Review of Reviews: Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?

by Cory Jackson II

Where is Osama Bin Laden is a 2008 comedy-doc written and directed by Morgan Spurlock. Spurlock finds out that his wife is expecting the couple’s first child. In the midst of being new parents and trying to figure out this new journey they are about to embark on, Spurlock sets out on a journey to find Osama Bin Laden. Why? Well because he wants to know that the baby he is bringing into the world is safe. In order to do that he goes through self-defense training, takes the proper shots and head out to the Middle East to find Osama Bin Laden. He wants to understand every thought and move Osama Bin Laden makes so in order to do that he goes to Egypt, as well as Morocco, Israel, Afghanistan and other Middle East country. In pursuit of trying to find Osama Bin Laden, Spurlock discovers one thing, his distorted view of Middle Eastern people and terrorism is fuelled by the media. The people that he meets on the streets of these different places are not true. They are actually kind hearted misunderstood people. He also learns the truth of what Middle Eastern people thinks of America.


The comedy in the film lies within the gray areas of culture and what makes a terrorist a terrorist. Many people that he came across felt that terrorism was being lit by the media to be something bigger than what it is. Some people don’t even feel like there is a war on terror. This is the type of film that you see it’s a documentary because of how it’s filmed, but because of the over the top story line and stunts it feels like it’s a scripted drama. This type of work adds to the comedy of the film because you want to think some things are fake and exaggerated like one could be in a fiction film, but it’s real so it makes you chuckle while you are reading this like, “I can’t believe he went through all of this to create this film.” Spur lock's antics may be over the top at times, but he does well of educating the audience about some real issues like the rise of Al Qaeda in the 90s as well as getting the perspective of middle eastern people of the western world.

This film opened in in the US on January 21st, 2008 at the Sundance Film Festival. A few months later it was released in limited theaters on April 18th. According to the Guardian/Observer, this film was on of the worst films by Spurlock whose earlier works of Supersize me was a box office success. This on the other hand grossed $384,955 for the total film. The filmed gained mostly mixed critical reviews. Most of the critical reviews praised Spurlock for his honestly of the times we live in as well as the perspective of the world from both sides of the world. According to the TV Guide of the film, “Spurlock’s observations and points are infinitely valid: Bin Laden is less important than the network of Al Qaeda cells whose jihads he inspired; many -- if not most -- Arabs can distinguish between the American people and the American government; addressing the entrenched poverty and hopelessness that fuels the flames of anti-U.S. fervor matters more than killing the Taliban; making backroom political alliances with brutal dictators who promise to support U.S. business interests always backfires”. On the flip side many other critics didn’t give film the high remarks. Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “A film so self-centered that even the director's most dedicated stalkers might find it a bit too narcissistic.” J.R. Jones of the Chicago Reader writes” It’s a little insulting to all the real reporters who’ve died in the field looking for hard information, not weak indie comedy.”

Overall reviews are meant to really break down the film and critiques the highs and lows of the film. I personally enjoyed the film not because of its sometimes cheesy humor but because of the facts that it shows, at the end of the day we are all misled to how each other are because of the media. I do feel that J.R. Jones critique was very true because it is real reporters who are dying to shed light to the war on terror and the life of people in Al-Qaeda. Maybe Spurlock notices this and instead of taking the traditional route, or the route to share one particular story, he sets out to reveal many things about people of the Eastern world and their perspectives. The film was rated 3 out of 5 stars, after watching the film and reading the reviews I would give the film the same score.


http://www.metacritic.com/movie/where-in-the-world-is-osama-bin-laden/critic-reviews
http://www.tvguide.com/movies/world-osama-bin/review/292411
http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Film-clips-3217575.php#flick
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/where-in-the-world-is-osama-bin-laden/Film?oid=1073301
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963208/externalreviews?ref_=tt_ov_rt

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/where_in_the_world_is_osama_bin_laden/