Gore has gathered scientific evidence and together with a heartfelt passion for the subject, he presents a compelling argument for taking the issue very seriously, very quickly, before it’s too late for the planet. Admittedly, he gets his shots in against George W. Bush’s administration for its refusal to act on the evidence. Is someone whom you respect telling you that global warming a whole lot of hooey? Gore can explain that, too. The core of the movie is built around a slide presentation, which sounds deathly boring but it is anything but. It moves along at a nice pace with high production values and includes just enough information to make it relevant without delving into too much scientific stuff that flies over your head. I won't kid you: there are no car chases or love scenes. It is what it is and it's very good.
This movie targets the U.S. but it is meant for every person in every country. Gore has made his presentation all over the world and it’s essentially a call to action, to convince our political leaders that even though their Exxons and their GM’s and their Haliburtons may not want to make investments, they need to be convinced to make swift moves or there will be dire consequences. As an example, GM is fighting tooth and nail against cleaner emission standards while its market share is tumbling because of foreign companies that have willingly made the necessary changes. We are falling victim to a foolish perception that the way we’ve always been doing things is good enough. Gore clearly shows why it’s not.
Having seen Gore act very self-deprecating and funny on Saturday Night Live, I wasn’t surprised by how effective he was in front of an audience. This is an important movie. Please watch it. Even the end credits include entertainingly presented practical things you can do to help. When the film was over, I finally changed some old lightbulbs for the new energy efficient ones that we bought some time ago but never installed. It’s a small step but getting started is what the movie is all about.