Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling

Bereamic Awesome Movie

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Eric Stevenson I'm going to start off by saying that the intentions of this film were definitely good, but I can not take this as an authentic documentary. I remember watching the first thirty minutes and being impressed at how it was a truly authentic and relevant film. Then they started talking about how crop circles were created by aliens and this lost most of its credibility. It's more or less obvious this film is promoting conspiracy theories. They may not use that exact term, but they do mention conspiracies at one point. The best parts are probably the beginning and the end as we get a good introduction and conclusion, respectively obviously.The one thing that really dragged this film down was how prominent David Icke was featured. I've heard of him, but I believe this is the first time I ever saw what he looked like. He is probably the biggest promoter of the lizard people or reptilian conspiracy, which asserts that many famous people like the President of the United States and the Queen of England are giant lizards in disguise. At least he doesn't mention tin foil hats. I simply can not take anyone seriously with a belief this ridiculous. It's absurd even by the standards of OTHER conspiracy theories. There's also a part where they talk about the corruptness of the pharmaceutical industry, especially with how they want us to take more medication. I firmly believe that medication is good, as it is something that has been duplicated in laboratory conditions, which is enough evidence for me. It's obviously ahead of alternative medicine which has been endorsed by Deepak Chopra, who appears in this film as well.I was really hoping that they wouldn't mention those stupid 911 conspiracy theories. They did, but I guess they didn't really agree with them. They just said more and more people believed them and they were at least open to the idea. This is a truly irrational belief that has no place in society at all. With all that being said, I do appreciate how they advocate for peace here. They talk about how the wealth is very unevenly distributed, which we can all agree on. It's nice that they say we should simply stop spending all our money on weapons and just use it to feed people.Of course, Bill Hicks said it better. The people here seem nice enough and their hearts are in the right place. I guess you could say their minds aren't. I will always promote the creation of jobs and equal distribution. We really do have to stop believing in conspiracy theories. I would have loved to have seen James Randi in this. He's probably debunked this movie. **1/2

jjnagler I enjoyed watching the movie which is rich on ideas and one can assume to be done with good intentions. I fully subscribe to the message of awakening and the documentary touches upon many important topics on global problems.However, the movie lacks coherence and throws together unrelated issues from Fed conspiracy to Deepak Chopra's spiritual teachings. Moreover, one needs to seriously double-check the claims on some conspiracy theories. Some are obviously unfounded and fabricated, therefore seriously taking away credibility.It's too easy to invent some scapegoats like 'these families', the government, the banks, the bad corporations, the rich etc. All these organizations are made of us people and its within our power to take self-responsibility and shape our lives, societies etc. in a better way.UPDATE: FLAWED The movie is even so deeply flawed that 10 people - including Deepak Chopra - who appeared in the movie have dissociated themselves with the movie! See www.thrivemovement.com/thrive-movie-pioneer-letter-of- dissociation

T D "Thrive" concludes with a compelling vision of an egalitarian and compassionate future, where humans live truly free lives in cooperation with each other and the natural world. As a liberal environmentalist type, I'm very sympathetic to that message.Unfortunately, the film's path to that uplifting conclusion is rocky at best, often relying on long-debunked conspiracy theories and unnecessary pseudoscience. This mixture of a profound vision for the future (although a tad too libertarian for my tastes) and unproven –- and unprovable -- speculation seriously compromises the potential impact of the film's positive message.A few examples, among many: * David Icke describes some interesting observations about our corrupt financial system, but the film doesn't mention his other belief: that the Earth is controlled by reptilian aliens called Anunnaki from the Draco constellation. Apparently, all US presidents throughout history as well as Queen Elizabeth are really reptilian humanoids living underground. (Yes, he's serious.) Why choose such a person to communicate important insights into the out-of-control power of international banking elites? Why not interview a sympathetic expert who has deep knowledge of this exact issue, such as the Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman? * "Free" energy devices – aka "perpetual motion" machines -- have been promised for hundreds of years. Although they violate the well-established first and second laws of thermodynamics, and despite dozens of documented frauds and hoaxes, the filmmaker is convinced that such a device is right around the corner, where it not for a vast government conspiracy. I too wish free energy was possible but I'm not holding my breath, especially when perfectly viable renewable alternatives already exist: solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, energy efficiency, etc. Why speculate that the laws of the universe will be overturned when the answers are staring us right in the face? * Which is more likely: crop circles were created by extraterrestrials or by local pranksters having a laugh? Some facts to consider: In 1991, the British team of Doug Bower and Dave Chorley announced that they had made hundreds of crop circles since 1978, and then were filmed actually making one. There is also a UK crop circle-making artist collective (www.circlemakers.org) that makes beautiful and complex designs. If you're still not skeptical, ask yourself this: if these aliens are so advanced that they've mastered inter-galactic travel, why do they have to communicate with us by making obscure patterns in wheat? * Speaking of aliens, as a life-long science fiction buff, I'd love to believe that aliens have visited earth. Unfortunately, despite thousands of "sightings" since the 1940s, no convincing evidence has ever been produced. There have, however, been plenty of hoaxes, honest mistakes, and examples of pareidolia (the human tendency to see patterns in randomness) produced. The filmmaker believes that a 70-year conspiracy among thousands of people to suppress the reality of alien visitation continues to this day. As much as I enjoyed the X-Files, I doubt that such an elaborate and long-term cover-up is possible given human incompetence and the emergence of new technologies such as the Internet, cell phone cameras, etc. The larger point is that while the military and government certainly do keep secrets, why does the filmmaker think it's necessary to dress up that kernel of truth with outlandish speculation? Why not use well-documented examples such as Bush's WMD lies, Reagan's Iran-Contra affair, Nixon's Watergate, etc? * Was the World Trade Center deliberately blown up on 9/11 by Bush, Cheney and a secret cabal of banks and oil companies or by a few deluded zealots who were clearly captured on tape and witnessed by thousands of people? I hate Exxon and Haliburton as much as the next guy, but the evidence doesn't support this wishful thinking among the left. Further, the filmmaker's insightful conclusions about the control of the global economy by financial elites doesn't really require that 9/11 -- of all events! -- be the result of an elaborate conspiracy.Thrive's heart is the right place: it tries to unite the Utopian dreams of the left and right in an attempt to find a way to stop our planet's accelerating downward spiral. But the dream does not require evidence-challenged conspiracy theories, speculation, half-truths, anecdotes, and paranoia. Even if the causes of our crises are more banal than the melodrama depicted in the film, we can hopefully all agree about the importance of working together toward a more sustainable, inclusive, and free future.

Dr-abbadon "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." - Wake up people! I can't believe, some of the ratings on this site?! This is a must see movie. From energy, money, health, world governments, deception on a scale that is beyond comprehension. Take the time and watch this with as many people and pass this on to as many people before its too late. Integrity freedom and compassion not tyranny, destruction and control and fear? No thanks! We have to change the way we do EVERYTHING! Some of the most honest people with the will to fight the establishment. Withdraw your support from the global elite. Follow the truth, stop the corporatetocracy!