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Super Size Me

Ok. Where do I start with this review? Hmmm... I would have to say that this was an incredibly funny, interesting and quite entertaining documentary on Morgan Spurlock’s investigation into the health hazards of our fast food nation. The basic premise is Spurlock’s "McDonald’s only" diet (breakfast, lunch and dinner all at the golden arches) and the hazards that go with eating this way.

The science presented was so one sided that all objectivity was lost. But that’s inherent in almost all documentaries -- they want to hammer home their points of view. This doesn’t take away from the entertainment value; it’s just that the variables in genetics and lifestyles are so great that one really can’t present this as science.

Beyond his grand experiment, Spurlock delves into America’s food culture--mostly the costs and techniques that McDonald’s uses in marketing its product to kids, and how little is spent on pushing fruits and vegetables. Spurlock also brings up personal responsibility and youngsters’ lack exercise, but this is clearly not his aim. His modus operandi is to eat as much McDonalds as possible and come up with disastrous results. He does get fat and does increase cholesterol and blood pressure -- Duh! Did anyone expect a different outcome when he ate 5,000 calories a day of food loaded with fat, sugar, and salt? If he doubled his caloric intake eating only cheesecake he’d get the same result. It’s no particular indictment of McDonald’s -- overindulgence is overindulgence. It might have been more informative had Spurlock just replaced his balanced diet with 2,500 calories of McDonalds and kept his activity level normal-- what would have happened? Probably nothing, and, thus, not much of a documentary. So Spurlock had to go with a flawed methodology to get the required cause and effect he was after.

Though his "Mcpuke" scene seemed a bit staged, as I saw it coming a mile away, his having "Mcgas" did make me laugh, as did other things. I saw it completely as entertainment and not really informative. The DVD comes with deleted scenes, extra interviews, and an interview with Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. Within the extras are the best parts-- an elderly couple and their collection of McDonald’s paraphernalia, and the McDonald’s fries that were kept in the glass jar for two months, which looked like they were bought yesterday.

Overall, I’d give this a 9 for entertainment value, in the vein of MTV’s "Jackass," and about a 2 for its severely flawed information. Those looking for hard journalism will be disappointed, but those watching strictly for entertainment purposes will get a few chuckles. Just make sure to walk to the McDonalds when you’re done watching this.

Written by: Bobby Blades

Reviewers Rating: 7.5
Reader's Rating: 8.00
Reader's Votes: 1

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