by Currie Jean

Created on: January 02, 2009

Expelled wants to convince us that the creationist "intelligent design" position is discriminated against in the scientific community - discriminated against, that is, for reasons of bigotry and Nazi totalitarianism, rather than on the merits of its evidence (or lack thereof).

Such a proposition is plainly silly. The film does a poor job of arguing for the case that creationism is worth listening to, and an even poorer job of representing and refuting evolutionary theory. Creationism rejected not because scientists are afraid to have a conversation about it, but because the conversation has already been had: again, and again, and again. Centuries of literature attest to this, and yet, Expelled ignores it all.

Expelled pretends the fight creationism lost was never even had. It dresses creationism up in a new evening gown called "intelligent design" so that it might re-enter the forum and pitifully mope, whine, and complain to a larger audience.

Creationism is the sorest loser the scientific community has ever seen.

Every intelligent design creationist argument in the film "Expelled" has already been refuted. All are decades or centuries old. Expelled offers absolutely nothing new on this front. From irreducible complexity to the god of the gaps to "atheists are evil too," Expelled shouts the same old same old from its perch on a run-down, beat-up, weathered steeple.

What's worse is that such shouting is done in the drawling, "Do you have dry eyes?" voice of Ben Stein, a man who gained acting jobs by virtue of his nasal, monotonous, gratingly boring voice. It is a voice good for comedy because it sounds so terrible, and should only be endured in small doses.

Expelled makes it apparent why Stein has been typecast as an emotionless drone so many times: it's all he can do convincingly. His "compassionate" reactions to interviewees' complaints, as well as his attempt at looking like an honest questioner, are laughable: he is completely put on. Stein comes off as a stupid, slouched little dweeb with barely any pretence of intellectualism, and no talent at all.

When straying from theodicy, the film blurs facts. This is obvious even without background knowledge of the specific events mentioned. Where there should be facts (or lies resembling them at the very least), and where any legitimate documentary would put them, Expelled uses vague subjective assertions and wishy-washy language: an attempt at swaying an audience by looking like it's making an objective statement, without

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>