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Graffiti artists/taggers/bombers/whatever from Philadelphia, New York, Brazil, Japan, Germany and more discuss the benefits of adding some flair to public property, even when it results in train track-related deaths and gang-related shootings. Occasionally, city officials and residents take the counterpoint, arguing that graffiti is nothing but vandalism that deteriorates society and leads to more crime.

Big question: Can this documentary get to the heart of a worldwide phenomenon that's rejected by many community members but embraced by major corporations (like in Sprite ads)?

Catch it: Graffiti is presented as a voice for the voiceless, and thus "Bomb It" suggests a Catch-22 in which bombers ask to be a part of society by first rejecting that society's values completely. What's intriguing about that is the separation between those who only write their names in big, swirly letters and those who use walls and the sides of trains as forums to discuss major issues -- and that both forms of expression are equal in the eyes of the law.

Skip it: If you're active in protecting animals' rights and don't want to hear about Darryl "Cornbread" McCray spray painting "Cornbread lives" on an elephant. Animals aside, is no one concerned about the environmental damage done by all these aerosol cans?

Bottom line: An absence of facts and numbers makes the film's canvas feel too broad, and not every subject has something valuable to say. (One artist's contribution: "[Society] gets on my nerves because everybody sucks.") But through a wide variety of interviews -- ranging from rapper KRS-One to an impoverished family in Sao Paulo -- director Jon Reiss crafts a colorful examination of property and public space, the rebellion of self-expression and an art form that's as controversial in art galleries as it is on the streets.

Bonus: One subject points out that while we expose ourselves to commercials by turning on the TV, we don't necessarily ask to see billboard advertising just by leaving the house. Raise your hand if you've never thought about it that way, but are kind of annoyed now that you have!

What do you think of 'Bomb It'? Email me: mpais@tribune.com