Official Synopsis:
Academy Award® Winner Anthony Hopkins stars as Burt Munro, a man who never let the dreams of youth fade. In the late 1960s, after a lifetime of perfecting his classic Indian motorcycle, Burt sets off from the bottom of the world, Invercargill, New Zealand, to clock his bike at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. With all odds against him, Burt puts his irrepressible kiwi spirit to the test, braving the new world on a shoestring budget. Burt's quest culminates in an unlikely conclusion and remains legendary within the motorcycle community to this day.
Our Take:
When I first saw the trailer for The World's Fastest Indian, I was intrigued by the fact that the film had Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins playing a nutty old guy who wanted to set a world land speed record, and by the title of the movie itself. (It turns out that the Indian in question is the kind of motorcycle that Hopkins's Burt Munro rides into glory.)
The World's Fastest Indian is a feel-good film that kind of forgets the feel-good from time to time. With a running time of over two hours, the films kind of meanders, mutters, and sputters along at times, much like Hopkins's portrayal of Munro, a sort of eccentric old coot with some crazy methods of mechanics that actually work. It's fun to see Hopkins play someone so doddering and befuddled, as opposed to his usual steadfast, sure-minded roles. Unfortunately, the film's pacing is just as uneven as Burt's hearing. It frankly takes way too long to get to the actual speed record attempts, although there are some fun adventures along the way.
The film is based on an amazing true story, and it isn't bad; in fact, it can be charming and fun at times. I just think that for a film about speed, a little streamlining could have had a huge impact. The DVD comes with some pretty impressive features, though, so fans of the film, or of the real-life Burt Munro have a lot to look forward to.
* Making Of The World's Fastest Indian (45 minutes) - A very in-depth documentary featuring interviews with pretty much every single person in the cast, including Anthony Hopkins. You'll also find tons of on-set and behind-the-scenes footage.
* Commentary - Writer/director Roger Donaldson talks about the making of the film and the real-life Burt Munro, who’s a sort of hero in New Zealand..
* Deleted Scenes - Four deleted scenes, running about four minutes total.
* Burt Munro: Offerings To The God of Speed (27 minutes) - A fascinating 1971 documentary about the real Burt Munro, featuring lots of footage of him in action on his Indian.
* Southland: Burt's Hometown of Invercargill (3 minutes) - A promo for New Zealand's Southland.
I must admit, the documentary featuring real footage of Munro and his Indian is one of the more interesting special features I've seen in quite some time. Hopkins's take on this fascinating man is a fun performance, and if you like movies that focus on character and take time to build up to the climax, then you'll probably enjoy The World's Fastest Indian.
Overall Picture:
Movie: B-
DVD: A-
- Mike Spring
Editor
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