Al Franken: God Spoke (2006)

Whether one agrees with his point of view or not, it's a message worth hearing.

A documentary about the comedian and satirist who sees himself as a leftward leaning crusader for Truth and Justice in an era of Lying Liars.

Feisty, quick-witted and quixotic, Franken takes on such right-wing demigods as Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity.

The documentary skims the surface, appreciating Franken's crass, troublemaking modus operandi. This would be OK if the doc were crammed with hilarious footage, but Franken comes off as more droll and bitter than clever.

With his nearly nonstop, self-congratulatory monologues and his seemingly insincere attitude, he comes off as every bit as much an insufferable blowhard as his conservative counterparts.

The film feels unfinished as Franken contemplates a run for the U.S. Senate from Minnesota, which might make God Spoke the set-up for a much more interesting sequel.

As a record of the Al Franken you already know and love, Hegedus and Doob's rather slapdash movie is fun.

Neither as adroitly funny as Franken's comic routines, nor as notable as his conversion to the fine art of politics, this is a 90-minute 'What If?' with no discernible answer.