A Plastic Ocean was directed by Craig Leeson and was released in September 2016. It follows Leeson on his journey around the world to various oceans as he discovers the surprising amount of plastic accumulation. Leeson introduces the viewer to environmental scientists, divers, and activists for no plastic. Throughout the documentary, horrific statistics of, for example, how many pieces of plastic have been dumped into the ocean __ minutes after the film has started, are shown to draw in the viewer. The plot of this story starts with all of the bad things that have happened because of plastic accumulation: species dying, environments ruined etc. It then transitions into the more business aspect of plastic production and what we can do to slow down and/or reuse plastic. 

From the documentary, I liked that the format of each interview was the same. The B roll provided an emotional appeal to the viewers that really drew me in personally. I liked that all of the statistics were shown in almost a ‘typewriter’ format. I don’t know why but it was just very interesting. I also liked the graphics because it really helped to explain the statistics and presented the information in an intriguing style. I didn’t like that towards the end of the movie I got a little bored with the way the documentary was being played out. In a way, I was hoping that the ending would come sooner than it did because it just got boring. The music was very serious and “in the moment” and made every moment seem important. The underwater lighting was really cool and you gained perspective on how big these important creatures are being affected. My mind has definitely been altered because of this film. This is because it really brought me into perspective on how big this issue is and most importantly, how it is hidden in our everyday products. For example, I didn’t know that some stainless steel water bottles, ones that you would think would be better for the environment because they aren’t plastic, have a plastic coating on it. Plastic has been found in thousands of animals and even in humans too because of the food chain. The way the film was put together was also super important because the storyline traveled from point to point and if it were in another order, the story would not have the same “concluding ending”. 

I would recommend this film to anyone who is concerned about the environment and wants to know what they can do to save the planet. This film provided a great viewpoint of how much us humans are impacting the environment and how if we don’t stop now, there will be no reverse to the death of our planet. I would give this movie a 8/10 because of the great purpose and layout of the film and because it got a little boring towards the end. This film gave me a great insight to what we all need to do to save our planet and I would strongly recommend it.