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Title: Religulous
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| CONSUMER ADVICE |
Parents, there are many scary images, foul language, and nudity. Why kids would even be interested in this anyway though is beyond me. Recommended for ages 17 and up. |
When I get to watch films like “Religulous” I sometimes wonder if I can fairly review them. I don’t state this because I’m a Christian. No, I say this because I’m a fan of good movies and good documentaries, which as far as I’m concerned this is neither. Host Bill Maher is no stranger to anti-religion. He’s constantly critical of it in his stand up and various TV shows. That’s okay, I forgive him. Beliefs that aren’t challenged or thought about are beliefs that most likely aren’t worth having in the first place. But Maher is taking his petty complaints on the road now, under the false statement that he “really wants to know why people believe and have faith.” If this statement is true he would treat his subjects a little bit more kind.
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No, he doesn’t just go after Christians (though at over an hour they receive the brunt of the attacks), but he also goes after Muslims, Jews, and Mormons. Conspicuously absent are Scientologists, for which Maher feels a seven sentence stand up rant perfectly sums up their belief. No, my problem isn’t that he attacks religion, it’s that he attacks people in this film. People who are mostly friendly and just trying to give him the answer he apparently wants. But no one can get a word in because Maher is on the constant attack. He frequently interrupts, he’s rude to the people he disagrees with, he lets people who are speaking his message go on and on without interruption.
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There is no subtly to be found in this film. Before I even got to the halfway point I was exhausted and frustrated. Maher is neither insightful or likable. Yes, he’s very funny sometimes. I think only someone without a sense of humor would admit otherwise. But while there are funny rants and lies people are caught in, they are few and far between. Most of the time it’s people trying to explain what they believe and why, with Maher insulting them every step of the way. A pivotal moment on the film comes when Maher talks to Creationist Museum founder Ken Ham. Ham comes off as one of the few people who is calm while Maher is tearing him down only to continue calmly explaining his belief.
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When Maher continues to push Ham just says that God’s hand created everything. Maher feels this is a cop-out answer, never mind that his own stock answer for not believing in a God is that he’s no longer ten. Seems to me neither answer is very scientific, but then this was never a battle of science. In fact considering Maher pulls the science card more then once it’s almost confusing we rarely get any scientific explanation. Evolution is touted as being the more viable theory but that theory is never explained. If it’s more logical then why not use it for greater effect? Never mind. By the end of the film Maher’s little shockumentary boils down to a rant where Maher says religion is bad and must be destroyed.
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If this is Maher’s idea of genuine curiosity then I’d hate to see what he says when he feels passionate about something. Though at times funny and entertaining, “Religulous” is more frustrating then it is interesting. More maddening then informative. This is the sort of documentary that gives other documentaries a bad name because it’s more about the stars ego and personal beliefs then it is about being informative and truthful. It’s as big a failure as “Pearl Harbor” and just as boring to boot. This is my experience in the theaters. People watching this on DVD will have a much easier time with it and will have more relief as well. That relief will come from the ability to press the stop button.
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