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.
Bowling for Columbine (2002)
Tomatometer
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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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Reviews for Bowling for Columbine
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.
Michael Moore's latest documentary about America's thirst for violence is his best film yet...
It could change America, not only because it is full of necessary discussion points, but because it is so accessible that it makes complex politics understandable to viewers looking for nothing but energetic entertainment.
Bowling for Columbine isn't always pretty, but it's never less than disarming.
An important film, not only because of what it’s about but also because of what it represents. Films like this strengthen our opinions and give us a feeling of democracy and freedom of speech at work.
..."Bowling for Columbine” remains a disquieting and thought-provoking film...
The film's strength isn't in its details, but in the larger picture it paints - of a culture in conflict with itself, with the thin veneer of nationalism that covers our deepest, media-soaked fears.
Funnier than most comedies, more moving than most tear-jerkers and more apt to outrage than the most frenzied Oliver Stone diatribe, Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine belongs on everyone's must-see list.
Bowling for Columbine isn't a subtle film; instead, it makes its case with Magnum force.
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.
Powerful, disturbing, funny, thought provoking, moving and infuriating.
Michael Moore is back, bringing his highly entertaining and thought-provoking guerrilla filmmaking to the topic of guns and violence in America.
Columbine is a remarkable piece of work. It’s a meditation on a serious subject presented in a manner so lighthearted that it might actually convince people to listen.
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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