Grand Prix fans are well aware of
Faster and now can enjoy the Mark Neales handiwork with
Faster & Faster and
The Doctor, The Tornado and The Kentucky Kid.
A classic already,
Faster is the feature-length documentary by Mark Neale chronicling the MotoGP 2001 and 2002 seasons. Narrated by Ewan McGregor, Faster is a MCUSA office favorite, but to our shock and dismay we had never reviewed it! The arrival of a four-disc “Ultimate Collector’s Edition”, with sequel
Faster & Faster as well as
The Doctor, The Torndao and The Kentucky Kid gives us an opportunity to rectify the situation.
Short review,
Faster is really, really, good. Long review,
Faster is really, really, really good. Joking aside, the film is a must own for MotoGP fans, with Neale’s filmmaking and McGregor’s narration bringing the GP paddock to life.
The film is all about the drama of Grand Prix. Plot lines include the competition between manufacturer, teams and teammates. The main arc is the rivalry between Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi. Of course, Rossi is the hero, with Biaggi, somewhat unfairly, appearing like a villain straight out of a melodrama. Commentary from racing journalists, like Brit Julian Ryder, distill the technical aspects down to a common level – so that GP novices and even non-riders will appreciate the sport. Coloring things up are appearances by riders, past and present, as well as Grand Prix’s Clinica Mobile physician, Dr. Claudio Costa, whose flamboyant musings include the comparison of GP riders to gods.
Faster & Faster is also included in the special collector’s edition. Same great footage and presentation as
Faster. The difference is the original chronicles the 2001 and 2002 seasons, while the sequel covers ’03 and ’04.
Faster and
Faster & Faster are must see/rent/own films.
The Doctor, the Tornado and the Kentucky Kid
The second half of the DVD package is
The Doctor, the Tornado and the Kentucky Kid. The similarities between
DTK and Faster are many. Both are narrated by Ewan McGregor. Both feature the same cast of Grand Prix characters. And viewers will not need to be GP nuts to appreciate this film either, although it wouldn’t hurt. The upside and downside of
DTK are the same – instead of two full seasons the film focuses on the 2005 USGP at Laguna Seca.
It’s hard to care about Free Practice 1 too much, even with McGregor narrating, and by the time qualifying begins… Let’s start the race already! On the flip side, the history and back story of the Laguna Seca circuit are examined in detail. Also, by focusing on the title’s three characters - actually there is four as John Hopkins is also featured - viewers will get into the personalities of the four riders.
Rossi is the GOAT and unquestioned master of GP. Hayden is the country boy riding with the heavy expectations of the HRC factory on his shoulders. Edwards the carefree American rides fast and plays hard. Hopkins is actually a scene stealer as the third American, whose talent exceeds the limits of his bike and body. In fact, given his screen time filmmakers should have gotten Hopper somewhere in the title too.
Faster and
DTK are must buys for a sportrider’s DVD library. For the non-riding public, the two films are documentary rentals that you’ll not regret.
For more information check out
www.newvideo.com
Buy it Now:
Faster: Ultimate Collector’s Edition 4-disc
MSRP: $39.95
