The prospect of a pro-Intelligent Design documentary sounded so batsh** crazy,it had to be awesome, watching intellectuals spin a story about how they're persecuted for their beliefs.Not to say I didn't give it a fair chance,but they made it really easy.

The film shows that Intelligent Design should be on the table for discussion. But if you're looking for ammo to argue your Darwinist friends under the table, look elsewhere.

Surely the film's greatest offense is the utter shamelessness with which it exploits the Holocaust.

This is propaganda, a political rant disguised as a serious commentary on stifled freedom of inquiry.

It shows us bogus security files, as if some cabal is spying on everyone. It shirks the facts. And it madly edits images to equate Darwin with Hitler, and Ben Stein with -- yes -- Ronald Reagan. Typical of all propaganda, it also distorts language.

Stein's schlumpy presence is disarming, though his know-it-all nature is at odds with his free-speech posing.

Stein's credibility is blown on this poorly constructed diatribe, and you'd be smart to save your bucks.

Expelled may prove to be as controversial as the producers hope, but the reactions will be more entertaining and elucidating than the film itself.

"...raises some interesting questions about evolutionary theory, but does so in such a smug, disingenuous and self-serving manner it's hard to take the movie seriously.

Either the filmmakers suckered these [pro-Darwinist] participants under false pretenses, or the evolutionists are more open to debate than Stein suggests.