Revenge of the Electric Car - Movie Review of Revenge of the Electric Car - 2011

Filmmaker Chris Paine became an expert on and advocate for non-polluting electric vehicles when he made his 2006 documentary, Who Killed The Electric Car?. In that film he showed how GM built prototype EV-1 electric cars, distributed it them drivers who absolutely adored them, and then recalled and destroyed them.

Five years later, Paine is back with a sequel of sorts, a documentary following several automakers' in a current race to develop an affordable electric car and bring it to market, thereby relieving America from dependency on foreign oil and cleaning up the environment.

One of the key players in the electric car race is, oddly enough, GM. Nissan is there, too. And so is the start up automaker Tesla Motors, owned by legendary Silicon Valley entrepreneur Elon Musk, and an inventor named Greg "Gadget" Abbot. The stakes are high. Non-polluting electric cars could replace gas guzzling vehicles as the norm. But, before that happens, all technical problems on the electric cars must be worked out, and the driving masses must be convinced that the internal combustion engine is a thing of the past.

All of the competing manufacturers realize that it will be tough to convince the majority of drivers to go electric. The initial cost of an electric car is higher than the ticket on an oil-fueled vehicle, but maintenance is less expensive and there is less wear and tear on electric cars, so they last longer.

Still, Revenge of the Electric Car relies on celebrities -- including Danny DeVito, Jon Favreau, Stephen Colbert, Adrian Grenier and Tim Robbins, who narrates -- to praise the qualities of electric cars. Even California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger expresses his desire to try one out.

The film's subject is certainly relevant and interesting. The characters -- the auto execs, inventors, celebs and all -- are engaging. And, perhaps most importantly, the cars are attractive and appealing to consumers.

However, the film doesn't deliver sufficient stats and details that would allow audiences to make comparisons and come to informed opinions. As a result, the film's claims about the electric cars' superiority aren't completely convincing --even to those who might be inclined to favor electric cars and support their development.

At the outset, voice over narration informs you that the filmmakers got unprecedented access to auto maker's boardrooms, work rooms and factories. That may be true, but the 'behind closed doors' footage doesn't deliver unusual insights -- we see a car being unpacked or unveiled, but aren't told what's unique about the vehicle or how it compares to other models under development. We never see the automakers solving technical problems that are bound to have provided challenges. It's just not enough. This film would actually benefit from the occasional graph or graphic, and from more technically specific narration.

Maybe this sequel is actually a prequel to the arrival of electric cars in showrooms, and their sojourns on the nation's roads. Still, the ongoing saga of electric car development is an important subject with mass appeal.

If You Like This Film, You May Also Like

• Who Killed The Electric Car?
• Earth Days
• Crude
• Into Eternity
• Crude
• Plastic Planet
• Water Wars

Film Details:

• Title: Revenge of the Electric Car
• Director: Chris Paine
• Premiere Date: April 22, 2011 (Tribeca Film Festival)
• Running Time: 90 mins.
• Parents Advisory: Advisory for content
• Locations: USA
• Language: English
• Production Company: Papercut Films
• Official Website
• Trailer