The World's Fastest Indian
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Movie Reviews of The World's Fastest Indian
Movie Review: One of the most heartwarming and moving films I've seen in a long time
Summary: 5 Stars
Sometimes you just like a movie not just because it entertains but because it makes you feel good. Because there have been so many excellent reviews that have praised this fine film in great detail I won't recount the events in the film at any length. I'll just make a few random comments.
First, you absolutely do not need to know anything about motorcycles or attempts at speed records to enjoy this film. I don't know if a knowledge would help or not. All that is necessary to love this film is the willingness to get to know Burt Munro as portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. As far as that goes, I've rarely seen Hopkins in better form than this. It is a subtle performance. It may not have the capacity for memorable eccentricity as in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, but it is in its own way just as powerful a performance.
Second, I'm sure that some reviewers have pointed out that the record Burt Munro was shooting for in the film (and in real life) is for a very particular kind of record, not the overall speed record. It was not even for the top record for a motorcycle, but for the particular style of bike with its particular fuel. But what is most remarkable is that Munro attempted all of this at an age when most people would have given up or quit. I don't know if in real life a doctor told him that he needed to give up riding motorcycles, but trying to do what he did at his age is truly an inspiration story.
I won't give any hints as to how this ends. I'm sure many reviews here do that if anyone is interested. What impressed me was that well before the end of the film, before we learned whether Burt was going to succeed or achieve merely a glorious defeat, Burt's quest already felt like a glorious triumph. Merely fitting out his own bike, financing his trip with minimal funding, and making the journey to Bonneville already seemed like there was no way for the movie to end badly. After all, regardless of the outcome, he did what he set out to do: get to the salt flats to see how fast he could make his bike go.
I can't recommend this movie highly enough. It would be hard to imagine many people not finding it to be delightful. On a side note, I would like to chide all my friends who kept declining to watch this with me. I got this DVD shortly after it came out, but put off watching it with the expectation that on a DVD night with friends we could all watch it. But after my daughter on summer vacation declined repeatedly to watch it and several friends later declined as well, I finally surrendered and watched it by myself. Now I'm not only miffed with my friends and daughter, but also regretful that they didn't get to see such a great movie.
Movie Review: Never Stop Dreaming, Never Stop Living The Dream
Summary: 5 Stars
Never, that's what Burt Munro has to say to us.Wow! This is a great flick and Anthony Hopkins is at his subtle best!Way more than 5 stars.The synopsis:Burt Munro, a Kiwi from far south New Zealand has been building and rebuilding his motorcycle for the last 40 years, dreaming of the day when he and the bike can go to Bonneville Salt Flats,USA and see what they can really do. When Burt's heart goes bad on him, his dreaming is threatened to come to an end. Burt is not ready to stop dreaming. He decides to mortgage his house and bring his dream to life. He and the motorcycle head for American and the Bonneville Salt Flats,Utah to participate in 'Speed Week'. When they land in in the US the fun begins. His journey from Long Beach to Utah brings him through a cross section of American 'characters'. Each recognizes in Burt, that burning desire to achieve a dream and each helps him in the way that they can to make that dream happen. There are so many funny and beautiful moments but one that come to mind is when Burt meets Tina, the transvestite motel clerk...that whole interaction is so beautiful. Or when Burt finally stands on Bonneville Salt Flats, by himself thinking of all the greatness that has transpired here and now he, Burt Munro, can at last test himself on this 'sacred ground'. Man! it brings shivers to see Anthony Hopkins do that moment.While the film is about motorcycles and fast cars, it is not a movie about motorheads. It is a story we can all get something out of- even your Grandma will love it. Don't hold back-go see it now. A Cultural Sidebar:I happen to have been in New Zealand when this film started it's world release in it's home country..Oct. 2005. The Kiwis, normally a reserved and sober lot, were crazy on this movie. For a week that is all the entertainment news there was, end to end on both islands. Munro's actually Indian Scout motorcycle made the rounds of movie houses, sort of a hero's artifact for theater goers inspection. In general, the Kiwis felt that Hopkins and Donaldson had really nailed the Kiwi national 'character', straight talking but not offensive, a master of '#8 wire' ingenuity, reserved but determined. All this allowed Munro to build his bike to it's peak,get it to America, and rise above the better financed competition. Hopkins was given accolades for nailing a South Island,New Zealand accent.People that had known Munro claimed Hopkins had portrayed Munro as they knew him. As an American I like they way Donaldson portrayed Americans.I found the movie to be a classic American dream tale. Go see the movie, you won't be sorry.Movie Review: The Best of the Human Condition - You've Got to Love This One
Summary: 5 Stars
Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins) loves to contemplate speed. His odds of showing his stuff, however, are tough because he's a 1960's something codger, in his 60s, lives in Invercargill, New Zealand, takes nitro pills for his heart condition, and spent years tinkering with a 1920 Indian motorcycle. His neighbors wish he would take a break once in a while, stop urinating on his backyard lemon tree and just mow the grass in his windswept yard.
"The World's Fastest Indian" is based on a true story. It's an absolutely delightful movie complete with soft humor. It works because Munro brings out the best in our human condition when challenged to excel.
