It comes as no surprise that the ubiquitous right-wing agitator and Fahrenheit 9/11 mastermind Michael Moore pops up to offer his thoughts on the sadistic nature of corporations about 15 minutes into The Yes Men. Despite his likely appearance designed to boost the film's visibility, he nevertheless probably feels a kindred spirit with these satirical terrorists.

Co-directed by Chris Smith, Sarah Price and Dan Ollman (all of the brilliant nonfiction film American Movie), this witty, ramshackle documentary examines the lengths to which a seemingly global network of anti-corporate protesters will go to subvert the system and get their message across ― with often stunning and hysterical results. Watching the film reminds you just how much our world buys into those talking heads on TV; anybody with half a brain and enough data can get on air and sound like they know what they're talking about ― what's worse is when people unwittingly perpetuate the scam.

Shot over the course of a few years, The Yes Men centers on the exploits of Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, two practical jokesters who created a faux World Trade Organization Web site, eventually jetting around the world attending business conferences and impersonating various members of the WTO ― seemingly unbeknownst to most everyone with whom they come in contact. Although to be fair, these are some well-dressed, well-prepared protesters. No flinging tear gas, breaking windows or throwing placards at cops here, thank you very much.

Some of the more memorable pranks include developing an "executive leisure suit" complete with the disturbingly large, inflatable phallus, which helps corporate executives maximize productivity and "ReBurger," an ingenious, if disgusting, suggestion how countries like the United States can help feed starving Third World citizens through the wonders of recycled human waste.

All of this is presented in a straightforward and earnest manner, but as one Yes Man points out two-thirds of the way through: "It's not much fun being sincere, is it?" The real highlights come from the "Jackass" bravado that this gaggle of activists display ― witness a complete and totally fake spokesman being taken seriously on European cable news or perhaps a member of Canadian Parliament standing to address his peers about the Yes Men-perpetrated announcement of the WTO's disbanding.

However, the gleeful shenanigans ring hollow when held in context with the message that the Yes Men are attempting to disseminate ― context being the one element sorely lacking in this fly-on-the-wall film. By not grounding these hijinks in some facts and context (title cards give mere tidbits of information; uninformed viewers may leave wondering what all the fuss was about), The Yes Men is robbed of a more sobering humor ― if there was something at which to wince underneath the chuckles, the film would be richer for it.

The Video:

Shot on digital video and presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, The Yes Men often looks grainy and washed-out. There's a sizable chunk of the film that's shot on the sly so the image often suffers as a result; the archival TV footage is the best-looking portion of the film.

The film has Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 stereo tracks; since this is an entirely dialogue driven film, the activity is relegated to the front speakers. Dialogue sounds nice and crisp – although at times it gets a little muddy (however, the filmmakers helpfully provide subtitles when this happens).

MGM didn't put too many extras on the disc – a commentary with directors Smith, Price and Ollman and stars Bichlbaum and Bonanno. It's a straightforward affair, tinged with a little humor (the quintet opens the track by growling along with the MGM lion) but otherwise pretty much recounts what's going on onscreen or getting sidetracked with background info or dry statistics about their mission. The menus are worth noting as they're designed to look like a Yes Men Web site on a Mac – pretty nifty. Also on hand are four deleted scenes that were mainly cut because they don't really go anywhere and trailers for Undertow, Code 46, Wicker Park, Species 3, When Will I Be Loved and Confessions of an American Girl.

The Yes Men are a merry band of left-leaning activists whose exploits are a lot of fun to watch once, but the second or time through decidedly less so. A great rental for any Michael Moore or politically minded "Punk'd" fans, it's nevertheless a film about a specific time and mindset that may not age well. Recommended for rental.