It’s probably bad that there are so many documentaries about the imminent destruction of our planet that they’re now starting to become formulaic. The 11th Hour, which is little more than “An Inconvenient Truth with ADD,” kicks off with a montage of images of manmade destruction set to the sound of a heartbeat. From there, talking heads rant about melting ice caps, overuse of fossil fuels and corporate evildoing with what sounds like the soundtrack from The Omen playing in the background. 

 It’s plenty earnest, but DiCaprio and writer/directors Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners overlook their audience’s jadedness. Most Americans know consumerism has run rampant. They’ve seen images and heard lectures that suggest the Earth is pending destruction. They’ve even resigned themselves to using those reusable bags at Whole Foods. If it really is “the 11th hour,” it’s time to hit America over the head with startling stuff it hasn’t seen before – a likeable Al Gore, for starters.

The film does some things right. The breadth of experts interviewed is impressive. Interviewees include 50 scientists and historians, such as big guns Stephen Hawking, Mikhail Gorbachev and former CIA head R. James Woolsey. Perhaps the most striking attitude in the film comes from an environmentalist who says he’s excited about living in the modern era because we get to redesign everything we’ve already built. It’s a new spin at least.

The last half hour – the “what you can do to help” part – appends the usual “recycle-reduce-reuse” mantra with large-scale sustainable design theories, including skyscrapers modeled after trees and dance clubs powered by human motion.

While there’s little question that America needs a wakeup call, there’s no question that the 11th Hour isn’t it.