World Fastest Indian ( 2Hrs 10min )
Release 10 March
I was lucky enough o get my hands on a legit pre-release copy of this a few weeks ago, but moving house has delayed the review … Sorry…
Anyway :
For those looking for a definitive bike movie to stand above the dross of Biker Boyz & Torque, then I’m afraid WFI may disappoint.
The Worlds Fastest Indian is by far a biographical movie following the dreams, courage and convictions of an 80 year old man ( Burt Munro ) than it ever was a “motorcycle” movie.
While the actual story of Burt Munro is in its purest form one of trial, tribulation and perseverance and genuine hard knocks ( read the autobiography ) , this version is an overly sugar coated Hollywood view on the situation. Too much Hollywood sugar makes the film sickly after a while.
The film follows the dreams and ambition of a mans determination to travel half way across the world to a country that is far more hustle and bustle and hostile than the tiny town in New Zealand will ever be.
The movie is 2Hours 10 Minutes long with the first 100 minutes being about Burts travel to the USA and the people he meets along the way to Bonnellville, rather than the speed runs themselves . The film constantly fails to explore these onscreen meets and your often left wonder why he met the “Agent Orange Pilot or the Hollywood Transvestite” . You wonder if there is an uncut directors cut that explores these more and this was cut for audiences ( at 2hours long already ) but without these explored the film jumps around and is left full of holes . The plot comes down to x key stages :
Burt gets Old
Burt Gets boat to America
Burt meets Transvestite
Burt Drives to Bonneville
Burt Faces struggle to race
Burt Races
The End !
This really is Hollywood searching for a feel good “Americana” movie without understanding that the hero of the film is from New Zealand…
Finally when you do get to see the salt flats, your tired with the film and just want to see the runs themselves. Again the film just fails to deliver. Yes the biker runs are covered, with the gloss you would expect from Hollywood, but again without any depth as you feel these are being squeezed in before the end of the movie .
I feel that this movie has totally missed the mark of the real man, the real runs and the fact that the records still stand today… In the end the world fastest Indian ends up looking like a 600cc film, but heavily restricted to 125cc for the audience that cant handle the ride.
Disappointing.