4 of 4

My full review is at Looking Closer.

Peter T. Chattaway (CT Movies) says, "The film is not just about one man, and it is not just about nutrition. Along the way, Spurlock raises some essential questions about the nature of personal, corporate and social responsibility. The film … underscore[s] the need for individuals to take responsibility for their own health, and it does this in a frequently humorous and self-deprecating way. Whether the viewer agrees with all aspects of Spurlock's political agenda or not, Super Size Me would be perfect for group discussions of all kinds—it gives the viewer plenty of food for thought."

J. Robert Parks (Phantom Tollbooth) has some strong criticisms of the documentary. "Spurlock himself is hilarious, and his command of documentary editing is fantastic. He mixes the … interviews with humorous animated sequences. He also makes some helpful points about how the sub-contracting of school food providers might be leading to our junk-food crisis. [But] there is certainly an uncomfortable element of arrogance in Super Size Me. The movie may couch its critique of people who eat at McDonald's on the basis of health, but the reappearing shots of grossly overweight people hold those people up to ridicule. There's no attempt at understanding why people gain so much weight or find so much comfort in food."

Parks is right—Spurlock could have made his film more informative, less confrontational. Still, I want to applaud his courage in bringing this important argument to such a large platform. He could have done it more tactfully, but these are issues that need to be discussed. This is information vital to our health, crucial to our decisionmaking. After all, our diet is a moral and a spiritual issue. It reflects our attitude toward Creation, and thus, toward the Creator himself.

Caution: The film does include some harsh language, graphic imagery of surgery, and some frank talk about how diet affects sexual activity. It also shows a lot of food that's bad for you.

Reviewing Super Size Me, Andrew Coffin (World) says, "Mr. Spurlock's journey is alternately funny and disgusting, and it is likely to encourage viewers to watch what they eat. He takes the film on some interesting tangents, including a depressing look at school lunches. But as an indictment of McDonald's itself, the documentary is less convincing. Mr. Spurlock admits that his experiment was extreme, but as McDonald's points out in a press release responding the film, and other publications have also documented, Mr. Spurlock's diet was way over the top, even by his own standards."

Reporting on Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock's movie that explores the damaging effects of the fast food industry, Annabelle Robertson (Crosswalk) says, "Spurlock has created a fascinating documentary that is full of facts, moves quickly, and is quite humorous. His message, that we should be better stewards of our bodies and not allow the prevailing, almost overwhelming culture (of eating fast and badly) to tempt us, connects with Christian values. There are a few profanities and obscenities, as well as some inappropriate sexual references … so it is not for children. It is, however, an excellent way for adults to learn about this booming industry."

The film directly affected her eating habits. "Although I'm not a huge fan of fast food, I indulge occasionally. After seeing this movie, however, I intend to avoid fast food as much as possible. During my two-day drive, it took slightly more time and money to find healthier fare, but I felt so much better."

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