Critic Reviews

• Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

  Thanks to an informative, buoyant tone and the director's own restless intelligence, the film preaches to the unconverted with passion, energy and graphics so clear that they would make Al Gore weep all over his PowerPoint.

• G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle

  A peppy, bouncy documentary that is watchable and informative, although Tickell's celebrity name-dropping at times detracts from the serious message.

• Aaron Hillis, Time Out New York

  It's a slickly enjoyable production (if unfocused and bloated), and his bullet-point tips are persuasive; but dude, there are better ways to humanize these issues than crying on camera.

• Brian Miller, Village Voice

  There's not a single (even moderately) dissenting voice in Fuel; you're either on the biodiesel bandwagon or raping the planet.

• Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

  One of the refreshing traits of this action-nudging documentary is Tickell's willingness to wrestle his own biases.

• Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

  Smartly animated interstitials, memorable archival material and a lively soundtrack round out the fast-paced proceedings.

• Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

  shows the not-so-shocking connections between the auto industry, the oil industry and the government, prescriptively offering alternatives ...

• Norm Schrager, Filmcritic.com

  Tickell keeps the film hopping along, far more interested in the positive than a woe-is-us mentality

• Ron Wilkinson, Monsters and Critics

  A good natured cheer-leading session for clean vehicles, "Fuel" is several measures short of the intensity it will take to put Hummers where they belong---in museums.

• Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

  Another fervent call-to-arms from one side of the aisle.

• Kimberly Gadette, Indie Movies Online

  For a film about energy, it's marvelous that Tickell ultimately gives us all the proverbial power.

• Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com

  Tickell makes his case in an entertaining and hence all the more effective manner.

• Brian Miller, L.A. Weekly

  Those outside the bio-church aren't likely to drive (at less than $2 per gallon) to see it at their local theater.

• Josh Rosenblatt, Austin Chronicle

  Fuel's message is clear -- oil is bad; alternative energy is good -- and its goals are simple -- put Big Oil out of business by selling the American public on the virtues of cleaner energy sources, such as wind, solar, ethanol, hemp, and world music.

• Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

  ... a rousing documentary on the real costs of petrochemical dependence and the practical alternatives within reach.

Read all 15 critic reviews