Faster

An absolutely stunning piece of film. Manages to capture the feeling of riding a bike right at the edge of it's performance envelope, and shows us the mind-bending consequences of breaking through that envelope. If you don't understand why some of us choose to go as fast as humanly (or inhumanly) possible on two wheels, then this movie might provide some insight. For those who are already familiar with the sport, the interviews with riders both past and present are worth the price of admission alone. Hearing Kevin Schwantz describe how it felt just as good to beat Wayne Rainey to 5th place as it did to win provides some insight into the competitive nature required to push those "evil" bikes to the limit. If you have even a passing interest in motorcycles or motor sport, please go watch this movie. Even if only to see how bike racers make four-wheel racers look like a bunch of nancy-boys.

This excellent documentary film captures the excitement of the races and the lives of a few of the racers from the point of view of the racers themselves and their teams. The film begins with a focus on the rivalry between Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi (the film definitely takes Rossi's side). A select few other riders are showcased, and then the film focuses on the transition from two-stroke bikes to four-stroke, and Moto GP. The film seems to be pretty comprehensive, covering some history of the sport and also taking a very personal approach in telling the stories of some of the riders, like John Hopkins. The film has awesome footage, which is helpful to those interested in actually racing and those who just want to see some thrilling racing footage. Recommended to those with an interest in the racing scene, sport bike enthusiasts, or those seeking adrenaline-pumping motorcycle footage. The interactive racing features on the second disc of the DVD set has great on board camera footage and an update for the 2004 season.

I got to see a sneak peek of this film at a little motorcycle rally in Texas in Nov. 2003. The soundtrack, opening credits and racing action in the first half the film are excellent. As the interviews go on in the latter part of the film it drags a bit, but the insight into the strategies and politics of racing at this level still made it interesting. The action-packed editing of all this racing, sliding, flipping and crashing crammed into one film is unbeatable.

Because of the European flavor of Moto-GP, the choice of using Ewan McGregor (with his British accent) as narrator was appropriate. I hear he is an avid rider as well.

Definitely worth seeing on a big screen if it shows near you and renting once available. As soon as it goes on sale, I'm buying the DVD!

The fact that there are so few good motorcycle movies makes "FASTER" difficult to rate. If you compare this movie to dreck like "Torque" or "Biker Boyz", it's an absolute 10. If you compare it to the obvious choice "On Any Sunday", the movie is good but it leaves you feeling like it could have been a little bit better.

It's more or less a documentary of the top motorcycle road racing series in the world, MotoGP. The movie focuses primarily on four different riders over the course of the 2001 and 2002 seasons. The narration by Ewan McGregor is excellent, and the racing footage (a mix of shots filmed for the movie and archival race coverage) is fabulous. The interviews with former world champions are entertaining and educational.

However, the way the movie tends to jump around a bit might confuse people who aren't already fans of the sport, a problem that detracts from the excellence of the movie. Basically, you should watch it, but if you're not already a MotoGP fan maybe you should watch it with one so they can explain.

If you have any interest in finding out what drives guys to push the envelope on a motorcycle this is the movie to watch. This documentary includes some great footage of pretty radical MotoGP riding with explanations from the riders themselves and the people who support them. You may actually learn why these "crazies" do what they do. If you are an aggressive sports motorcycle rider this is a must see; all others will enjoy it also for the intensity, action and skill performed by these folks. I especially enjoyed hearing from the doctors that treat the injuries of these racers and their comments on the psyche of these riders. Some of these guys don't even ride on the streets! But most if not all have come off these maniacal machines at well over 100 mph and walked away....MANY times! Even if you don't appreciate action motorcycle flicks, this movie will give you some pretty good insight into what this sport is all about. Definitely a 10 for biker folks, and maybe a 6 or 7 for those who are not.