Max_cinefilo89 First there was McDonald's, which he targeted with masochistic precision in Super Size Me. Four years later, director Morgan Spurlock went for something bigger, louder and more controversial. The result is tremendously funny most of the time, but unlike fellow provocateur Michael Moore, Spurlock has yet to master the skills required to properly mix sharp sociological commentary and broad comedy.The beginning is a masterstroke in humor: starting with an air view and the usual pretentious-sounding narration, the director says this is one of those days when something is bound to go wrong. Next shot: his girlfriend announces she's pregnant. While happy he's finally going to be a father, Spurlock is also concerned about his unborn child's safety: how is it possible to raise a kid when no one has been able to find the world's most wanted man, Osama Bin Laden? One man, and it's impossible to locate him - that's what bugs Spurlock. In addition, he thinks the reward that's been promised for Bin Laden's capture could be useful to pay for the kid's education.And so he sets out on a journey to some of the most dangerous areas on the planet (i.e. the Middle East), looking for the notorious terrorist leader. First he prepares for the trip visiting the doctor and attending a boot camp where he learns how to survive bombings, then it's off to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel and finally Afghanistan. Wherever he goes, no one seems to know exactly where Osama is. On the other hand, he gets to learn a lot about his country's misconceptions when it comes to Islam traditions.Unsurprisingly, that last part becomes the real focus of the movie: like Moore, Spurlock seizes the opportunity to highlight the shortcomings of America's attitude towards foreigners, and these flaws are exposed with a mixture of seriousness and irony. Unfortunately, none of that is really any news - American prejudice is a well known reality, and we certainly didn't need a Bin Laden-centric documentary to point that out. The director has a point to make, there's no doubt about that, but he can't find a more original way to do it.Whatever the film lacks in poignancy, though, it makes up for in great comedy. In fact, it is perhaps to consider it a comedy rather than a documentary, from the spot-on prologue to the hilarious video game-like opening credits (complete with absurd titular song), with the climax being the famous shot of Spurlock outside the Tora Bora caves (Bin Laden's alleged hiding place in Afghanistan), yelling: "Yoo hoo, Osama?". It's those moments of absurd humor that make Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? an entertaining watch. Certainly not as memorable as Super Size Me, but then again that's the kind of stuff that happens when you cover all too familiar ground.

Neil Turner Morgan Spurlock is a documentary filmmaker a bit different from the norm. He came to fame with his 2004 documentary, Super Size Me. In Where in the World…, he takes on the topic of terrorism. His style is off-putting to those who think a documentary should be serious and to the point. This film is a combination of MTV, video games, cartoons, and serious journalism. It is very appealing, never dry, and ultimately insightful.He begins by stating that he is about to become a father, and that he wants the world to be safe for his child. Therefore, he goes looking for Bin Laden in order to secure the end of terrorism. It is obvious he is not seriously expecting to find his prey, but it's an entertaining premise.Spurlock travels through Africa, the Middle East, and Asia in his search for Bin Laden. Of course his real goal is to interview the people in these countries to get their opinions of Bin Laden and the United States.In Egypt, he meets with a number of citizens who tell him that they are suffering not because of Bin Laden, but because the United States is supporting Mubarak who is supposedly a freely elected leader but is, indeed, a dictator. From this, Spurlock tangents to a cartoon detailing the history of US support for dictators starting with Franklin D. Roosevelt. This history of US complicity is pretty powerful even though it is in the form of a cartoon. Spurlock brings the viewer to the conclusion that most everyday Egyptians like the people of the United States, but all everyday Egyptians hate the United States government because it supports a dictator in disguise who has made their lives very hard.Spurlock's movements are probably the most restricted in Saudi Arabia. He interviews a number of people but all seem very restrictive leading him to finally expound upon a government so tied in with religion that it suffocates the people with dogma.Not being totally politically savvy, his encounters in Palestine were probably the most revealing to me. The people interviewed pretty much hate Bin Laden and terrorists in general mainly because they use the Israeli/Palestinian conflict as an excuse for their heinous acts. It goes without saying that the Palestinians hate the governments of Israel and the United States for the occupation of their lands.While in Palestine, Spurlock interviews an Israeli woman living in one of the occupied settlements. She actually states that the Israelis deserve to live there because the land was given to them by God - not exactly an enlightened viewpoint.The country least hospitable to Spurlock was Israel. He shows situations in which he was actually physically attacked. But in Israel is where he probably had his most profound encounter. In speaking with an Israeli scholar, the scholar states that everyone in Israel knows that they must leave the occupied territories, and that when they do, there will be peace. He ponders how many years and how many deaths will take place until that inevitable solution is reached.The search is ended - without success of course - in Afghanistan and then Pakistan. These are some of the scariest moments for the filmmakers because there is great danger in both of those countries. As the world knows, the conditions for average citizens in Afghanistan have gotten much worse since the invasion and occupation by the United States. Here the viewer is offered another sobering illustration of the evils of our foreign policy.Even though this documentary might be considered frivolous and light, it gives some interesting insights into the normal citizens of these countries so in the news and the minds of the citizens of the United States. Spurlock certainly leads the viewer to the conclusions he has so skillfully created which might be best summed up by an old man speaking to the filmmaker, "F**k you, f**k Bin Laden, and f**k the United States."

