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Movies / On DVD / Bowling for Columbine
Bowling for Columbine

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Bowling for Columbine (2002)

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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.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for some violent images and language

Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:Oct 11, 2002 Limited

Box Office: $21,244,913

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

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Release:

Aug 19, 2003

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Reviews for Bowling for Columbine

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating)
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
10/19/02
Hollywood.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
03/16/04
Apollo Guide

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine

A strike? Not quite, but a good score nonetheless.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
10/11/02
E! Online

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat

I hope the movie is widely seen and debated with appropriate ferocity and thoughtfulness.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
10/10/02
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Here lies the charm of Michael Moore’s style, he uses guerilla style journalism to ask the questions no one seems to be asking, of the people no one seems to have the balls to ask.

Full Review Source: Trades | comment Comment
10/01/02
Alex Keen
Alex Keen
Trades

This one can't be missed.

Full Review Source: Juicy Cerebellum | comment Comment
11/11/02
Alex Sandell
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum

All in all, Mr. Moore has given us a lot to think about in Bowling for Columbine, and he has entertained us royally in the process.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
12/19/02
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Even Moore's detractors, should they be inclined to see the film, will admit that he takes a refreshingly nuanced view of the issue.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
10/18/02
Ann Hornaday
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post

Will those on the right dismiss Moore as a propagandist? Will those on the left flock to the theater and accept Moore's word as gospel? Either scenario is depressing.

Full Review Source: Roanoke Times (Virginia) | comment Comment
11/18/02
Beth Jones
Beth Jones
Roanoke Times (Virginia)

With 'Bowling for Columbine,' Michael Moore gives us the perfect starting point for a national conversation about guns, violence, and fear.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
10/24/02
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Fascinating, thought-provoking, often fitfully funny and sometimes devastatingly sad.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
11/02/02
Bob Longino
Bob Longino
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Stuffed to the brim with ideas, American instigator Michael Moore’s film is a rambling examination of American gun culture that uses his usual modus operandi of crucifixion through juxtaposition.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Today | comment Comment
10/21/02
Brent Simon
Brent Simon
Entertainment Today

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Modamag.com | comment Comment
11/02/02
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
Modamag.com

Michael Moore has perfected the art of highly entertaining, self-aggrandizing, politically motivated documentary-making, and he’s got as potent a topic as ever here.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
12/31/02
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

[Moore's] better at fingering problems than finding solutions. But though he only scratches the surface, at least he provides a strong itch to explore more.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
10/25/02
Bruce Westbrook
Bruce Westbrook
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

When Bowling For Columbine hits its stride, which is to say, during the bulk of its running time, it’s funny, incisive and fairly devastating.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
12/27/02
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

Irreverent, provocative and provoking.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
10/17/02
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There are some inconsistencies in Moore's points and his arguments jump around a lot to support his view of the world (like any good documentary), but it's still very thought provoking.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
10/25/02
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com
 
 
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Latest News for Bowling for Columbine

June 25, 2007: Michael Moore Talks "Sicko," Heath Care, Edutainment, Cuba
There isn't much middle ground on Michael Moore; his bromide-laden documentaries have earned him both an enthusiastic following from many on the left and unvarnished vitriol... More...

May 20, 2007: Cannes Wrap-Up: Michael Moore's Latest And Leo's Global Warming Doc
Michael Moore's latest doc, "Sicko," has stirred up more controversy for the Michigan muckraker. Is he onto something with his evisceration of the US healthcare... More...

August 14, 2006: Box Office Wrapup: "Talladega Nights" Stays #1, "Step Up" Surprises
Despite a pair of newcomers close behind in its rearview mirror, Will Ferrell's hit comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby finished in first place for the second... More...

July 31, 2006: Box Office Wrapup: "Miami Vice" Knocks Pirates From #1 Spot
Detectives Crockett and Tubbs shot their way to number one in North America with the cop thriller Miami Vice which finally managed to knock the megablockbuster Pirates of the... More...

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