This lame film sets a terribly-written fictional narrative against the backdrop of the 1999 riots in Seattle that occurred during the meeting of the World Trade Organization. Director Stuart Townsend, who is also responsible for the juvenile screenplay, concocts ridiculous and melodramatic situations out of a scenario that already had enough dramatic heft of its own without embellishment.

Townsend creates a group of stock characters that includes the beleaguered Seattle mayor (Ray Liotta); a couple of protesters (Martin Henderson and Michelle Rodriquez) whom the screenplay forces into an awkward and unnecessary romance; a reporter (Connie Nielsen) who actually joins the protesters(!) after she witnesses some police brutality (I'm not making this up); and a police officer (Woody Harrelson) and his pregnant wife (Charlize Theron) whose lives are altered dramatically by the events of those few days. These actors are put into narrative situations that a 16-year-old would come up with if he were asked to jot down a bunch of scenarios that he thought would have a dramatic impact on his audience. Therefore, everything is hokey and maudlin to the extreme. The story line involving Theron, in particular, actually made me angry because of its cheap tactics.

A straight-up documentary about the WTO riots would be far more worth your time than this film. Hell, your time would be better spent watching "Dumb and Dumber."

Grade: D

Seattle, Washington is one of the most desirable places to live. But in November 1999, the city suffers a kick in the groin and a black eye. The unpopular World Trade Organization is having a Ministerial Meeting, an Seattle's Mayor Jim Tobin(Ray Liotta)tries his best to make sure all events go smoothly in his city. In spite of a man to man agreement protesters agreeing to be civil: the peaceful activists intend to stop the WTO talks by barricading an intersection leading to the meetings. Tensions will rise and intentionally or accidentally that section of the city rapidly escalates into a full fledge riot with demonstrators and by standing citizens caught in the crossfire.

The BATTLE IN SEATTLE is tense, engaging and worth your viewing. Director Stuart Townsend merges footage of the actual event with his fictionalized drama in proving that against all odds, ordinary informed citizens can change the world. An outstanding cast featuring: Woody Harrelson, Michelle Rodriguez, Charlize Theron, Andre Benjamin, Martin Henderson, Connie Nelsen and Rade Serbedzja.

Based on actual events, this really is unnerving. But in a good way. Of course it has some cinematic changes to it (like putting people together we know, where could expect them to have more "space" between them) and other freedoms a movie does take. Really great actors convince you, that this is how it went down.

But it's strong part is that it shows us both sides of the coin. While of course more sympathetic to one side of it, we still get a chance to glance at "the enemy" and how or why decision were made. You couldn't imagine anyone better than Ray Liotta playing the Mayor. And though it is a very moral story, it is a very personal story too. Hopefully it will spark the interest of quite a few people to be more concerned about what happens out there.

On the other hand as movie, it does have a few flaws, because it puts so many people together. And of course one of the best "in-jokes" is a theatre and their "Thanks Seatlle ..." title card/board towards the end ... A nice touch!