Official Synopsis:
Morgan Spurlock, who hilariously Super Size-ed himself to take down the American fast-food diet, sets his sights on the country's biggest enemy in similarly comic fashion. Armed only with a hasty round of survival training, a camera, and his trademark moustache, Spurlock searches the Middle East's mosques, malls, schools, and caves for public enemy #1. From Saudi Arabia to Pakistan to Israel, he interviews ordinary people and experts on all sides of the Middle East conflict, with results that are both funny and thought-provoking.

  
Our Take:
Morgan Spurlock is pretty much my hero. His television show, 30 Days, is one of the best shows on television, and between that and his films such as Super Size Me, it seems like he’s actually interested in changing people’s thinking and making the world a better place. He does all this of course, with his trademark mustache and sense of humor, and I have yet to see a single hour of programming from him that wasn’t both completely entertaining and incisively thought-provoking.

In Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, Spurlock heads to the middle east in search of the world’s most wanted terrorist. Whether he actually thinks he has a shot a finding him or not is besides the point, because the film isn’t really about finding bin Laden. It’s about meeting people in a section of the world that has some very dangerous opinions of America. Spurlock interacts with dozens of people in countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, and he gets quite a cross section of views of what people think of our country. I guarantee you that the results will surprise you. You’ll also find yourself laughing quite a bit as well as be quite moved by some segments. Spurlock works the birth of his son into the film, and family and children is a theme that plays out throughout most of the film. Plus, you’ll never be able to hear “U Can’t Touch This” the same way again.

Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? contains some interesting supplemental materials:

* Alternate Ending

* Animated History Of Afghanistan

* Interview With Israeli President Shimon Peres

* Interview With Former IRA Leader Martin McGuinness

* Interview With Egypt's Democracy Activist Saad Ibrahim

* On Being A Woman In Saudi Arabia

* Secret Meeting At The Watergate Hotel

As with most of Spurlock’s efforts, I think Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? should be required viewing in most high schools. It’s not the most factually educational film in the world, but it will certainly teach young people about different points of view, as well as to be thankful for the rights and civil liberties we have here in this country. You will definitely come away from this film with a new perspective on what life in the Middle East is like. Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? is a terrific movie that’s funny and poignant, and it cements Morgan Spurlock’s status as one of my favorite filmmakers working today.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Movie: A-
DVD: B+

- Mike Spring

Editor