Revenge of the Electric Car

The dark vibe on this documentary was almost unbearable. But it's good being able to watch it eleven years later and see that the e-market is thriving. The doc gives an almost biased view of desiring that the "rocket guy" and GM fails. Nonetheless Tesla continues to improve its financial position with strong results and increased its cash position to now $6.3 billion. GM is also going well. Like the guy in the end said, "only time will tell" so this deserves a good 7 for great production. But those two negative guys should not have a say in the next doc, my suggestion.

I wanted to see this documentary because I consider electric engines to be the future of the automotive industry, judging by the data that we now have. I have not seen the apparent prequel to this documentary, "Who killed the electric car?".

I regularly refer to IMDb as an indication of whether I may like a movie or not, and was not expecting much from a movie with a 5.8 score. As soon as the movie started, I was surprised that it looked like a well-made, high production value documentary with substance and actual behind-the-scenes footage of the industry. It has many interviews with Elon Musk and Bob Lutz from GM made for the film and covers the subject matter from multiple approaches.

It is a very enjoyable and informative documentary that actually made me feel good about the future.

4/5

This may be a tad dated.

This excellent documentary starts where "Who Killed the Electric Car?" left off. Only this time we get to go behind the closed doors of Nissan, GM, and the Silicon Valley start-up Tesla Motors. We seem to concentrate more on the people behind the project than the project itself.

Many times, we are left with the question will the company survive or not. We watch technology the sings and swims. We watch as financing gets scarce. Nerves fray and wonder about sincerity.

There is lots of great footage of cars and their making. In one scene where robots were making leaves, I turned to my wife and suggested that it looked like a scene from "Atlas Shrugged Part 1". She said it reminded her of "The Terminator". Could be because Arnold was in the documentary.

I was disappointed to find there was no Ed Begley Jr. In the presentation as he is a great advocate of electric cars.

In the end, it was sort of a commercial for the targeted companies. Ford Fusion gets a two-second flash. I will watch this over again as it moves fast enough to miss some of the subtleties.

And for people that gauge their DVD by the number of extras, you will not be disappointed with the variety and usefulness of the extras.

By the way, do you think the neighbor would notice the bright orange cable plugged into their outdoor lamp? On a serious side, we now have several charging stations at the local university and the used book store. Could use more but it is a start.

You may want to watch an oldy but goodie Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006).

Funny how documentaries often get dissed about their subject matter. You don't have to like electric cars to watch a documentary about electric cars. Many documentaries seem to be crudely shot. The video and audio quality of the film rivals that of some major motion picture studios. As a film, I think this is a wonderful work of art. As for the subject matter and the way the film presents it, I like how the film focuses on 4 very different yet very charismatic characters. The film doesn't bore the viewer with stats and boring talking heads (which often happens in documentaries). It does a good job of getting out of the way and letting the characters shine. Along the way, the viewer learns a thing or two about electric cars. Seems like a clever way to raise awareness about a subject matter that I personally find interesting. As for the subject matter, we went from black and white televisions to color; from 8-tracks to cassettes to mini-discs to CD's to mp3s. There is no denying that going from internal combustion to electric is a better technology on so many fronts: scientific, technological, geo-political, environmental, etc. Hopefully this film convinces people to at least have an open mind. There are worse ways to spend a night than being informed and entertained. I loved it.

You don't need to see "Who Killed the Electric Car" before this to enjoy "Revenge..." but the movie will be that much sweeter if you have. Where "Who Killed..." leaves you all fired up and asking what the world has come to, "Revenge..." leaves you excited and hopeful and opens your eyes to several different approaches to the future of transportation. GM's approach with the Chevy Volt seems tongue-in-cheek at first, but the twist in the movie sort of lets you see the world through their eyes and reminds you that not all big car companies are purely evil. Nissan's approach comes off more calculated, but with a lot of brains and money invested in doing it right with the Leaf. Then comes the sporty top-of-the-line Tesla, which leaves any car enthusiast drooling, and is so beautiful to look at. You get some insight into how much it takes to get a new car off the ground, and this movie really gives you the feeling that you are in the boardroom (and at home) with the big guys (and the little guys...). Last but not least, you get to see a visionary electric vehicle builder/fixer/converter extraordinaire in Reverand Gadget's Left Coast Electrics. Through all of the rollercoasters in his business and personal life, he remains dedicated to the cause and appears to be coming out on top. I won't spoil it, but the very last scene in this movie had me tearing up with joy!

This movie is truly inspiring. It is visually exciting, with great cinematography and elegant editing. Kudos to Chris Paine and all of his team who made this film happen!

Don't miss this movie when it comes to a theatre near you! And if you are trying to decide on what your next car will be, you MUST see this movie before you make that purchase!!! (or before you extend the life of your favorite old beater by converting it to electric!)