Documentary-filmmaker Robert Greenwald (Uncovered: The War On Iraq) switches aim from George Dubya to target the operations of the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart (owners of, among many others, Asda). Accounts from small-town storeowners forced to close after the arrival of a new store, exhausted Chinese factory workers and a barrage of whistle-blowing accusations from former employees soil the image of the retail gargantuan. Trouble is, Greenwald’s dirt-cheap docs suffer from a piety and earnestness that leaves you longing for the boisterous tactics of Michael Moore or, better still, the faux-naïvety of Louis Theroux. And as much as Wal-Mart’s business tactics appear pretty rank by any standard, never is a charge raised at those who ultimately must shoulder some of the blame: the audience/consumer.
DVD Extras:
Extras including just a Greenwald interview and additional scenes aren’t exactly sound value for money. Maybe you can pick it up on the cheap at Asda?
