The 11th Hour (2007)

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Make no bones about it, we live in weird times. We're now feed to believe that scientific understanding is synonymous to a system of belief. At this moment, no one has caused any convictions to contradict their theories, but the main topics in the air in the scientific community right now are evolution and the fears of our failing ecosystem caused by the effect of global warming. I never thought that the laws of physics even cared about our environmental concerns that could effect our ecosystem forever. And as we speak, we are still debating if the melting of our icebergs is a sign that our ecosystem is in declining health or if it's a sign the Jesus is coming back with a vengeance. It comes to no surprise that that this movie had to include some anti-science religious fanatic to appease some appraisal to the Republican party's agenda. Thanks to this individual, the Republicans are obligated to believe, that in spite of all the toxins polluting the air, the debris in our rivers, the massive oil spills and the deforestation of our Earth is just fine for our environment if you have the power to believe.Of course the perpetual liberal agenda that is Hollywood will gladly milk in the celebrity endorsements to challenge this global concern. And who's better to conduct this with open heart mixed with narrow-minded integrity is non other than Hollywood's Golden Boy Leonardo DiCaprio. Like a sequel to Al Gore's "The Inconvenient Truth", DiCaprio continues where Gore left us and also serves as a producer as well. "The 11th Hour" tells an intelligent and insightful alarming state of the ecological mismanagement our planet has suffered from over the years. And it doesn't look like its going to get better any time soon.A cornucopia of professors, journalists, authors, scientists and politicians to discuss this matter of how it has an affect on us and what we should be concerned about. And the big names are quite impressive. Among the heavy-thinkers is the king of thinkers Dr. Stephen Hawking, and among the big-name politicians is former Soviet President, Mikhail Gorbachev. But among the impressive speakers that caught my attention was the very knowledgeable and well-spoken former CIA director James Woolsey. These mainstream of experts tell us we don't have the strength to completely destroy the land that gave us life, but rather the ability to make life more complicated towards ourselves and our legacy to follow us when were dead. The Earth will continue to move forward whether its inhabited by humans or fleas.For that much-needed celebrity star-power DiCaprio narrates this documentary. Though that's not a bad thing because he has a great voice for narrating, his gravitas lacks in maturity compared to Morgan Freeman or George Clooney. His delivery of words seems way too giddy in all his earnest intentions, his youthful appearance makes him look like he's posing for a teen magazine. And that novice director Leila Connors-Petersen and Nadia Connors presented this film way too conventionally. There's just way too many talking heads with only brief fragments of ecological concerning footage. Sure it's giving us a fair warning, which may make you reevaluate your thinking, but fails to show you the bigger picture.The main question I have for this documentary is, who is their target audience? Granted it gives the general population as a whole a little something to think about. But in the end, it all comes down to the people already in that train of thought. This movie could have the potential to covert Bill O'Reilly to volunteer for Greenpeace. Instead he'll just find a way to conflict himself against the liberal biased Hollywood.The only people who might watch this film are those who may watched Al Gore's "The Inconvenient Truth". Which is quite sad because in that documentary, the lecture is gritty with impressive visuals and a flow that's easy to grasp at. "The 11th Hour" suffers from the fact that its executed to a more deeper-rooted philosophical vibe which makes it more encapsulating than it is obtainable. Which is sad because there's a lot to talk about in "The 11th Hour".After all the doom gloom that's killing our planet, it does shed a light of optimism and the solutions they have for us are both simple and practical. And it's nice that were not getting lectured by radical hippies telling us we all need to live in huts and grow more trees and eat the foods we grow. Instead the more intellectuals are just telling us we don't need to change our lifestyles, but rather depend on our modern technology to generate more fuel-economy cars and recyclable clothing, frugal wind-power and ecological friendly households.Even though "The 11th Hour" is very strong in subject matter and good on intention, the presentation could've been more better. And though I commend Leo for a job well done in narration, we really didn't need a Hollywood star tells us our wrong-doings. We're capable of figuring it our ourselves without the star power.

I really enjoyed watching this movie. It woke me up to the consequences of global warming. Being from Alaska, I have seen first hand the effects of global warming. I have witnessed glaciers calve off in monumental proportions.In fact, I found a similar movie that shows more global warming footage of calving glaciers. Huge chunks of ice breaking off into the ocean! You can find this film called "Alaska, The Tracy Arm Experience" on Film Baby. If you loved this movie, you will sure love Alaska, The Tracy Arm Experience. Watch the glaciers disappear before your eyes and show your friends and family what is really going on in Alaska.

THE 11TH HOUR is a cautionary and doomsday documentary with a powerful line-up of intelligent men and women speaking to the destruction we as humans are doing to our planet Earth. Hosted by film star Leonardo DiCaprio (THE DEPARTED) and with a stunning array of cross-cultural people backing up claims surrounding the terrible price of the human footprint on the globe (from Stephen Hawking to Michel Gorbachev and David Suzuki), the stories of woe and gloom will most likely make your hair stand on end.Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this documentary, let me say that I believe in human causes for global warming. And that we have polluted — and continue to pollute — this pale blue dot that we call home. Governmental apathy and greed have played a huge role within this problem, but so has the greed of your average Joe with a 401k (ever look at where your money is invested? Which stocks? Is Chevron or Mobil or Shell in there?).The 11th Hour lays out a great set of problems facing us as a planet, not as individual nations. But what it failed horribly on is showing us those that don't believe what is being said by the ecological community. Yes, they probably are backed by Big Oil. Yes, they probably aren't looking at the scientific data and only the emotions behind them. But I still would've liked to have seen SOMEONE (anyone) with a dissenting opinion so that the documentary had a better balance to it. I've complained about this before, and I don't think it is beneficial to those with a genuine concern for the planet to simply eliminate opposition. I say take them on! So what if they have more money than you. So what if they can bend the ear of every Senator and Congressman in Washington. Let's see their faces and let us know who they are. Those DVD watchers with even half an intellect will be able to sort through the details and understand what is being done and by whom. Don't fear the opposition. Use them to your advantage. Show how weak their arguments are and put them into the debate.That being said, the study of Earth's problems (from globalization to the destruction of species and habitat) is a hoary one. The advancing issues aren't going to go away as we use more fossil fuels, pump out more babies (no population controls), and desire more "things" that we feel will make us somehow better than the Joneses ...until nothing of humanity remains.

I'd like to know why this phrase is taboo to so many Americans. It shames me that as one of the world's richest nations, we are so complacent that many insist this is "liberal propaganda" instead of actually considering doing something radical, like recycling most of what we use, buying glass instead of plastic & using insulation in place of extra energy for heating.One caveat for viewers: do not expect it to be entertaining. This is not a movie; it's a documentary. Given the many people who bashed it, I expected it to be an extremist's view of environmentalism. To the contrary, it's educational, informative & not at all alarmist. Real, workable solutions to some of the issues we face are offered. Of course, these solutions require action on the part of individuals. Perhaps that is why so many people bash this film. They'd rather insist that it's alarmist than actually make an effort to change wasteful habits.I am proud to be an environmentalist. As a clergywoman who firmly believes that as part of the Judeo-Christian religious system it is my theological obligation to act in harmony with the natural world, I am proud to add this documentary to my increasing collection of sources on environmental ethics. I highly recommend it and its companion website as good resource material for anyone hoping to start that shift in their behavior. And bear in mind - you may be only an individual, but when your effort is added to the thousands of others who have already made the change, you WILL see a difference.