Fastest

This picks up where Mark Neale left us in "Faster", his panoramic story of the MotoGp era from 2001 to 2002. The film mainly focuses on the 2008 to 2010 seasons. Despite the cover, Rossi on the malevolent Ducati, the 2011 season is barley mentioned.

But what a story. This is motorcycle racing in its glory days. Most of the narrative is around Valentino Rossi, one of the greatest sportsmen of our time and unequivocally one of the best there has even been in the premier class. The basic story, his move to Yamaha, quick dispatch of Biaggi, Gibernau and up to 2010, of the new pretenders is expertly told through interviews with riders, the eloquent Michael Scott, ebullient Julian Ryder and the proto-Nietzschean philosophy of Dr Costa. Along the way, we get insights from the always effacing Colin Edwards, a surprisingly mature Jorge Lorenzo, taciturn Stoner and from the up and coming Marco Simoncelli, who's sadly premature death gives the film a very touching aura.

The action shots are stunning. We see bike control around switchbacks, chicanes, slide saves and we learn about the physics of 1000 tires, breaking at 1.6G and the dead on accuracy of Rossi at Lap 1 and Lap 25 in practice. The Mugello crash, which allowed the field to rearrange itself in Rossi's absence, is given the importance it deserves.

The movie is really Rossi but all the better for it. Neale is clearly impressed and delighted by the rider community but he makes no bones that the Rossi phenomenon is likely to be stopped by injury one day and he has caught it at its very best.

If you liked On Any Sunday, Dust to Glory, Faster, then this for you. If you need waking up after a slouch Christmas dinner, then this is a must...for all the family. Also some great bonuses, especially the Red Neck/Real physics section.

I don't follow competitive motorcycle racing and don't know much about it, but I thought Mark Neale's documentary "Fastest" might provide a good introduction. I watch a lot of documentaries about every conceivable topic, so I'm always interested to see how well something will translate to newbies on the subject. "Fastest," which covers the MotoGP World Championship, may be a bit daunting to someone who doesn't avidly follow the sport. At first, we're introduced to Valentino Rossi as he seeks an impressive 10th world title following a horrific accident. As the focal point of the film, Rossi certainly is an interesting character who is a true superstar and trendsetter in the field. But Neale's narrative never stays in one place for very long and instead of telling a straightforward account, it jumps back and forth through years of racing as the topics veer all over the place. It has so much information, it's almost exhausting to try to keep up (maybe that's why it's called Fastest)! Racing enthusiasts should love it, but the movie lacks some of the drama and tension that another approach might have given it.

That's not to say that I didn't like the movie, because I definitely did. It has a number of great elements. Ewan McGregor, a motorcycle man himself, makes a great narrator. The film is edited together with precision and the soundtrack is dynamic. And all of these things enhance the continuous racing footage. The camera work is provided from every angle imaginable from racetrack cameras to bike mounted units. It often feels as if you are directly involved in the action. There are more crashes than I could count and dozens of intensely close finishes. I loved the actual racing footage, and it made me intrigued to actually start following the sport a bit. The movie crew had access to most of the big name contemporary racers, so you get to see things from their perspective.

Rossi, though, is the primary storyline. When the film focuses on his plight, it has the potential to be absolutely fascinating. The rivalry between he and teammate Jorge Lorenzo is the centerpiece of much of the drama. Sometimes I wanted "Fastest" to stay on target. But, as I said, by the time I had seen snippets of hundreds of races over dozens of years, I started to become disconnected from any dramatic imperative. An easy recommendation to fans, it is also a rousing (if overstuffed) introduction to for those just discovering the world of motorcycle racing. KGHarris, 6/12.

