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(About Our Ads) "WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?" (2008) (Documentary) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor Minor Extreme Mild Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Minor None Mild Minor Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild Mild Mild Heavy Mild QUICK TAKE: Documentary: Having learned he's going to be a father and thus needs to be proactively protective, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock leaves his pregnant wife at home and travels around the world trying to find terrorist Osama bin Laden. PLOT: Having already taken on the corporate fast food world by eating nothing but that for one month, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock discovers he's soon going to be a dad. Figuring he must go into proactive protective mode and realizing the world's greatest danger has yet to be neutralized, he sets out to do what governments and militaries have so far failed at, and that's finding terrorist Osama bin Laden. Leaving his pregnant wife at home, he partakes in a whirlwind tour of various countries in the Middle East and nearby environs, hoping to garner clues about the terrorist's location. Along the way in stops such as Egypt, Morocco, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, Spurlock learns that the everyday locals aren't much different from him. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of the filmmaker or are interested in the subject matter, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For some strong language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: MORGAN SPURLOCK appears as himself, a documentary filmmaker supposedly setting out to find the world's most infamous terrorist. He ends up interviewing various people, taking interest in their stories and viewpoints. He also leaves his pregnant wife back at home to deal with her pregnancy without him while he travels to various hot spots around the world. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this documentary that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 3 "f" words, while a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Brief and non-explicit, sexually related dialogue is present, while the filmmaker and his wife are presumably fully nude in a tub for the water birth of their child, but no explicit nudity is seen. Some off-screen bombings occur and we see the resultant destruction (along with one person whose pants are somewhat bloody, while fake blood is also seen in other scenes), there's brief contact between people, and cartoon and computer game type violence is also briefly present (played lightly). Various bad attitudes are present, as are various thematic elements. Some people are seen smoking (including in a hookah bar), while there's also some brief alcohol related content. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some of that from camera flashes. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of handheld camerawork in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE There's some cartoon drinking. We see a poster that reads "Come get bombed with us" and shows a cleavage-revealing cartoon figure. People may have drinks in various scenes, but the contents are never identified. BLOOD/GORE A doctor gives Morgan some shots and we see the needle as well as very slight blood at the point of impact. Morgan does some faked combat practice, including a "dead" person on the ground with blood on him, the wall and the sidewalk, and we later see more fake blood. We see a little bit of blood on a person's pants after a bombing. A painting shows a bloodied person. In Saudi Arabia, Morgan comments on standing on a plaza grate where the blood flows following public executions via beheadings (we see the grate, but no violence or blood). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Some viewers might not like the comedy bit of having bin Laden's head superimposed on dancing bodies from the MC Hammer "Can't Touch This" music video (all as a point of proving he's remained elusive). The same holds true for showing various terrorists as figures on baseball type cards. An angry man, unhappy with the presence of Morgan and his camera operator, pushes Morgan backwards, and then does the same to an officer who shows up to intervene. We hear Saudi Arabian fundamentalist prayers for the deaths of Christians, and other similar sentiments. Some may view Morgan as having a bad attitude for traveling around the world (in dangerous environs) while leaving his wife back at home having to deal with all aspects of her pregnancy (although he does get back for the birth). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Israeli bomb squads respond to a suspicious package, but when opened, it turns out to be a bikini inside. In Saudi Arabia, Morgan comments on standing on a plaza grate where the blood flows following public executions via beheadings (we see the grate, but no violence or blood). Some may worry about Morgan as he enters various seemingly dangerous places, including one that's deemed hard-core Taliban country. At one point, he's rushed away, but nothing happens to him. There are sounds of Morgan's wife screaming from labor pains. GUNS/WEAPONS We see cartoon tanks, and cartoon lasers fired at Osama bin Laden. We see a gun symbol. Morgan does some faked combat practice, including with a fake grenade; a "dead" person on the ground with blood on him, the wall and the sidewalk; and a kidnapping accomplished with machine guns. We later see contact in more practice, fake explosions, gunfire, and more fake blood. We see cartoon bombs. We see people carrying machine guns. We see tanks, machine guns and such in Afghanistan. We see fighter jets and military choppers. Morgan gets to test fire various military weapons, including a handgun, rifle, machine gun and rocket launcher. There's the sound of gunfire, but we don't see anything. