The world's greatest intellectual voice of dissent gets another fine showcase in Noam Chomsky: Rebel Without a Pause. Chomsky is no stranger to video and DVD, with several titles (including Manufacturing Consent) comprising a growing library of essential viewing for anyone with an open mind and a healthy skepticism toward powerful politicians. In this 75-minute documentary (plus 40 minutes of additional footage), filmed primarily during his lectures at Ontario's McMaster University during the build-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Chomsky holds forth on a wide variety of topics, mostly related to the state of world affairs in a post-9/11 context. Speaking in intimate conversational settings, classrooms, and sold-out lecture halls, Chomsky (who readily admits his lack of charisma as a speaker, explaining "it's the issues that people find interesting") is lucidly sensible and deeply informed about media manipulation, the self-interest of those in power, the roots of anti-American sentiment, and the need for social activism to maintain a balanced and genuine democracy. Behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Chomsky's wife and tour manager, Carol, offer an additional layer of depth and humanity to this hard-working thinker, while other colleagues and scholars express their supportive opinions of Chomsky and the very real fear that his outspokenness could result in his physical harm or even assassination. While any Chomsky-related material is timely by nature, the content of this film will remain relevant for years to come, whether it's being viewed as cautionary warning or prescient prophesy. --Jeff Shannon