A few other reviewers here have commented on how aesthetically pleasing this documentary is. That is definitely true -- the camera work is top-notch and provides for many spectacular shots. The imagery of the lunar eclipse alone is amazing, and is an example of the technical proficiency of the crew here.
The general storyline is interesting here, and Mad Mike certainly has plenty of intriguing things to say. Unfortunately, though, just following the basic storyline means the filmmakers were tied down to a mediocre plot. I would be interested in seeing what they do with something more compelling at heart, since they handled all the other production aspects so well.
Here's the story in a nutshell:
1. A man wants to fly into space to photograph the earth, thus proving the earth is flat. 2. He builds a test rocket to see how feasible this plan is. 3. He successfully flies the test rocket.
Perhaps I'm unique in this evaluation, but to me this "climactic" third point doesn't carry a lot of weight. There's no big impact of this event, and if his ultimate goal is to fly into space, he has a long, long way to go yet. Therefore the filmmakers are in a difficult spot of trying to find drama where perhaps there is not much drama.
One example in particular stands out in their search -- Mad Mike's friend goes into town to buy water and other supplies. What in the world does this have to do with anything? Based on his two trips, it almost seemed like the filmmakers were tempted to do a separate documentary on his life rather than on Mad Mike. All that time spent talking about water, ice, propane, and his unique "Peace In!" greeting didn't seem to add anything to the drama of the test flight. On the flip side, after their gorgeous footage of the lunar eclipse, they spent little time asking Mike about how Flat-Earthers explain such an event. That line of thought seems much more relevant to the film than does shopping for supplies.
Anyway, I don't think it's completely the filmmakers' fault; they had limited material to work with. They could have developed Mad Mike's life a bit more, and explored more of his connections to the Flat Earth theory, but in general they did what they could. This is a fun documentary of an eccentric individual that has some mild intrinsic interest. A film that is done well with its limited story and character.
The general storyline is interesting here, and Mad Mike certainly has plenty of intriguing things to say. Unfortunately, though, just following the basic storyline means the filmmakers were tied down to a mediocre plot. I would be interested in seeing what they do with something more compelling at heart, since they handled all the other production aspects so well.
Here's the story in a nutshell:
1. A man wants to fly into space to photograph the earth, thus proving the earth is flat. 2. He builds a test rocket to see how feasible this plan is. 3. He successfully flies the test rocket.
Perhaps I'm unique in this evaluation, but to me this "climactic" third point doesn't carry a lot of weight. There's no big impact of this event, and if his ultimate goal is to fly into space, he has a long, long way to go yet. Therefore the filmmakers are in a difficult spot of trying to find drama where perhaps there is not much drama.
One example in particular stands out in their search -- Mad Mike's friend goes into town to buy water and other supplies. What in the world does this have to do with anything? Based on his two trips, it almost seemed like the filmmakers were tempted to do a separate documentary on his life rather than on Mad Mike. All that time spent talking about water, ice, propane, and his unique "Peace In!" greeting didn't seem to add anything to the drama of the test flight. On the flip side, after their gorgeous footage of the lunar eclipse, they spent little time asking Mike about how Flat-Earthers explain such an event. That line of thought seems much more relevant to the film than does shopping for supplies.
Anyway, I don't think it's completely the filmmakers' fault; they had limited material to work with. They could have developed Mad Mike's life a bit more, and explored more of his connections to the Flat Earth theory, but in general they did what they could. This is a fun documentary of an eccentric individual that has some mild intrinsic interest. A film that is done well with its limited story and character.