Bomb It 2

The music, the editing, the characters! This entertaining documentary shows there is a street art scene in Asia. Everyone thinks Asian people are orderly and it's refreshing to see a documentary that explores the richness of the cultures and how connected we are with art.

The music is great, the artists are fascinating people who have great stories. I especially loved the characters in Singapore who talk about the criminal consequences because I never knew anyone would dare commit that crime there after the Michael Fay case! So scary! They are either really stupid or really brave. Either way they are determined to share their ideas!

I hadn't seen Bomb It - mainly because I live nowhere near an indie cinema where it might possibly have shown but partly because I had no interest in graffiti.

Bomb It 2 contains interviews with graffiti artists around the world in a style that echoes the graffiti artists themselves. It's a fast paced hit-and-move doc leaving you with a lingering memory of something slightly different before presenting you with something else.

Like going to work in the morning you are afforded a glimpse of another person's life and thoughts before moving on.

Perhaps it is because I was brought up in small town, where graffiti is nothing more than vandalism, but I never really appreciated the art that is possible before watching Bomb It 2. The artists are seldom making money and their motivations are usually far more altruistic than any regular art world would allow.

Take a step outside your own life for a while and watch Bomb It 2!

Reiss' no holds-barred documentary bridges inter-cultural gaps we didn't even no existed. He redefines "graffiti" from illicit hobby to expression of the soul- a rare art form where people are able to influence their environment as much as their environment influences them. BI2 reminds us to unleash our passion, there's almost always a place for it. It's not enough for Reiss to stay in one place- instead he brings us around the globe- exploring this intriguing sub-culture with countless characters. I knew nothing about graffiti before watching this movie. All I knew was that it was illegal and looked down upon. Now I see it's not just a juvenile expression of disdain for society- instead it's the opposite. It's an expression of the soul- an artistic and human release for many people who might not have any other available. Without graffiti, one character even says he wouldn't know what he'd do with his life. It's not about disgracing property- it's about expressing yourself within your environment, and actually changing that environment to become an extension of yourself.

Chris Bashinelli - Host and Executive Producer of "Bridge the Gap" on PBS

Where it's predecessor offers a thorough overview of the origins of graffiti art, Bomb It! 2 delves deeper into the people and cultures that risk their lives (Singapore, Jakarta, etc.) in order to express themselves. An eye-opening look at the power of graffiti in terms of changing a culture.

A killer soundtrack caries us on a journey around the world where graffiti isn't necessarily as common place as it is in western countries. This is a serious fight for freedom of expression. Bomb It 2 shows street art culture beyond Banksy, where unknowns in little pockets of cities are making their mark, in order to change the world perhaps? Everyon has their reasons, but either way I'm on board.

Very few documentaries actually warrant a sequel - Bomb It was one of those rare exceptions. There are so many subcultures built around graffiti around the world that it would be impossible to exhaust them all in one film. Director Jon Reiss returns in top form for Bomb It 2, gleefully steering us from nation to nation to scope out the local color. The film, like so many indies these days, was made possible through a Kickstarter campaign. One might attribute the sudden demand for street art documentaries to the success of Exit Through the Gift Shop, but the Bomb It movies are sui generis - rather than zeroing in on one artist, they instead choose to take us around the world, introducing us to a broad array of characters.

It probably won't inspire you to take up a spray can yourself (one segment takes place in Singapore, where many infractions merit corporal punishment), but it certainly is an entertaining glimpse into the high-stakes world of graffiti art. I'd highly recommend its predecessor as well, but it's not required viewing for enjoying Bomb It 2.