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Bowling for Columbine (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:159
Fresh:153
Rotten:6
Average Rating:8.2/10
Consensus: Though it may not always convince, Bowling for Columbine asks important questions and provokes thought.
Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins
Genre: Education/General Interest
Synopsis: Filmmaker and leftist activist Michael Moore asks some serious questions as he probes the depths of America's trigger-happy gun culture in the insightful and amusing documentary, BOWLING FOR... Filmmaker and leftist activist Michael Moore asks some serious questions as he probes the depths of America's trigger-happy gun culture in the insightful and amusing documentary, BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE. Guns in America are used to kill an average of more than 11,000 people per year. This death toll is obscenely out of balance with other first world countries, which generally average a total in double digits. Experts and analysts have pointed to America's bloody history as a reason, but how does that explain the lower murder rate in Germany? Violent entertainment has also been fingered, but how does this account for staggeringly low numbers in Japan, home of the most violent entertainment video games on the market. Moore's trademark comedic tone is razor-sharp as his quest leads him everywhere from Littleton Colorado's Columbine High School to the home of NRA President Charlton Heston. Moore, oddly enough a lifetime NRA member, makes his main target the news media, but also fires away at inefficient welfare programs, Dick Clark, and Kmart. The latter is even compelled to make a major policy change in their stores due to one of Moore's confrontational stunts. This exploration into America's obsession with guns is disarmingly humorous, but Moore also asks challenging questions and fearlessly seeks responsible parties, making the film an effective call for more social awareness as well. [More]
Starring: Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson, Matt Stone, Dick Clark
Starring: Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson, Matt Stone, Dick Clark, James Nichols, Jeff Rossen
Director: Michael Moore
Director: Michael Moore
Producer: Kathleen Glynn, Michael Donovan, Charles Bishop, Jim Czarnecki
Studio: MGM/UA
Reviews for Bowling for Columbine
Michael Moore is back, bringing his highly entertaining and thought-provoking guerrilla filmmaking to the topic of guns and violence in America.
Columbine is a remarkable piece of work. It’s a meditation on a serious subject presented in a manner so lighthearted that it might actually convince people to listen.
Percutant, dérangeant, amusant, émouvant et forçant la réflexion. À ne manquer sous aucun prétexte.
If director Michael Moore could restrain his ego from belly-flopping on the material, he might have come up with something great.
The filmmaker has delivered the most provocative film of the year that's also highly entertaining, thought-provoking and even moving (despite the obvious manipulation).
No one goes unindicted here, which is probably for the best. And if you're not nearly moved to tears by a couple of scenes, you've got ice water in your veins.
It is a film that will have people walking out halfway through, will encourage others to stand up and applaud, and will, undoubtedly, leave both camps engaged in a ferocious debate for years to come.
Regardless of your political bent, you’ve gotta admit that Michael Moore is confronting critical issues that are all too oft-overlooked by the mass media.
Moore's documentary asks the right questions to jump-start serious dialogue.
Moore sees a nation that extols the glories of 'family values' while millions line up to see 'Jackass: The Movie'...
Fascinating, thought-provoking, often fitfully funny and sometimes devastatingly sad.
Latest News for Bowling for Columbine
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July 31, 2006:
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