ironhorse_iv Almost everyone in the United States has to a certain extent, shop at Walmart, once in their life. So, many of them, heard of the many jokes and complains about the retail company retail-company, that owner Sam Walton have founded, and turn into a multibillion corporation. However, not a lot of people is unaware of full extent of the negative effects of its business practices on populations around the world. This documentary's job is to expose that. Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, while, I can understand, where director Robert Greenwald & his Brave New Films crew was trying to say with this film. I felt that the documentary's arguments wasn't really told, well. There is not one main narrator in this film, but rather countless amount of people interviewed, whom lives were affect from the presence of the corporate giant. Because of this, I felt that, the movie jump around, way too much. One minute, they would be, talking about how Walmart has a negative effect on mom and pop stores and small communities. Only to cut into how Walmart overworks & underpays its workers to the point, that many employees couldn't afford their own health insurance, causing many of the employees to seek government programs, like Medicaid instead. Only to further jump, how Wal-Mart hiring undocumented workers for their cleanup crews, paying them well below minimum wage, only to stop talking, about undocumented workers, and then back to employees, again, talking about Wal-Mart's anti-union practices, and its poor record on worker's rights in the United States. Then, back to the negative effects on local economy, follow up on a story about sweatshop workers, and then back to talking about Walmart, with this time, talking about crime. Where is the pattern, here? The informative felt a little too spread out & all over the place. They also missing some, like the allegations of predatory pricing and supplier issues. Anyways, I guess, the actual video clips of Walmart's commercials, combine with then-CEO's H. Lee Scott exalting the virtues of the company in employee meetings and speeches were supposed to be, the structure. However, it felt, more unarranged & confusing, then orderly. It doesn't help that the film's lousy quick editing, makes all of it, look so choppy. It's also sad, that the pacing is a bit off, because the film doesn't always immediate rip it apart through its style in branching into a particular perspective to back up the rebuttal. Instead, it goes on with some stories for a little too long. The International story about the sweatshops felt like, a different movie, because of that. Another bad thing about this movie is how much, they repeat themselves. You get a lot of repetitive rhetoric on how bad, Walmart is, for the employees, but never, any of the good things. In truth, Walmart isn't as evil as this film, makes it out to be. Honestly, if the movie did some fact checking, they would realize that Walmart does do charities, despite Sam Walton's claim that the company will never be a charity business. For example, in 2005, Walmart donated US$20 million in cash and merchandise for Hurricane Katrina relief. Today, Walmart's charitable donations approach US$1 billion each year. They also help pay for any environmental or criminal damages to any victim that came to their store. Added to that, the company was praised for expanding its anti-discrimination policy protecting gay and lesbian employees, as well, as minorities. Walmart also plays employees, a lot more, than the federal minimum wage at the time & continue to do that, even today. They also give bonuses to every full and part-time hourly worker, who works for their company. While, it's still low, it's better off, than other retail businesses like Mom & Pop stores. Also, while, it's true, that WalMart does have strong anti-union imperative within the company history. It did announced that it would allow workers at all of its Chinese factories to become members of trade unions, and that the company would work with the state-sanctioned All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) in helping workers' rights. So, it's possible that a US version of this, is on the way: despite claims that prices would skyrocket, if it did. About the Walmart's high understaff and turnover rate as evidence of an unhappy workforce, the truth is that, there are several other factors that lead up to that, besides outing anybody who wants to set up a union. Most of it, comes from the fact that American consumers habits are always shifting. More and more consumers are using online commerce, due to time and location. Then, there is the logistics issues, the supply and demand of the area, and population. Any of these factors, can cause the reductions in sales. Due to this, many retailers, including Walmart, reduce staff, or replace jobs with self-servicing machines. There is also the fact, that most Americans knows that blue collar jobs like retail is every so changing, that they just want to work, part-time for a quick buck, until they can gain the skills, through education for a more administrative setting job or for the elderly, have enough money to retired. About the claims that Walmart destroy small towns. In truth, any technology advances can hurt a town. Good examples are the development of the highway, railroads, and shopping malls. Call me, harsh, but small towns just have to adapt to the ever-changing market. If you need somebody to blame. Don't blame WalMart, blame the system in which, they triumph in. Wal-Mart's growth is the natural end result of capitalism, and demonizing Wal-Mart is unfair, when other successful businesses, does the same. Overall: It's hard for an objective viewer like myself to ignore the obvious. Walmart is a catch-22 situation. It's has good things and bad things about it. In all fairness, I just felt the documentary should reflect that, more.

freakfire-1 Well, this movie did fail to be entertaining in many areas but it did hit on some key notes. Yes, they do drive down wages, although providing more jobs. That is a catch-22.Some people have commented they have good wages. That is not the case as they don't pay too much higher than the minimum wage in most areas and fail to check on immigration status. I even know times they fail to check AGE status, hiring underage workers and failing to catch their real age.As far as not being able to move of the 'food chain' in the store, that is also generally correct for the most part. The only way to make a good wage there is if you enter the Assistant Manager program and they can ship to several different areas.The film notes times when they have been turned down recently. However, several of those cities listed near the end of the film have come back and accepted Wal-Marts to be built.This film shows the downsides to this corporation. Wal-Mart goes for the cheapest in many ways and avoiding paying higher wages. But if you get down to it, other businesses (like minerals, etc) that also pay low wages to keep the cost down, so Wal-Mart isn't the only one, just the biggest one.Overall, its not that even handed, but it does make the public more aware of its bad side. "C"

Michael_Elliott Wal Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (2005) *** (out of 4) Interesting, if one sided, documentary about Wal Mart and how they're taking over the country. Like various Michael Moore documentaries, I think this thing would have been better with an unbias view and I wish the "other side" of things was shown. The documentary goes all out to paint an ugly picture and it does this wonderfully but there is another side that isn't being told. I was rather shocked at the benefit and hourly wages thing but a few other points I just didn't agree with, especially the "small company" going out of business deal. Hey, it is a marketplace. Why should I pay $25 to a mom and pop when I can get the item at say, Best Buy for $15? The opening story had the old man talking about all the poor in the city but was his store able to give them jobs? No but Wal Mart was able to. There are other questions I had about this matter but in the end I think this is a classic example of the rich versus the poor and as we know, nothing is going to change. The rich will continue to get rich while the poor continues to get poor. I think every company is guilty of this so it's not only this store that has things to change.

jrstl I don't and never have worked for Wal-Mart, but do enjoy the 20-30% savings per year by shopping there.If the unions of the U.S. didn't front the money for this "documentary", they should have. Show me any Company with 10% of Wal-Marts 2 million employees, I'll find you lots of disgruntled and dissatisfied ex-employees.When Wal-mart opens in a small town, or a populated area, other retailers are definitely hurt. Not just the Ma & Pa's, but Sears, K-Mart, successful grocery store chains, etc. It's not Wal-Marts fault! They're a business that has done business better than their competitors, big and small. It's why people shop there and make them the largest retailer in the world.When Wal-Mart stops doing it better than everyone else, their sales will drop, their stock will drop, they will lose money. When that day comes, Companies that take Wal-Marts business will grow quicker, have lot's of disgruntled employees, have many suits filed against them.This documentary is a slap in the face to the United States and what makes this country as great as we are. The United States is built on capitalism, we like to make money, we like to do things better than anyone else. Wal-Mart is a stock held publicly traded Company, with checks and balances, government regulation,etc. Watching this "documentary", you'd think Satin started and runs this Company.Obviously I'm in the great minority of posters on this "documentary", but someone had to say it.