Synopsis
A sequel to 2006's Who Killed the Electric Car?, director Chris Paine once again looks at electric vehicles. Where in the last film electric cars were dismissed as uneconomical and unreliable, and were under multiple attacks from government, the auto industry, and from energy companies who didn't want them to succeed, this film chronicles, in the light of new changes in technology, the world economy, and the auto industry itself, the race - from both major car companies like Ford and Nissan, and from new rising upstarts like Tesla - to bring a practical consumer EV to market.
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Cast
- Chelsea SextonSelf
- Tim RobbinsNarrator (voice)
- Danny DeVitoSelf (EV1 Driver)
- Stephen ColbertSelf
- Elon MuskSelf (CEO, Tesla Motors)
- Jon FavreauSelf (Director, Iron Man)
- Reverend GadgetSelf - Electric Car Converter (as Greg 'Gadget' Abbott)
- Talulah RileySelf
- Arnold SchwarzeneggerSelf
Recommendations
- 90
The New York Times
In the end, Revenge of the Electric Car is a slick, enjoyable valentine to a retooling industry. This optimistic film lacks the outrage of the earlier work, but that's O.K. A movement needs its triumphs too. - 75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Given Paine's penchant for B-movie-sounding titles, let's hope he gets to make it a trilogy that concludes with The Electric Car Lives! - 75
Slant Magazine
Revenge of the Electric Car, which details the resurgence of interest in the mass production of the battery car, is sometimes too slick for its own good. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Director-writer Chris Paine's upbeat follow-up to his controversial 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car" features a number of colorful industry leaders in addition to cameos by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jon Favreau. - 70
Village Voice
Sleekly designed (Tim Robbins narrates) with excellent mileage, Revenge is a balm for beaten-down times. In lieu of a business case for ethics, it tells the story of that rare moment when the bottom line finally dovetails with the greater good. - 70
Wall Street Journal
Mr. Paine's follow-up lacks the conspiratorial drama of its predecessor, which blamed the EV1's death on the oil industry and the auto industry, tied as they were to the future of the internal combustion engine. But his new documentary is fascinating in its own right. - 70
Los Angeles Times
The resulting roller-coaster ride, well shot and sharply paced, is so friendly to the corporate types its predecessor targeted that Nissan is sponsoring screenings. - 50
Variety
Revenge is a disappointment. Admittedly, the picture deploys the same kind of cinematic bells and whistles that made "Killed" so enjoyable. But without true tension, the documentary feels as slickly manufactured as its va-va-voom subject.
