Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale (2022) User Reviews

A documentary that appeals to all ages

[mstimes · 10/10 · 2 October 2022]

There is a lot packed into this full-length documentary--enough to be enjoyed by all ages! Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale is an absolutely wonderful movie that takes the viewer on a nostalgic ride back decades when two huge steamboats ferried people of all ages to Boblo Island amusement park. The filmmaker easily captures this summer fun by incorporating series of home movie clips from passengers as well as reminisces of devote local Boblo fans. Not just fun, though, there is real drama and suspense in this movie as you are introduced to the quirky group of people dedicated to reconstructing the Boblo Boats, despite formidable obstacles.

The photography is state of the art and at times breathtaking! And Martha Reeves's narration of the movie was spot on with her melodic and engaging voice. We learn an important history lesson with this movie, too-that there was "another Rosa Parks," a young woman named Sarah Elizabeth Ray, whose Supreme Court ruling set the stage for momentous civil rights legislation. It is no wonder that this documentary has won at least three awards in film festivals!

Best documentary of 2022

[ritahavefaith · 10/10 · 2 October 2022]

Honestly, I was very spectacle about seeing this documentary on the Boblo Boats. And now, I am a better person because of it. This film explored so many fond memories of my childhood, and I am very excited to step aboard the SS Ste Claire again.

The Producer and Director of this documentary did an amazing job, and I am looking forward to seeing more films in their future!!

If you haven't gone out and seen this movie yet, you definitely should. You don't even need to be a Detroit native to fully understand and enjoy this film. It is 100 percent worth your time. And there is also a website you can pre-order the DVD from, very cool!!

A wonderful, heartwarming movie

[schillingerja · 10/10 · 2 October 2022]

Boblo Boats is not just a historical documentary that recounts the history of the popular boats used to go to and from Boblo Island. It captures the hearts and souls of the people who loved and continue to love both the boat and the island amusement park. The photography is excellent, but it is the telling of the story by the boat itself that truly brings the story alive and changes the film from just a documentary to a film that almost magically pulls the viewer into the story of the boats, the island, and the people who loved them.

Even for those who did not grow up with the park and boats, the film triggers childhood memories of old amusement parks and similar childhood experiences. It is a wonderful and heartwarming film!

Don't skip a magical trip though time

[Peach-TriOmega · 10/10 · 10 October 2022]

This documentary film has the rare magical ability to transport you through time. Many cities had a local amusement park, and Detroit's was special!

To get to Boblo Island, you had to take a ride on an old steam boat. These boats were the highlight of the trip for many people. It was a safe place to be yourself.

This is the only documentary film about that special island. It uses the "voice" of a steamboat to tell the story, narrated by Motown legend Martha Reeves. It finds people who remember the island and all it's glory.

What makes this movie so interesting is the depth it goes into the history of what happened to the boats afterwards. It follows the restoration of one for over 7 years and it's incredible journey.

From also touches on the left glorious aspects of History. The boats actually caused a supreme court civil rights case that's all but lost to time.

It's a wonderful film I will send you down a path of nostalgia and fascinating history.

A swing and a miss

[cgriff-3 · 3/10 · 31 October 2022]

I went in with the highest of hopes, but I came away unfulfilled.

Instead of focusing on the boats their history from their building to their current status,and perhaps the park history itself, we got the standard PBS-style "the past was great/everything was racist" dichotomy REALLY fast and prominent.

There was so little archival footage of the many, many times the boats were featured on the news or in commercials. There was zero discussion of the legal issues mandating how the Ste. Claire will never again be a steam-powered vessel which is the basis for the plan to make it a static entity.

I was shocked there was zero coverage of the decline during the AAA-Michigan years, how the move of millions to the suburbs, the lack of investment under AAA and subsequent ownership, the interstate highway system, the cost of maintaining both vessels--and the island conspired to make Cedar Point the go-to local amusement park destination for most, sealing Bob-Lo's fate.

I could tell this film was made by someone not familiar with the region and oh too happy to project his Woke vision of why the park failed over the simple facts that are plain for all to see--if they look. He didn't.

Walk down memory lane (and then some!)

[sptstrw · 10/10 · 3 October 2022]

I remember going to Boblo Island as a kid and riding on the ferry to get there. This was a lovely and nostalgic ride back on the boats that I remember from my childhood.

There is also so much about Detroit history within this documentary that - alone - makes it worth watching. Learning about Sarah Elizabeth Ray was mind-blowing and made me think a little more about what stories are or are not told.

If you want to learn about this history of Boblo Island and the two 'sisters' the Ste. Claire and the Columbia that brought us safely there... I'd recommend watching this movie. You'll get a chance to learn more about Detroit, Boblo, the ferries and the history that defines them.

Boblo movie blo's

[keleast-01084 · 1/10 · 5 December 2022]

A pair of deteriorating boats keeps deteriorating and then one catches fire and burns. Drama queen sold popcorn on the boat in high school and somehow becomes the restoration partner. Arabic doctor buys the boat for cheap and has health problems. Doesn't seem to give a s*^# about boat or the movie. Black people denied a seat 75 years ago. Big news. Psychic talks to boat for no apparent reason and then she dies. Did I miss anything? This was indeed one sad attempt at making a documentary - nothing much for old footage of the boat or the island. I wanted to be taken down memory lane. I was taken for $12 instead.

NOT about Boblo Boats

[pressuredoc · 1/10 · 25 September 2022]

I want my money back.

It is a Waste of Time.

You go expecting scenes of the past glories; about progress on restoration. Nope, not even.

I did not walk out, only because the person I was with thought it might get better. I got an apology at the end.

What this movie is really about: 1 Owner that has neither the funds nor knowledge for the enormous restoration and costs and 2 amateurs somehow becoming the center of attention (with one of them made manager of the works under whose leadership those works destroyed an historical boat).

That 'Manager' then goes into mental shut down needing safe spaces and cuddles.

The two key figures have emotional problems displayed on screen and in not flattering ways (for the movie goer to witness).

This is just a pitch for money and reminds me of the definition: 'Boat - a hole in the water filled with money'..

The only reason it gets one star is the narrator. Good job!

Please put it in a dry dock and sell it to a professional..

Nostalgia and Melodrama

[jetstard · 5/10 · 9 May 2023]

I wanted to see more historical photos or film on the boats and the island and it's rides and attractions. A timeline would've been nice. The lack of this is supplemented by strange characters, some bickering about the barnacle barges and dealing with their own personal issues. One comment in the film rang true, she wished the money being spent on those boats could be used more appropriately, help out some homes in Detroit. I don't buy the story that Boblo closed due to the owner's accident. It was on its last legs in the early 90s, tensions in the city and all over America lead to it's demise, if a park didn't have money it was going to close.

They missed the boat the boat.

[wknr13 · 3/10 · 2 June 2023]

They missed the boat in this documentary. It would have helped if they gave more detailed dates on some of the history given on the boats. Example when the boat that caught fire there was know clear date when this happened. The documentary never had a clear ending and better explanation of what would be done moving forward. The information about the boat that was brought to New York City was not given. It would have been interesting to learn more about what they are using the New York boat for and then show with a video tour of how the interior of the boat looks. It's best to stay clear of the documentary and row far away from watching.