fenrisulfur
Since: Nov, 2010
04/11/2013 00:00:00
The biggest issue I had was that the framing device (the alternate history) either made the situation so straw it lead to too many questions or just got in the way of whatever they wanted to satire. As you said, maybe they should have made a more direct documentary or satire.
illegitematus non carborundum est
Random888
Since: Jun, 2012
04/18/2013 00:00:00
I think you mean Ken Burns, not John Burns
Wackd
Since: May, 2009
stormtrooper
Since: Oct, 2014
10/11/2014 00:00:00
I agree that it needs a more direct documentary, but did you really have to say that ken burns style stuff "puts you to sleep?"
No I did not trip and fall, I attacked the floor and I believe I am winning.
Wackd
Since: May, 2009
10/11/2014 00:00:00
Well, I could say that I find Ken Burns style stuff riveting and attention grabbing, but that would be a lie.
Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.Leave a Comment:
Mostly just boring
Honestly, we can go on about historical accuracy or whathaveyou, but this film's worst crime is just generally kind of dull. It so perfectly recreates the sort of banal, Ken Burns-wannabe documentary style that I saw so often in school that I want to fall asleep just watching it. They are really, seriously, devoted to the bit, and the effects used to make pieces of film look dated or grainy works wonderfully. I'd almost admire the craftsmanship of it if they didn't so completely fail to do anything interesting with the form. It's not a parody, it's a spot-on recreation that happens to be about a ludicrous topic.
The narrative they use it to build isn't particularly compelling, either. After the dozenth warping of history to get across the "Southern people are backwards racist yokels" idea it's hard not to get the point and wonder if the film has anything more to say. And it does—if you stick around to the end, you'll find out that politicians are hypocrites. Shock.
There's no nuance here, no higher aspiration than dropping anvils and appropriating styles. Hell, the jokes aren't even funny. There is absolutely nothing even remotely engaging here, save for a quick bit at the end where we find out that the racist advertisements are for real products still being sold today. Perhaps they should've made a documentary about that if they wanted to use this style so badly. At least then this thing would have a decent shot at being compelling.