“Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” is an intriguing documentary about the academic battle between evolution and intelligent design with Ben Stein (“The Mask”) guiding.

This film claims that a Darwinian agenda is being pushed in academia to keep religion out of the public square while also potentially hindering scientific understanding and creating a wider freedom of speech problems within academia. Ben Stein takes us on this fascinating journey as he talks to respected figures on both sides such as John Lennox and Richard Dawkins.

Ben Stein seems reasonably good at asking the right sort-of questions for the most part and it’s great to see such a wide array of individuals interviewed. There is a very personal moment where Stein visits a former-concentration camp, which has a massive impact on him as Jew in terms of his relationship with Darwinism. The interview with Richard Dawkins at the end is the only part where Stein does himself a disservice as he asks several ridiculous questions that make him look really immature and idiotic and that’s a real shame. We get to see interviews with biologist Richard Dawkins, mathematician John Lennox, science writer Michael Shermer and a whole host of other individuals on both sides of the debate, making for an interesting watch.

Some have heavily criticised “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” as creationist propaganda and while it may be biased, I think it’s still worth watching. “Religulous” was a passionately anti-religious documentary and while I disagreed with its messages, I still found it a thought-provoking film so I’m not going to attack “Expelled” for being a little biased. For those that are fascinated with science, this is an interesting piece that seeks to expand the academic conversation, helping to ensure the debates about what is taught in schools are settled in the lecture halls and not in the courts.