Dir. Davis Guggenheim
Writ. Al Gore
Act. Al Gore

Former Vice President Al Gore's documentary on how he could save the world and its going to hell because it's all George Bush's fault. Ok, he doesn't say that, and doesn't imply that, too much. But, the documentary would have been much better if the director had left the politics to a minimum and reached out to the group that most needs to see this movie, rednecks in trucks, Wall Street bankers, i.e. Republicans. However, since this movie is too politicized, it will fall on deaf ears with this group and it will end up being the rally cry for a bunch of people who already believe in what Gore says wacko liberal environmentalists.

Davis Guggenheim (various TV Shows) directs this movie which takes us to a lecture room where we watch Al Gore do his lecture on Global Warming and the effect that it has on the environment. Spaced in between the lecture, Al Gore provides personal details about his life, his desire to educate the people about Global Warming, and his disillusionment about politics in Washington, to provide depth and a background to the story.

I was surprised at how educational the information Gore provided about the Global Warming situation. Between this movie and the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?" I really wish I had not recently purchased an SUV. So this movie did provide a decent argument in terms of Global Warming.

What this movie also did was show me the passion that Al Gore has for this topic. After watching him act statuesque for eight years as VP, I wouldn't have believed him capable of any emotion or passion for anything. This movie proves that he does. I now wonder what would have happened if he would have been able to turn his passion of the environment into his election campaign and wonder if he could have been elected President. I still wouldn't have voted for him, but I would have held him in higher regard.

Like I said in my opinion statement, this movies' biggest problems is that it is essentially preaching to the choir. While I didn't mind seeing Gore talk about his life before and during his political career, there were too many jokes at George Bush's expense. Now I know the man deserves it, for the most part, but since I voted for him, if you insult the man I voted for, you are insulting me, and it is a turn off for this kind of movie. Teach me about the environment, don't insult me because my presidential choice may not have been the best. At one point in the movie, during a break from the lecture, we see a series of TV news clips that co through the whole 2000 election night fiasco with Florida and the insuing battles in the court. Between this and his quips about the President, he implies that the Global Warming situation that we are in would not be the case if he were President. 30 years of pollution fixed in 4? Or 8? That was too much.

One other aspect that bothered me a bit was in the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?" the director interviewed the car makes that were destroying the cars, and then while they were speaking, would cut away and show how the speaker was essentially lying to us. Basically, the director made his case gave the other side a chance to respond, and then disproved the other sides' response, while the other side was talking. That did not happen in Al's movie. Many times he started a statement by saying, " The opponents to this theory say that…" I thought it would have been better and more effective if Guggenheim had some of those politicians or scientists who disagree with Gore on the screen to offer a rebuttal and then see if Gore can disprove their actual words, by way of the lecture. But he doesn't so there can be reasonable doubt, at least in my eyes, because unless I hear the other side, how can I be sure that Al is repeating exactly what they said?

The one last thing that at first bothered me a little was the whole lecture format of the movie. I wasn't expecting it so it bothered me at first. I felt like I was watching a lecture and you never get all the information taped that you can get live. But I quickly got over it because Guggenheim developed a rhythm and the flow of the movie was fine.

Overall, I think this movie is pretty good. I hope people will see this movie, and that the Republicans who do see this movie ignore the politics and stick to the information. But because there is so much politics, I can understand if they don't watch it. Because of this I can't recommend this movie, but I hope it does get watched.

Brian - the Naked Gun