Time Bomb Y2K

This is the second 'documentary' I have seen in the last few weeks where the filmmaker just strings along a bunch of clips about the subject.

Rather than explaining the Y2K issue with some sort of narration and context both at the time and looking back some 24 years later, the documentary relies on the clips from the times in order to do so.

All they did was compile news clips, movie clips and anything else from the late 90's that had anything to do with Y2K, present them in chronological order, and then add a few graphics here in there. Lazy and boring. I'm surprised HBO didn't just bury this.

In a certain sense, I really couldn't blame anyone calling "Time Bomb Y2K" a rather messy documentary. It is quite unfocused (without a clear focus) and touches on a number of different topics without necessarily buttoning up any of them. Yet, somewhat remarkably, this tapestry of Y2K coverage manages to nail the exact sentiments of the time period almost perfectly in the hands of directors Brian Becker & Marley Mcdonald.

For a very basic overview, this doc tells the story of the lead-up to the turn of the millennium (1999 into 2000) and how the Y2K computer glitch threatened to plunge the world into another dark age. Was it a hoax? Was it a crisis narrowly averted by hard work and planning? How were the general public reacting (or overreacting, potentially) to it all? Those are primary areas into which "Time Bomb Y2K" delves.

First and foremost for a doc like this, "Time Bomb Y2K" creates a sense of nostalgia through the use of archived news footage and personal videos. As someone who lived through the event and the time period in general, I can vouch for the authenticity of what is presented here. It is an accurate description of what the late-1990s felt like.

This film also does the practical, even-keel work of explaining just how the Y2K glitch occurred and what was done to prevent it from crashing digital systems on 1/1/00. Instead of the "it's a hoax or it's the end of the world" dichotomy presented at the time, the filmmakers here make it pretty clear (without inserting their own voices) that it was simply a lot of money thrown at the problem and a lot of time from computer programmers that ultimately saved the day.

The hallmark of "Time Bomb Y2K", however, is how it presents a society just beginning to reckon with the "digital world" and the way information can be disseminated therein. The mass panic, conspiracy theories, and misinformation around Y2K was eerily similar to more recent public health related events--the only difference being that in 1999 one had to access it via dial-up internet or VHS tapes.

So, though I usually do not enjoy documentaries without a strong focus/thesis, this one worked in spite of that principle because every tangent somehow managed to produce its own interesting material. It tapped into my adolescent nostalgia, showed a populace grappling with an oncoming digital age, and illustrated that while events come and go, people's responses to them are often similar through the decades.

"Time Bomb," marketed as a documentary chronicling the infamous millennium bug, falls short of its potential to create a captivating time capsule. The film primarily relies on a compilation of old news articles, offering a montage of historical moments without delving into the depth needed to provide a meaningful perspective on the Y2K phenomenon.

One of the film's major drawbacks is its brevity, featuring only fleeting 15-second interviews with industry titans like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Jeff Bezos. These brief snippets fail to offer substantial insights or reflections on the challenges and fears surrounding the Y2K bug. It leaves viewers yearning for a more in-depth exploration of the thoughts and strategies of these influential figures during that pivotal time.

While the idea of using archival footage to revisit the turn of the millennium is intriguing, "Time Bomb" lacks the narrative cohesion necessary to tie these disparate clips together effectively. The disjointed nature of the film leaves audiences with a sense of missed opportunity, as it neglects to weave a compelling story around the Y2K bug and its impact on society.

Moreover, the documentary's overall uneventful quality mirrors the anti-climactic nature of the Y2K bug itself. The film fails to capture the tension and anticipation that characterized the lead-up to the year 2000. Instead of offering a nuanced exploration of the social and technological landscape of that time, "Time Bomb" merely scratches the surface with a superficial montage of historical snippets.

Ultimately, "Time Bomb" disappoints as a documentary that could have served as a valuable time capsule for future generations. Its lack of depth and failure to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Y2K era make it a poor recommendation for anyone seeking a meaningful insight into the turn of the millennium and the challenges some of us lived through.

I feel slightly more confidant that I can relate this time to my daughter (who is older than I was at that time), and speak of more minute details. The good aspects of people uniting and a pre-9/11 world being so happy even when scared brings a little more joy than I had before watching this. It's incredible to see some of the foreshadowing of the world during this, and I am glad that the makers of this didn't focus on those. They let them be little cameos. In fact, I would have truly loved to see an ending where they showed the twin towers still erect. No words said about one year, nine months, and ten days from that moment. Just a silhouette. A reminder that worry is just imagination used incorrectly.

Not a bold statement from a person typing to many other people out there that may happen upon my review, but I was there. I was a ripe sixteen when the ball dropped, and I was very much up to zero good. However, this movie does a great job of going a few years before that very not fateful day. I was old enough to be aware, but young enough to not exactly know who Jager or Kostinen were. I probably saw their faces dozens or hundreds of times, but they didn't ring any bells while watching this film. All that said, bringing back up slight moments of my teenaged memory helped remind me of the fuss that this was.

6.8 stars is accurate.

This documentary is nicely done, but not perfect. It could easily have been three to five minutes shorter, which would have helped with the pacing. Nevertheless, this is an interesting presentation of archival footage.

I like the way this film covers optimists, realists, and pessimistic survivalists. As someone who lived through this, I can tell you there was a LOT of hype back then. Scaremongers selling books were saying things like freeway accidents would occur as power brakes failed at the stroke of midnight. These sorts of claims were laughable of course -- no engineer is going to increase his workload by making systems more complex than needed -- especially when the system MUST be reliable. Why on earth would a power braking system need to know the time and date? It's ridiculous.

As the New Year came and went, the film shifted into covering some interesting and (mostly) uplifting thoughts about global connectivity and the uncertainty and possibilities of the new Millennium.

While not highly structured, this documentary has a straightforward (linear) time-flow, a decent cross-section of opinions, a low-key tone, and a good ending that raises questions about the future. I would have changed a few things, but not much, so I'm *tempted* to give it seven stars. HOWEVER, the film did NOT excite me, and I doubt it will be of great interest to the average viewer. So I think a "proper" rating, considering the big picture, is probably five (5) stars, which is also an accurate reflection of the entertainment value I received.