Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? (PG-13, 2008)

Pairing physical antics and intelligent humor with serious themes, Morgan Spurlock's WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? poses a question that's both literal and metaphorical. Like Spurlock's Super-Size Me, it follows a sort of quest structure: Spurlock, moved by the upcoming birth of his first child, travels to the Middle East not to discover precisely where bin Laden is hiding, but to reveal the world in which he lives. After growing a beard and taking a brief "self-defense" training course (rendered in goofily funny segments), he travels to Egypt, Morocco, Israel, and Palestine, as well as the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The hunt leads him to understand as much about how the United States is viewed as about how he and other Americans view the world.

"If I've learned anything from action movies," Spurlock says as he embarks on his adventure, "it's that complicated global problems are best solved by one lonely guy." His joke becomes a kind of mantra as he deploys his charismatic personality in pursuit of connection with the people he meets. While the movie's framework occasionally appears too cute and its resolution too obvious (we're all humans, and we need to figure out how to get along), Spurlock's project remains worthy. This is especially clear in his encounters with individual people -- variously receptive, skeptical, and curious -- who say repeatedly that they resent the U.S. government but want to like its people, who reject stereotypes and embrace laughter, complexity, and, most often, openness.

There are some exceptions, as when Spurlock is accosted on the street by angry Israelis who think he's "intruding" in their land, or when he visits a schoolroom where students are obviously careful in their answers to his questions, since they're being watched by their teachers. And despite lighthearted delivery methods like animation and "baseball cards" for accused terrorists, the movie's fairly basic analysis of U.S. history suggests a sobering mix of ineptitude and short-sightedness. But other instances -- as when Spurlock visits a poor family whose father wishes to provide food and education for his children so their lives might be better, or when Spurlock laughs or commiserates with his many different hosts -- are touching. The film closes with a montage of faces, a collection of portraits collected throughout Spurlock's journey -- old and young, smiling and not, inquisitive and worried -- all suggesting their differences, shared aspirations, and familiarity.

Studio: Weinstein Co.
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Cast: Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Morgan Spurlock
Genre: Documentary
Run time: 93 minutes
Theatrical release: April 17, 2008
DVD release: August 25, 2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: some strong language.