by David Roark

Like Michael Moore, these guys have some issues with capitalism. But they take it on with over-the-top humor.

If you've never heard of Yes Men, here's a rundown: They are a genderless, ill-defined association of nearly 300 impostors, who pretend they are important people and spokespersons for prominent companies. Through bogus websites, business cards and other means, they gain access to significant opportunities, in which they exploit corporate greed via satirical speeches, presentations, hoaxes, etc. In the case of The Yes Men Fix the World, Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonnano represent the society as the directors and stars, performing some of the biggest political pranks Yes Men are known for. The result is a humorous yet educational documentary that, despite looking like it's from the early 90s, packs enough punch to satisfy even those who disagree with it.

While Bichlbaum and Bonnano are unmistakably left wing, one of the most refreshing elements of the movie is its lack of bias. Capitalism is indeed the target of this film, but there's no radical agenda that makes you feel like you're being brainwashed, as with the better and more convincing work of filmmaker Michael Moore, who shared his opinions on the topic around the same time. Whether you follow Donkey or Elephant, it's hard to justify the corrupt business practices that the Yes Men confront. Best of all, they don't try to write out a solution. Well, they rant a little, but it's generally about what most people can agree on: accountability.

And even if you become convinced that Bichlbaum and Bonnano are secretly communists trying to produce baby Stalins in the U.S. (they could possibly pull it off), they'll probably still make you laugh -- which is, undoubtedly, the greatest thing the movie has to offer. The Yes Men are quite hilarious. In fact, sometimes they're a little too clever. In a few cases, their humor goes right over the heads of their prey; though part of that's because the victims are so desensitized to their own filthy game.

Example: Early on in the documentary, the Yes Men are accidentally invited to speak at a banking conference in London, where Bichlbaum poses as an official from Dow chemical company and gives a deadpan speech on "acceptable risks," in which he justifies IBM helping the Nazis identify Jews because they were profitable. He goes on to call the issue a skeleton in the closet, but "a golden skeleton" for generating profit. The attendees don't get upset or laugh. They just sit there interested and disinterested, which makes the after party all the better: The Yes Men hand out golden skull keychains.

Bichlbaum and Bonnano try to get more creative with their next trick, one that sort of falls in their lap when BBC News, believing their Dow website is legit, invites them to take responsibility publicly for the Bhopal Disaster in India, a 1984 catastrophe in which some 500,000 people were exposed to toxins from a plant owned by Union Carbide (now Dow), eventually taking over 10,000 lives. Bonnano goes live on national television and promises the world that Dow will compensate the people of Bhopal in a billion dollar plan. While news soon gets out that it's all a joke, Dow's injustice is rightfully exposed, and, evidently, their guilt gets the best of them, as the Yes Men never hear a word about a lawsuit. They do, however, get invited back to BBC for a real interview.

As the film moves forward, the pranks only get better and better. The most ridiculous hoax of the documentary involves the Yes Men at a post-9/11 meeting for insurance companies, where they pretend they're from Halliburton and propose the "SurvivaBall," a hideous survival suit that looks more like a giant beach ball. While a few people in the crowd smirk, the product is, for the most part, taken seriously. Following this prank, Bichlbaum and Bonnano go even bigger with a ruse involving over 1,000 contractors and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, shedding light on businesses taking advantage of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

The documentary's only real flaw is the cinematography itself. Along with cheesy animation, it looks outdated, and in a bad way. The film was backed by HBO, so a little better quality is expected. But none of that is distracting enough to ruin it. The Yes Men keep you on your toes all the way through by always pushing the limits. They don't waste your time with long lectures about capitalism, free trade or corporate America: They let their actions do the talking, making for an entertaining and enlightening experience with an optimistic ending that will probably leave you smiling.

Also released on DVD/Blu-ray this week:

An Education

Sherlock Holmes

The Baader Meinhof Complex

David Roark loves movies. And likes to write about them.