bob the moo When Morgan Spurlock discovers he is going to be a father his initial feelings of joy are overcome with an intense worry about how he can protect his child from the dangers of the world. Of course saving for the future, educating from a young age and moving to a good area flash through his mind but instead Spurlock decides that the most productive thing he can do is head out to the Middle East in an attempt to locate and capture terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden.I really liked Super Size Me. It used a gimmick to build an effective and engaging documentary into the importance of diet and the impact of poor eating. So whenever his latest film came out I had assumed that the overall product would be the same even if the topic was much larger. The film just about starts out this way as Spurlock essentially uses his gimmick as an introduction to a couple of the countries of the Middle East where he superficially explores politics and discovers, hey, they're just people – just like us yeah? OK, so far so basic but I am assuming that he is just easing us into something right? Well, no. Actually what the film does is become more and more about the gimmick and less and less about anything of substance. Ultimately what we end up with is lots of bemused reactions to the question "where is Osama?" It is a real shame but for some reason Spurlock has aimed his film at people who do not get access to any news coverage outside of their own country. Maybe this is me being snobbish though, maybe lots of people do think that the Middle East contains nothing but goats and people who would happily die if only they could kill one Western Infidel™ at the same time. Well, for those people this film might blow your mind but honestly it is just so basic that I doubt even those with zero world view will not be engaged by Spurlock's film.The conclusion of the film suggests that Spurlock has learnt a lesson but, if that is the case, I have to wonder why he couldn't work it out to let us into it as well. The film cries out to be taken in hand in the editing room and really pulled into a structure that works – even if it means using less of the "on-location" footage than you would like. Sadly this doesn't happen either and the film gets more and more basic as it goes on, sinking into the gimmick and losing site of any chance to make intelligent points, educate or challenge the viewer. Could have been an interesting and insightful film but instead is just a fairly pointless mess of wasted potential.

DICK STEEL If this movie knows where he is, there'll be international headlines made, and the filmmakers will get that US$25 million (or more?) bounty that is placed on his head. Of course it will be silly to presume that this film can find the answers to the multi-million dollar question, or even come close to it, so just what was the intention?Morgan Spurlock isn't new to controversy, having burst onto the documentary scene with his real life gorging on MacDonald's for every meal in order to drive home the point that junk food really does junk your well being. So for this new film of his, it stems from his desire to seek out the world's #1 wanted man, and ask him just what floats his boat. He may be putting on his jester cap with his somewhat hilarious introduction, but looking at the preparation with vaccination and even attending some terrorism survival course, he's quite dead set in his mission to find that elusive man.Until of course you realize that he's hitting all the relative safe havens for the most part, before venturing into the more likely places in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But what he seeks to unearth is the Middle East's attitudes towards Americans, and it seems that the common consensus is that while they have nothing against the people, almost everyone that Spurlock chose to showcase, has issues with the foreign policies. And from interviews with the average Joes, they sure have issues with politics at home more than those that are from abroad. Spurlock also takes opportunity to slam the US foreign policy, and does so through a hilarious animated sequence involving Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty herself, in what would be a realistic case of sleeping with the wrong bedfellows.Bringing the camera from Morocco to Saudi Arabia, and interview people from both the state of Palestine and Israel, what he had presented were compelling arguments for and against, as well as plenty of moderate views that seek to debunk the bulk of western media who find delight in demonizing those in the Middle East. Through the looking glass peering at their everyday lives, the film comes to present the basic need for survival and providing for one's family, no matter one's geography, country, religion and culture. Naturally there were some feathers ruffled, especially when dealing with closed cultures who clam up, or intolerant folks who have no qualms in using violence, but in general, this documentary serves to be rather tame.Yes it's gimmicky in its title, and half the time you're not sure whether MXXSpulock will take that plunge and really head to where he will likely find some inkling of positive leads, but what it had presented instead, is something more powerful that this world really needs to reach out and have everyone taking a more tolerant attitude and to understand one another a lot more, to avoid conflict. This should be a world without strangers, and the documentary managed to show just a glimmer of that hope.