SUPER-SIZE ME

Director: Morgan Spurlock (no major film work)
Starring: Documentary

All the talk of this year's Sundance film festival, Super Size Me is a (positively enraging) little film nominally about how corporate greed once again wins out over morality in the selling of a dangerous product. I say "nominally" because this documentary doesn't really get to that level of discourse on the subject. It just humorously shows a silly dude eating nothing but McDonald's for a month. The intent is clear, though, and the effects are frightening. This movie was rather obviously intended as an editorial to rouse the rabble (and it does) rather than to enlighten. Since the movie is smart enough to know what it's doing, it doesn't bother taking weak swipes at the more difficult topics, but focuses on the root level. Luckily the topic is so obviously offensive that it still succeeds in lambasting the fast food companies. As a film, unfortunately, Super Size Me is remarkably average. There's no doubt that this is an early attempt at filmmaking by the director/star, with little to please the eye or spirit. The point remains, however, that this movie pointedly disgusts the viewer when you see the effects of McDonalds products on the human body (and that's a good thing). We see the narrator gaining 25 lbs in a month while his liver nearly explodes - and it's scary. I'm pissed at McDonalds after seeing this movie, so the film has done its job. Maybe not great art, but a great bit of editorial.

Standouts: It got McDonalds to discontinue their SuperSize portions. Kudos.
Blowouts: Very average production and filming values. Nothing more than an editorial.

Grade: B