Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
The Big One is an investigative documentary from director Michael Moore who goes around the country asking why big American corporations produce their product abroad where labor is cheaper while so many Americans are unemployed, losing their jobs, and would happily be hired by such companies as Nike.
Michael Moore's follow-up to 'Roger & Me' follows his familiar confrontational documentary style as he tours the US on a book promotional tour while investigating corporate downsizing and outsourcing. The film has engaging moments, particularly the Nike segment with Phil Knight, but relies heavily on Moore's established formula of ambush interviews and populist grandstanding. Cinematography is functional but unremarkable, as expected for this style of guerrilla documentary. The ending, which attempts to frame the Nike confrontation as a victory of sorts, feels somewhat anticlimactic. Novelty is moderate — the approach was already well-established by Moore, so it doesn't break new ground even within his own filmography.