NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

PartialMovieViewer A very enjoyable host (even though half of the show is spent throwing Americans under the international bus) and his program is always worth a look (regardless whether he paints himself as the only GOOD American or not). The charm of 'No Reservations' leans heavily on Anthony's hubris - his haughtiness makes for fantastic entertainment. We get it, Americans don't know squat! I will say that this is definitely not a show I would use as a reference while traveling overseas. Could you imagine going into one of these places he visited and saying something like, 'I saw this on Tony's Show.' The reply may end up being something like, 'There is only ONE good American and you are not him – you ignorant pond-scum – I spit on you.' This is a show targeting an audience who wishes NOT to travel overseas. OK OK - Maybe I am going bit over-board and probably acting too mean (I guess 'No Reservations' is rubbing off a little). As an international traveler myself and one who has lived overseas, 'The Ugly American' is something witnessed very often and reflects disgustingly on the rest of us (yes Tony – there are actually other Americans who travel and are not making fools of ourselves). Oh and here is a bit of a cautionary note, 'The Ugly _______ (fill in the blank)' – shockingly - has worldwide applications AND is not limited to fellow Americans. Anyways - all-in-all the show is enjoyable and Mr. Bourdains' edgy presentation makes it very watchable. I know that I would miss this show very much if they ever pulled the plug on it and would miss Anthony's flippant demeanor even more. On a weekly basis I do tend to cringe at some of his thankless views of Americans but maybe that is part of his attraction. He is more than welcome in my home via TV – although - I do not think I could handle a face-to-face meeting.

xylokopos He certainly is no Ustinov or Michael Palin, but Bourdain is a better travel show host than the legion of other generic hosts at TLC - you know the type, everything is exciting, everything tastes great, all the locals are fantastic, blahblahblah. He has no apparent interest in the history or architecture or archeology of the places he visits, but then again his focus is the food and one could say that he is more than gracious and humble when it comes to local fare. Seriously, some of the stuff he has eaten so as to not offend his hosts, haunt me to this day and would make Bear Grylls start dry heaving. Unwashed warthog anus, anyone? The Romania episode that seems to be attracting a lot of hate, is an instant TV classic of the highest order, if you can't find surreal humour and travel madness in it, you are dead inside. "Entertaining and feeding the tourists" is a racket in every country - you feel the need to protest but you know it's true.Antony Bourdain gets it. He has a gig where he is getting paid to stuff his face with food and get hammered on the local hooch, the man is a chef and not an ambassador or an Anthropology Ph.D. Not all his insights are hilarious and yes, it is hard to produce decent commentary when you are hungover, but seriously people, some episodes and observations are pure gold.To better understand where Bourdain is coming from, read "Kitchen Confidential", you will not regret it.

werwal Suffice to say, that this is one of the best shows around these days... BUT this episode in particular really qualifies as "food porn" in the most literal sense of the expression. As the producers recently said:it's always a balance between cultural and gastronomical experiences. Focus here is certainly on the gastronomical side and i think it works very well. No other format on TV now pictures the effort people put into their work in a more honest way. The audience feels the love and devotion people put into what they want to do, what they excel at. And at the same time everyone that is shown seems not to have forgotten how to live. There is not one scene where you would not trade a lot to switch places with Anthony Bourdain and "thank you for these 40 minutes of joy" is all you can say.

bregund For some reason, somebody thought it would be a good idea to film Anthony Bourdain traveling around the world eating different kinds of food. Sounds interesting, buy why AB? He has zero charisma, and the personality and mannerisms of an angry teenager. On last night's show he was in New Zealand "helping" to catch, kill, and prepare a wild boar. Hell, I'd love to do that. During the hunt, AB was as nervous as a schoolgirl, wringing his hands, screaming, and running down the hill every time the boar even snorted. He's in terrible shape, wheezing and puffing like an old steam engine. I notice they don't show him smoking any more. He had a terrible rapport with the locals, putting them down, making all kinds of snarky wise-ass comments. In every scene, even when someone is explaining something to him, he stares open-mouthed into the distance, totally ignoring them. As if this isn't bad enough, the production values are terrible, the camera tilts all over the place, never staying still for even one moment. Okay, during action sequences (such as when AB runs away screaming like a little girl), this is to be expected, but when they're all sitting around eating pavlova, why doesn't the goddam camera stay still?!?@(? This show takes something wonderful like killing and cooking your own food and fills it with such a pessimistic cynicism that it's unpleasant to watch. New Zealand is a wonderful place, but AB makes it look as much fun as a trip to the dentist. Yuck, I hate this show.