Munro's obsession with speed drives him to spend his time and retirement income tinkering with an old motorcycle to the point where he feels it can exceed the speed limits of any new fangled contraption on earth. He's determined to take his "Indian" from New Zealand to Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to take part in the annual Speed Week - a sort of "bubba" convention for wealthy motorcyclists - clearly a gathering of nostalgic speed buffs.
In the face of trials and tribulations of an ordinary, self effacing New Zealand life lived in the shadow of a tragedy Munro describes, about loosing his twin brother as a child, this movie shows us the extraordinary value in living despite obvious odds against you.
What I loved about this movie is the charm of the ordinary. Anthony Hopkins is nothing like the monster Hannibal Lector (Silence of the Lambs) in this excellent film with a good-news moral. Rather, Hopkins is absolutely adorable playing the modest Munro, a man who likes everyone he meets, even though they tend to think he's an Englishman, rather than "Kiwi".
Although I'm not the least bit interested in motorcycles, "The World's Fastest Indian" brought me into the culture of the road people who respect their colleagues who live for the joy of owning one.
I was especially entertained by Hopkins' ability (as Munro) to engage the women he meets of his age into delightful romantic submission - it's very believable romance and adds to his character's enduring allure.
In a nutshell, what's best about "The World's Fastest Indian" is how well Americans are portrayed in this film, as they continue to make exceptions to help Munro realize his passionate dream of running at Bonneville.
"The World's Fastest Indian" is an excellent keeper for my DVD file, where I'll surely pull it out again for future viewing.
Movie Review: A Great Family Friendly Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
There are many reasons why this film is great. Firstly, the "true" story of Kiwi Burt Monro - one of life's innocents, dropping all and heading off to the Salt Lake flats, is really an inspiring and moving one. I suspect that the incidents that happened on his journey have been dreamt up for the film, but we can forgive them for it. As a racer myself, I recognised the atmosphere there is at an event, with all the signing on, scruitineering, the adrenalin, the people etc.
Secondly, the script is very good. Burt Monro has some wonderful one liners, and the many characters that greet him on his long journey are interesting and show us more about Monro's character each time. This is the kind of film where you know the ending, but it's the journey and the small details that make it a delight.
Thirdly, the locations are awesome. I love road movies that travel the beautiful locations of America, and here you get the fantastic vistas, but of course with Burt pounding through them on his motorbike. The direction and the music, the thematic material and the shot in the arm the film gives you is really something - and there's one final element to congratulate for it...
Anthony Hopkins. Since his big Hollywood break Hopkins was on a roll. Then he started drifting towards the typical Hollywood roles that didn't suit his talents. And in recent years his creditability was at it's lowest ever, thanks to rubbish like Instinct, MI:II and Bad Company. I assumed he'd given up 'acting' for the easy paycheck. However, in this film he delivers what is probably one of his best ever performances, easily his best since 1994. He totally inhabbits the character, and he does what he does best - SHOW us the character in the small moments, and not repeat mannerisms. According to Kiwis his accent is particularly good, which was always a challenge for Hopkins. Had this film had more fanfare upon release he would have easily gotten an Oscar nomination, without a doubt. If his career goes back to below par as it was before this, we can be glad at least that he gave us the character of Burt Monro.
The World's Fastest Indian will not appeal to the ultra-cynical of person, but it should be an entertaining and uplifting experience to those who are able to give it attention. The film's message is simple: Life doesn't have to be as bad as people make out. Honesty's good. Being genuine is good. To me, this film is both of those things.
Movie Review: This little gem floored me
Summary: 5 Stars
I watched The world's Fastest Indian last night and was absolutely floored. The following review is more about the sense of feeling this movie evoked in me then an actually critique. I believe this movie will strike a cord with a lot of people, as it did with me. Anthony Hopkins has really hit the nail on the head this time. This movie, as the previous reviewer stated is a must see for motorcycle enthusiasts. I believe though a film such as this will appeal to more then just a small segment of the population. It is the true story of a man who had a dream of setting the world land speed record on his Indian motorcycle and preseveres through all manners of trials and tribulations to achieve his goal. On his journey to the Bonneville Salt Flats from New Zealand, he meets all manner of interesting characters who provide him with assistance to achieve his dream.
Movies such as this I feel provide a sense of hope to all who may have dreamed a little dream. When I was a wee red haired lad I knew a man similar to Burt Munro, the character Anthony Hopkins plays , he was my grandfather. It dawned on me, as I was watching this movie, I too use to sit in my grandfathers work shed and watch as he built all manner of things. He was self-taught and had a good sense of all things mechanical. I spent hours listening to him philosophize about life in general and have carried with me to this day, many little nuggets of wisdom he past on.
This movie reminded me of my youth and all the good things that happened during that time. All I was looking for was to see Anthony Hopkins's character go over 200 miles an hour on an Indian, but I ended up seeing something else. Huh, imagine that. It's an odd thing how movies such as this can evoke such strong emotions in a person. My grandfather sadly past away 31 years ago this October. He along with my grandmother were killed by a drunk driver. In the movie Burt stated on several occasions he was dead set against drinking and smoking, hence why I mention the above accident. I just found this movie to strangely parallel certain things in my life and that is why, I guess, it has provoked such strong emotions within me. I am not really sure what that makes it, but it is most certainly worth watching more than once.
Anyway, for better or worse those are my thoughts on The World's Fastest Indian. I just ordered in once again in HD DVD, I suspect the PQ & AQ will be excellent.