Reviews

Another strong message by Robert Greenwald of "Outfoxed" fame. Similar to that doc, however, it is a quickly done, and somewhat less than fully polished film. Too shticky at times, it occasionally comes close to a parody of propaganda films, especially when dealing with the lives of Chinese workers. However, there are some moving portrayals of those affected by Walmart, including former employees, and some powerful testimonials by former management who feel betrayed by a company they gave their loyalty to.

I was most shocked by some facts about the Walton family, who are some of the richest people on the planet, and apparently some of the stingiest. You'd think they'd be more generous just for to get positive P.R., even if they couldn't care less about "the little people". For a more sober depiction of the Walmart phenomenon, I also recommend the Frontline documentary "Is Walmart Good for America".

While the movie is visually quite inventive, overall it is a big disappointment. I'm really shocked by the gushing of virtually all reviewers, most of whom I'm assuming saw it at a young age, possibly when it first came out.

To start, the weakest aspect is Julie Harris' character, who I would agree stands as one of the most irritating leads of all time. This is compounded by the unfortunate choice of making her thoughts audible, which rarely do more than repeat the obvious, in the "wow, I'm really scared and what am I doing here" mode--hey, thanks for filling us in on that! Lastly, absolutely nothing happens for the entire movie! I enjoy slow build-ups, but that is all this movie has to offer. Visually creative, but stick with Psycho or Rosemary's Baby for good examples of '60's horror films...

Don't be put off by the talk of poor production values, bad dubbing, goofy Benny Hill-esque slapstick, and questionable acting. Once you get a look at the enormous smile on Xi's face, you'll forget all of that. This is one of the most gentle, pleasant, and likable movies I've seen in a long time (all of that in a good way).

I'd always heard about it, but somehow managed to miss it over the years. Finally saw it this weekend, and it's a real gem.

For you DVD viewers, there's a documentary with interview footage of Xi. The only problem--no subtitles! Some bozo obviously blew it on the transfer, making it possibly the most frustrating doc ever produced...Be warned!

I have to disagree with one of the previous reviewers, who placed ND somewhere in the early-mid-eighties. One of the (many) odd things about the movie is that it isn't set in ANY clearly identifiable time period. True, there is a lot of music from the eighties, but I picked out a Backstreet Boys song in there as well. ND and family dress straight out of the 70's (like the decor from their home), but the brother spends all day on the internet. Many of the other kids dress 80's (especially at the dance), but others look more contemporary. Bizarre and disorienting, and places the movie clearly out of reality and in a world where a guy like Napoleon could really exist... (btw, the movie was very entertaining, so just go see it.)

Being a big fan of Koyannisqatsi and Philip Glass in general, i was looking forward to this quite a bit. It's unfortunate that this film turned out to be as cliched and flat as the first film was pioneering and bold. Some of the music, especially the first and last pieces, is stunning, and sounds amazing in Dolby Digital. Reggio's images, with some notable exceptions, such as some famous works of art morphing into one another (with a technique far more interesting than the typical morphing), are nothing new, and the usual topics of the hazards of technology and corporate greed feel all too well-worn. Whereas the first film may have inspired a style of tv commercials, Naqoyqatsi just feels like one.