User Score
5.9 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 19
  3. Negative: 6 out of 19

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  1. RoyB.
    Apr 21, 2008
    2
    I went to this movie expecting to be entertained. I also knew it was a lighthearted take on current affairs, so I knew the point was to have some entertainment value on a hugely serious topic. I was neither enlightened nor entertained. I'm all for new fresh takes on serious subjects, even using humor when it's creative. But seriously, folks, this movie felt like it was done by a first grader. There was nothing really gained from this movie. I could've squeezed more wisdom, freshness, or provocative thoughts from an orange. It was somewhat disturbing to see the director/star so thrilled to be firing a rocket launcher. Doesn't he know that these are the same weapons that kill people, that others use so brazenly as well? All in all, a why-did-I-see-this-movie movie. Expand
  2. ChristianB.
    Oct 2, 2008
    9
    Spurlock does it again. I like him a lot more than Michael Moore nowadays. Spurlock puts himself on the line and you got to respect that. His latest is both entertaining and enlighting. And people who think this actually is about finding Osama will be disappointed. That's just a brilliant excuse to do this sort of documentary that otherwise would have had a hard time keeping the story together. The point of this documentary was very clear to me in the end. Ordinary people live everywhere in the world. Even in "enemy territory". And that's what you miss out on when you watch Fox News 24/7. Expand
  3. DennisB.
    Apr 21, 2008
    10
    Wicked funny and very smart, Morgan Spurlock's unique style uses humor, a'la Supersize, Me to as a vehicle to present his take on the search for the one person most responsible for U.S foreign policy direction in the 21st century.
  4. JayH.
    Aug 18, 2008
    6
    I liked the various cultures and areas of the middle east where Morgan Spurlock explored and visited and the various opinions from those areas. But Spurlock's focus on Osama Bin Laden misses the mark and seems rather pointless. It's still interesting throughout.
  5. CharlesP.
    Jan 4, 2009
    7
    I enjoyed the premis and was impressed with Spurlock's ability to connect with an assortment of people. The ending was a bit weak, but so is the so-called "war on terror."
  6. KenG
    Nov 10, 2008
    7
    I found this interesting and somewhat informative. I don't know why a lot of critics have a problem with this movie, other then maybe they found it to be politcally incorrect in some ways. This wouldn't be the 1st time critics attacked a movie for that reason. In fact, a lot of critics seem to have missed the point of this movie. Despite the title, it had little to do with an actual search for Bin Laden, (although, that played a little into it). Most of this had to do with exploring the cultures that created Bin Laden, and see what various people in those cultures had to say about Bin Laden, terrorism, and America. It had to do with trying to understand the world that Bin Laden grew out of. Expand
  7. BobP.
    Apr 21, 2008
    9
    I loved this movie. I'm guessing some of the bad reviews from critics are politically motivated. Because Israel was not portrait as absolute good, and the Palestinians were portrait as human beings, some critics concluded that he is out of touch with reality. I was very entertained by this movie. learned a lot too.
  8. PriscillaD.
    Apr 21, 2008
    0
    A disaster of the worst kind. Lazy storytelling. Pedantic narrative. Good intentions but the pedestrian course of this movie, along with a noncoherent and fratboy mentality, make this movie tank.
  9. TJJ
    Apr 24, 2008
    10
    I think Roy B voted for Bush so I blame him for the mess we're in. He missed the whole point of the movie much like Bush missed whole point of intelligence. This movie reminds us of the culture that created bin Laden and we must understand that before we can win against the extremists.
  10. ChadS.
    May 4, 2008
    6
    The filmmaker knew beforehand when his baby was due, but he went ahead with his trip to the Middle East anyway. In a motel room, it's sharing time; only now does the filmmaker have second thoughts about his globetrotting in potentially hostile territory, while the stateside wife goes it alone and holds the fort during her time of need. And we see his wife, in "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden", as a way of manipulating the audience. The general conceit behind this, yes, Michael Moore-like documentary, is that he's going to capture the Taliban head honcho in order to make the world a safer place for his unborn child. We're supposed to empathize with both the expectant father- and mother-to-be, because a higher calling(he's going to save the world) has torn them apart. Late in the film, the filmmaker takes a few steps towards the camera, and says, "It's just not worth it." He returns stateside. He's there, we're there, too, for their big day. Not only does "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden" feel calculated from the start, there's a narcissism that would be absolutely intolerable if it wasn't for the genuine likability of the filmmaker. His personal matters are both extraneous, and unnecessary, in lieu of his wonderful ability to get an assortment of people to open up and share their personal experiences and opinions about life in a war zone. "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden" faintly recalls Mark Moskowitz's "Stone Reader", the 2002 documentary about a book lover's quest to track down a one-and-done novelist named Dow Mossman, who wrote an obscure book called "The Stones of Summer". Moskowitz could've used a search engine to find his subject, but he just wanted an excuse to talk with people about books. Bin Laden is the filmmaker's excuse to converse with strangers in strange lands. To hear what these strangers say, despite the filmmaker's pandering to gamers(and people who wouldn't like old-school documentary filmmaking), is the main reason to see this flawed, but important, pop non-fiction film. Expand
  11. GeorgeV.
    Apr 21, 2008
    0
    Just a few words will sum it up: Dumb. Moronic. Glosses over everything. No depth. Stupid. Treats the audience like a bunch of pre schoolers. So many things wrong with this movie. Too many to list. I haven't been to a movie this stupid since--well Disney cartoons are lightyears smarter than this gloop.
  12. MaryB
    Apr 21, 2008
    1
    the word documentary is too high praise for this utter mindbogglement mess
  13. Apr 6, 2012
    0
    I want the world to be better for my soon-to-be-born child Maybe I should take note and hunt down Morgan Spurlock.

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Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 28
  2. Negative: 6 out of 28
  1. The film is a hodgepodge, and it closes with a whimper. But along the way some lucid voices slip through.
  2. Reviewed by: John Anderson
    50
    Morgan Spurlock, of the "Super Size Me" phenom, serves up a rehash of others' 9/11 reportage, bin Laden biography, Islamic theology and suicide-bomber psychology, in a tone so aghast you'd assume he knew nothing about the War on Terror -- which should make pic very appealing for those who know nothing about the War on Terror.
  3. 50
    An affable action hero in search of the planet's arch supervillain, Spurlock is less irritating than his obvious model, Michael Moore, but also less politically astute; assuming the role of a faux-naïf stranger in a strange land, he's more benign and not nearly as funny as unacknowledged analogue Sacha Baron Cohen.