muslims are terrorists and that Osama Bin Laden isn’t responsible for all terrorism. The documentary may not provide as much detail as some desire, but it gets the point across without being as preachy or biased as other documentaries. While fellow documentarian Michael Moore’s obvious left-leaning bias discourages the possibility of a larger audience, Spurlock’s good ol’ American charm and his effort to present both sides of the story give him more power to actually influence a wider spectrum of Americans. And really, isn’t that the point?
mt said,
April 18, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
nice review, i really liked the comparison/two column format