“Captain Mike” continues to get panned by critics
Yet more bad reviews for “Captain Mike Across America” rolled in this morning. I can honestly say I haven’t seen a single good - or even a relatively neutral - review of this movie yet. Here are two more excepts from reviews for your perusal below the cut, with the second one being particularly lengthy and scathing.
Captain Mike Across America is an interesting proposition: Michael Moore documents his tour across America in the run-up to the 2004 Presidential elections; a tour that notably failed to turn the tide of the election against George Bush. As Moore is more skilled in creating passionate (if flawed) polemics than he is at documentary film-making, someone else should have taken the reins. In Moore’s hands, this is a weird, confusingly-edited rush between states with occasional musical interludes (it’s nice to hear the Finland’s national anthem) that leaves you wondering: “Where on earth is this going?” The answer, of course, is nowhere (Kerry was a lame duck) and Moore’s glib explanation is unintentionally dispiriting. 1/5
Michael Moore’s new documentary opens with a title card explaining that we’re in Tallahassee, Florida the night before the 2004 election and immediately I thought: Uh, yeah—I think I recall how this one turned out. Chronicling Moore’s 2004 Slacker Uprising Tour—a get-out-the-vote series of speaking engagements in 20 ‘Battleground’ States—Captain Mike Across America is easily Moore’s weakest film, a self-congratulatory mess that has nothing to say about the American political process and tells you everything you need to know about the numbing cult of personality that’s sprung up around Moore. It’s not so bad that there’s a cult of personality around Moore—as I’ve said of Moore before, some Americans are so desperate for someone to speak truth to power that they’ll settle for someone saying anything to it. What’s bad is that Moore seems to be buying into his own myth, now, and here that seems both narcissistic and futile.
Moore wants to keep old grudges alive—anger about the ‘Swift Boat’ ads that ran against Kerry, anger about the decision to go to war in Iraq, anger about the 2000 election Supreme Court decision that ended Al Gore’s presidential ambitions. It’s like watching a demented cheerleader scream their lungs out over a game that was lost years ago—and was rigged in the first place. And yes, I just compared the American electoral process to a rigged game…
The Weinstein Company is distributing Captain Mike Across America, and while I rarely talk about business and distribution decisions in reviews, I do have to say this: Whatever they paid, they got taken. The film feels more like a home movie, shot on DV by Moore’s crew during the tour and incorporating newsclips obviously ripped from Tivo (they have that low-rez blur to them). And the tour itself earned speaker’s fees for Moore; his controversial appearance at Utah Valley State College alone netted him $50,000, and it was one of 62 stops. (Some of which, I’m sure, were pro bono, but still.) Captain Mike Across America couldn’t have cost very much to make—a pocket-lining vanity project on par with Bill Clinton’s gigantic, say-nothing autobiography or John McCain’s ghostwritten profiles in courage.
And it’s worth even less to watch. Moore used to be engaging because he spoke up in the face of power and he actually had something to say. But with Captain Mike Across America, he’s saying nothing, or at least nothing we haven’t heard from him before: I am angry. You should vote. I dislike George Bush. I am angry. Recently—with Bowling for Columbine, Sicko and even to a certain degree Fahrenheit 9/11-- Moore’s been making engaging, informative, opinionated and intriguing films from a passionate point of view; Captain Mike Across America is an information-free, narcissistic and self-congratulatory high-pitched whine from a sore loser.
Again… WOW. I can hardly believe my eyes at some of these reviews. It seems I’m not the only person who’s wondering why Moore has released this film and what he’s hoping to gain out of it. Again, I do believe it’s too early to call this one, but it seems that “Captain Mike Across America” is destined to be Moore’s first huge flop. This, of course, begs another question from me. If this film does truly turn out to be the cinematic flop it seems to be, how will Moore handle such a harsh rejection of his work?
Comments
Moore just seems to not acknowledge rejection. He doesn’t see it, it never happened, they were booing the booers.
How nice to be able to edit one’s life for content.
They were all saying Boo-urns.
They were all saying Boo-urns.
Brilliant. :)
Artmonkey: excellent observation. As far as we can see this is as close to a doc as he’s done, and...bleh. Even his fans hate it. Time to make those romantic comedies he’s always talking about?
Can you imagine When Harry met Sally penned by Moore? Jesus.
But ”the Democrats are professionals at screwing things up, so nothing is in the bag,” he said.
“This film is for my few million fans and for the people who share my (liberal) politics to get fired up and get ready for the next election.”
“I hope this film gives the choir a song to sing ... because we can’t take four more years of the Republicans.”
With any luck his million so fans will tire of their fat, screeching harlequin and Reps will win again.
I suggest you read Roger Eberts review, or the Rotten Tomatoes film review section, you will find the majority of reviews there positive.
http://au.rottentomatoes.com/m/sicko
Red Star:
We’re not talking about “Sicko” in this article. The bad reviews to which I and other are referring concern Moore’s newest film, “Captain Mike Across America”, which recently debuted at the Toronto Film Festival. “Sicko” did receive many accolades, but Moore newest project so far has received nothing but harsh and highly negative reviews from the critic and press thus far.
I hope that helps you out. :)
Fun to come back to this thread and see my comments removed and the article edited. Dvdguy
DVDGuy what are you talking about? This article and comments were never touched.
Nice to see you back to your old bullshit, though.
dvdguy;
You seem to be rather confused. You never posted comments to this article about “Captain Mike”. You did, however, post a comment to THIS article about “Captain Mike”. Just click on the link I’ve provided and you’ll see your comment, my response and the article completely unaltered.
I personally resent the accusations and insults you are slinging about here, especially since it is you that is completely in the wrong. You clicked on the wrong article and suddenly we’re all horrible people out to delete your comments? Hardly. Perhaps if you were a bit more attentive things like this wouldn’t need to occur.
I do believe an apology is in order.
"Nice to see you back to your old bullshit, though.”
Friendly as always. Thanks for the input JimK.
DonnaK : You are correct. 8 days and 31 films later with next to no sleep I confused the two threads.
“especially since it is you that is completely in the wrong”
That is correct.
“I do believe an apology is in order”
It certainly is. Sorry about the error Donna. My bad.
Dvdguy
Thank you very much, dvdguy. Apology accepted. :)
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I’ve been reading all the incredibly scathing reviews of this film since yesterday afternoon and, between bouts of the giggles the likes of which you would usually only get after putting away a few well packed bowls, I had something of an epiphany.
I don’t know if anyone else has picked up on this, yet, but there’s a certain degree of irony to be found in Mike’s poor reception, here.
Granted, I have not seen the film, myself.
(nor am I likely to, honestly.) But from what I can tell according to what’s been recounted of it, this highly-trashed Moore treasure seems to easily be the only thing Mike has ever produced that even begins to actually resemble a genuine documentary.
...and it was panned.
...a lot.
Christ… no wonder he makes propaganda.