Buy Fastest Now

I don't follow competitive motorcycle racing and don't know much about it, but I thought Mark Neale's documentary "Fastest" might provide a good introduction. I watch a lot of documentaries about every conceivable topic, so I'm always interested to see how well something will translate to newbies on the subject. "Fastest," which covers the MotoGP World Championship, may be a bit daunting to someone who doesn't avidly follow the sport. At first, we're introduced to Valentino Rossi as he seeks an impressive 10th world title following a horrific accident. As the focal point of the film, Rossi certainly is an interesting character who is a true superstar and trendsetter in the field. But Neale's narrative never stays in one place for very long and instead of telling a straightforward account, it jumps back and forth through years of racing as the topics veer all over the place. It has so much information, it's almost exhausting to try to keep up (maybe that's why it's called Fastest)! Racing enthusiasts should love it, but the movie lacks some of the drama and tension that another approach might have given it.

That's not to say that I didn't like the movie, because I definitely did. It has a number of great elements. Ewan McGregor, a motorcycle man himself, makes a great narrator. The film is edited together with precision and the soundtrack is dynamic. And all of these things enhance the continuous racing footage. The camera work is provided from every angle imaginable from racetrack cameras to bike mounted units. It often feels as if you are directly involved in the action. There are more crashes than I could count and dozens of intensely close finishes. I loved the actual racing footage, and it made me intrigued to actually start following the sport a bit. The movie crew had access to most of the big name contemporary racers, so you get to see things from their perspective.

Rossi, though, is the primary storyline. When the film focuses on his plight, it has the potential to be absolutely fascinating. The rivalry between he and teammate Jorge Lorenzo is the centerpiece of much of the drama. Sometimes I wanted "Fastest" to stay on target. But, as I said, by the time I had seen snippets of hundreds of races over dozens of years, I started to become disconnected from any dramatic imperative. An easy recommendation to fans, it is also a rousing (if overstuffed) introduction to for those just discovering the world of motorcycle racing. The DVD contains Deleted Scenes and Extended Interviews as well. KGHarris, 6/12.

Read Best Reviews of Fastest Here

While not as informative about the sport as Faster was it has some great video and commentary. Like Faster it seems to be mostly about Rossi, but if you were going to make a motoGP video why wouldn't you. As a Dani Pedrosa fan I felt a little let down with how much they showed about him.

Want Fastest Discount?

I don't follow competitive motorcycle racing and don't know much about it, but I thought Mark Neale's documentary "Fastest" might provide a good introduction. I watch a lot of documentaries about every conceivable topic, so I'm always interested to see how well something will translate to newbies on the subject. "Fastest," which covers the MotoGP World Championship, may be a bit daunting to someone who doesn't avidly follow the sport. At first, we're introduced to Valentino Rossi as he seeks an impressive 10th world title following a horrific accident. As the focal point of the film, Rossi certainly is an interesting character who is a true superstar and trendsetter in the field. But Neale's narrative never stays in one place for very long and instead of telling a straightforward account, it jumps back and forth through years of racing as the topics veer all over the place. It has so much information, it's almost exhausting to try to keep up (maybe that's why it's called Fastest)! Racing enthusiasts should love it, but the movie lacks some of the drama and tension that another approach might have given it.

That's not to say that I didn't like the movie, because I definitely did. It has a number of great elements. Ewan McGregor, a motorcycle man himself, makes a great narrator. The film is edited together with precision and the soundtrack is dynamic. And all of these things enhance the continuous racing footage. The camera work is provided from every angle imaginable from racetrack cameras to bike mounted units. It often feels as if you are directly involved in the action. There are more crashes than I could count and dozens of intensely close finishes. I loved the actual racing footage, and it made me intrigued to actually start following the sport a bit. The movie crew had access to most of the big name contemporary racers, so you get to see things from their perspective.

Rossi, though, is the primary storyline. When the film focuses on his plight, it has the potential to be absolutely fascinating. The rivalry between he and teammate Jorge Lorenzo is the centerpiece of much of the drama. Sometimes I wanted "Fastest" to stay on target. But, as I said, by the time I had seen snippets of hundreds of races over dozens of years, I started to become disconnected from any dramatic imperative. An easy recommendation to fans, it is also a rousing (if overstuffed) introduction to for those just discovering the world of motorcycle racing. The DVD contains Deleted Scenes and Extended Interviews as well. KGHarris, 6/12.

Save 22% Off