A Whopper of a documentary
First-time director Morgan Spurlock also stars in “Super Size Me” a condemning examination of the fast food industry that is also riotously funny. Though Spurlock and crew go to great lengths to carve a powerful indictment of McDonald’s and America’s growing dependency on fast food with stats, expert interviews, and truth telling visuals aplenty, it’s the director’s self-imposed McBinge that keeps the proceedings equal parts compelling and hilarious.
Spurlock forces himself to eat nothing but McDonald’s menu items for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 30 days, “super-sizing” only when prompted to and carefully monitors the effects on his body with the aid of three health experts.
The results are profound even to those who intuitively know the poor nutritional value of fast food. What makes Spurlock’s investigation even more fascinating is the way he touches on peripheral issues. “Super Size Me” addresses the difficulties of teenage girls to compete with the multimedia obsession of the unrealistically skinny waif image, the powerful advertising assault instituted upon children, and this country’s ever enlarging obesity problem while continuing its mindless dependency on fast food-a fact underscored by the reality that each and every day one family in four spurns a homecooked meal in favor of a drive-thru meal. This is mandatory viewing for the billions and billions being served to an early grave.
Grade: A
Rated: PG-13