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "This is not a f*cking game," "Oh f*ck," "F*ck him," "Crazy sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "Sucks" (written), "Crazy nuts," "Get the hell out of here," "This is messed up," "You asshole," "While these guys are busy playing with their nuts" (double entendre) and "Scared the hell out of him." We see miscellaneous graffiti. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A mild amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays in several scenes. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) We see a cartoon version of the Statue of Liberty shaking her butt while a song with lyrics such as "Shake what your uncle gave you" (or something similar to that) are heard. PROFANITY At least 3 "f" words, 3 "s" words, 5 S.O.B.s, 3 hells, 1 ass (used with "hole") and 1 use of "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY We see a poster that reads "Come get bombed with us" and shows a cleavage-revealing cartoon figure. We see a cartoon version of the Statue of Liberty shaking her butt while a song with lyrics such as "Shake what your uncle gave you" (or something similar to that) are heard. Morgan comments on the local men who are escorting him stopping to eat wild nuts that will allow one to go all night (sexually). Morgan then jokes that one can "rock and roll all night long," and that he's going to leave those men while they "are busy playing with their nuts." There's footage of Morgan in a large tub behind his wife for the water birth of their child, and both are presumably fully nude, but no nudity (or actual birth) is seen. SMOKING Some miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes. We see people in a hookah bar. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Morgan's wife doesn't seem happy (in brief footage of her) that he's off traveling in dangerous places while leaving her home alone to deal with her pregnancy (and she worries about his safety). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT How the actions of some terrorists have tainted the Western view of all Muslims. Various foreigners stating that they like Americans, but don't agree with and/or like the American government and its foreign policy. There's talk about America's "ugly" alliance with unsavory types in hopes of them helping undermine those who are considered worse. The talk of America's reputation being damaged. The point that foreign families face similar issues in terms of trying to make ends meet, raising kids with hopes of a better future for them, etc. The talk that since America's attempts to destroy Al-Qaeda, the organization has spread around the world. The notion that poverty breeds terrorists. The conflict over Palestine. Having to live in a place where terrorism can and does routinely occur. A man's comment that those in the Middle East are held hostage by extremists on both sides of the conflict. A man's statement that America played into Al-Qaeda's hands by coming to the Middle East to fight (since the terrorists wouldn't have been able to sustain attacks within the U.S.). In Saudi Arabia, Morgan comments on standing on a plaza grate where the blood flows following public executions via beheadings (we see the grate, but no violence or blood). The comment that the church and state are the same in Saudi Arabia. The comment that bin Laden grew up in Saudi Arabia. The level of poverty in Afghanistan. The comment that success on the war on terrorism is based on the budget spent pursuing that rather than actual results. Locals complaining that no foreign assistance money has trickled down to them for basic needs or the rebuilding of war-torn areas. Morgan traveling around the world (in dangerous environs) while leaving his wife back at home having to deal with all aspects of her pregnancy (although he does get back for the birth). VIOLENCE We see cartoon lasers fired at Osama bin Laden. There's some computer game violence with animated characters kicking, hitting and thrashing each other about, including one thrown into a tree. Morgan does some faked combat practice, including with a fake grenade; a "dead" person on the ground with blood on him, the wall and the sidewalk; and a kidnapping accomplished with machine guns. We later see contact in more practice, fake explosions, gunfire, and more fake blood. We see the sudden reaction of people as an explosion occurs, followed by views of the damage it caused. We then see a little bit of blood on a person's pants after a bombing. We see officers ride horses into groups of people, while billy clubs are also used to hit people, etc. We hear the sound of an explosion and then see the damage aftermath of a rocket attack on an empty classroom. An angry man, unhappy with the presence of Morgan and his camera operator, pushes Morgan backwards, and then does the same to an officer who shows up to intervene. Reviewed April 2, 2008 / Posted April 18, 2008