Despite the title, this is not a documentary about war or invasion. Instead Michael Moore travels to several countries in Europe, Scandinavia and Africa in search of new ideas to help jump-start societal evolution in America. In each country, he goes in as a one-man army to steal the best possible idea and bring it back home. Topics explored include school lunches, public education, prison systems, the war on drugs, roles of women in business and politics, and how workers are treated by their employers.
2015, Color, Rated R, 2 Hrs
Dolby TrueHD 5.1, 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Michael Moore, Krista Kiuru, Tim Walker
Directed by Michael Moore
Rating
Violence: No
Sex: Brief Frontal Nudity
Language: Mild
If you’ve seen Michael Moore’s work before, you’ll know he’s the Liberal’s Liberal. Conservatives will probably want to watch Where To Invade Next on an empty stomach because he explores some ideas that are truly, and often violently, controversial here in the US.
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In each country, he talks to ordinary citizens as well as teachers, chefs, politicians, business owners, factory workers and policeman as he learns about how each country deals with the issues that affect society. I’ll warn you up front that pretty much everything covered here is an eye-opener. For those of us whose view of the world comes from popular media, there will be a lot here that isn’t commonly reported on the news or written about in the paper. I don’t want to give away any details but anyone who has even a passing interest in these issues should check out Moore’s perspective.
The film is shot in Moore’s typical style where he interviews people at all levels of society and on both sides of an issue. He also injects a lot of comedy which is appropriately timed and completely in-keeping with the subjects at hand. He always manages to entertain just as much as he educates. While the theme of Where To Invade Next is most decidedly one-sided, it’s still a well-spent two hours to learn about how things are done in other parts of the world. Highly Recommended.
The video is mainly shot with small hand-held cameras so quality varies quite a bit. Some archival footage is also used which brings the overall quality level down a notch. Color is kept fairly natural and uniform throughout. Contrast is at the level of a television newscast which means blacks aren’t terribly rich and highlights are somewhat dull. None of this however detracts from the film’s entertainment value.
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Though the audio is encoded in Dolby TrueHD, it has the harshness and flat presentation of a compressed track. Dialog is crystal clear, which is the most important aspect after all, but many other sound effects are forced sometimes to the point of harshness. Again, none of this gets in the way of what is an extremely entertaining and informative work.
There are no bonus features included with this release.