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Anthony Hopkins stars as Burt Munro a man who never let the dreams of youth fade. After a lifetime of perfecting his classic Indian motorcycle Burt set off from the bottom of the world to test his bike at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. With all the odds against him he set a new speed record and captured the spirit of his times. Burt Munro s 1967 world record remains unbroken and his legend lives on today. Actors: Anthony Hopkins - Christopher Lawford - Diane Ladd - Saginaw Grant - Walton Goggins. Director: Roger Donaldson. Format: Blu-ray. Format Size: Widescreen. Runtime: 124 mins. Language: English. Subtitle: English Subtitles. Region code: Region 1 (United States Canada Bermuda U.S. territories). Discs: 1. Rating: PG. Genre: Adventure. Subgenre: Documentary. Release Year: 2005.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Steven Aldersley
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Amazon Verified Purchase
Directed by Roger Donaldson
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Diane Ladd
124 minutes
Video
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
***Spoilers within***
This film wasn't on my radar until a friend recommended it. The title seemed meaningless and I really couldn't imagine what it might be about. As a fan of Anthony Hopkins, I decided to buy it and give it a chance.
Good decision.
The film opens with a shot of Burt Munro (Hopkins) waking up. Until he speaks, he's just Anthony Hopkins. Then the New Zealand accent comes out and Munro starts to emerge.
Burt Munro lived in Invercargill, New Zealand and had a dream to go to Bonneville Flats to see how fast his motorcycle could go. He was born in 1899 and first visited Bonneville in 1956, setting the record for bikes under 1,000cc in 1967. So while the choice of Hopkins looks strange, he was the right age and a perfect fit for the part.
Munro held several speed records in New Zealand before making his first trip and was something of a celebrity. He annoyed his neighbors by working on his bike in the early mornings and urinating on his lemon tree. He sounds like quite a character.
Hopkins certainly plays him as an eccentric with passion and a lot of charm. He has the ability to win people over to his way of thinking and borrows the money he needs to make the trip to the US from the local bank. He also has heart trouble, but hides that from most people. His honesty and the way he accepts when he is wrong makes him easy to like.
The film really takes off when he makes the trip. He travels by boat and pays for his passage by working as its chef. On arriving in the US, he has to face the reality of the high prices and the chance that people will try to rip him off. He books into a motel more often used by prostitutes and befriends the night clerk.
Although he's initially naive, he turns out to be perfectly capable of surviving in his new surroundings. He buys a car and negotiates well, making another friend in the process. Then he makes the trip to Utah. The Indian in the title is a type of motorcycle manufactured in 1920. He tows it on a trailer that he made and somehow gets it to Bonneville on time.
Having made the long trip from the other side of the world, he's informed that he can't race because he hadn't registered.
Another friend, who he met casually on his arrival in Utah, tries to persuade the officials to let him race. They say no because not only did he fail to register, his bike is totally unsafe and he doesn't even have safety gear. Munro isn't having any of it and persuades a couple of people to help him test the bike one morning. The officials agree to the test to shut him up, but his passion and determination convince them that he knows what he's doing. He's allowed to race.
The rest is history. He's accepted and admired by the fans and made the trip several more times.
The special features show the real Burt Munro and Hopkins played him perfectly. Hopkins is also on record as saying it's probably the best thing he has ever done. Quite a statement when you look at the roles he has had throughout his career. I don't quite agree, but it's certainly up there.
This is one of those films that shouldn't work. It reminds me of Seabiscuit in some ways. Few people would think they have any interest in the subject matter, but the story and the acting make you care.
You don't have to be a fan of bikes. You don't have to be male. Just give this a chance and see what magic Hopkins has worked to bring Munro's character back to life.
The presentation is decent for the most part although some of the scenes set in the dark of Munro's shed are thick with grain. It didn't stop me enjoying this unusual story.
Director Roger Donaldson had wanted to film this story for 25 years. His script is excellent and his passion for the subject matter comes shining through.
Recommended whether you're a fan of Hopkins or not.
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Diane Ladd
124 minutes
Video
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
***Spoilers within***
This film wasn't on my radar until a friend recommended it. The title seemed meaningless and I really couldn't imagine what it might be about. As a fan of Anthony Hopkins, I decided to buy it and give it a chance.
Good decision.
The film opens with a shot of Burt Munro (Hopkins) waking up. Until he speaks, he's just Anthony Hopkins. Then the New Zealand accent comes out and Munro starts to emerge.
Burt Munro lived in Invercargill, New Zealand and had a dream to go to Bonneville Flats to see how fast his motorcycle could go. He was born in 1899 and first visited Bonneville in 1956, setting the record for bikes under 1,000cc in 1967. So while the choice of Hopkins looks strange, he was the right age and a perfect fit for the part.
Munro held several speed records in New Zealand before making his first trip and was something of a celebrity. He annoyed his neighbors by working on his bike in the early mornings and urinating on his lemon tree. He sounds like quite a character.
Hopkins certainly plays him as an eccentric with passion and a lot of charm. He has the ability to win people over to his way of thinking and borrows the money he needs to make the trip to the US from the local bank. He also has heart trouble, but hides that from most people. His honesty and the way he accepts when he is wrong makes him easy to like.
The film really takes off when he makes the trip. He travels by boat and pays for his passage by working as its chef. On arriving in the US, he has to face the reality of the high prices and the chance that people will try to rip him off. He books into a motel more often used by prostitutes and befriends the night clerk.
Although he's initially naive, he turns out to be perfectly capable of surviving in his new surroundings. He buys a car and negotiates well, making another friend in the process. Then he makes the trip to Utah. The Indian in the title is a type of motorcycle manufactured in 1920. He tows it on a trailer that he made and somehow gets it to Bonneville on time.
Having made the long trip from the other side of the world, he's informed that he can't race because he hadn't registered.
Another friend, who he met casually on his arrival in Utah, tries to persuade the officials to let him race. They say no because not only did he fail to register, his bike is totally unsafe and he doesn't even have safety gear. Munro isn't having any of it and persuades a couple of people to help him test the bike one morning. The officials agree to the test to shut him up, but his passion and determination convince them that he knows what he's doing. He's allowed to race.
The rest is history. He's accepted and admired by the fans and made the trip several more times.
The special features show the real Burt Munro and Hopkins played him perfectly. Hopkins is also on record as saying it's probably the best thing he has ever done. Quite a statement when you look at the roles he has had throughout his career. I don't quite agree, but it's certainly up there.
This is one of those films that shouldn't work. It reminds me of Seabiscuit in some ways. Few people would think they have any interest in the subject matter, but the story and the acting make you care.
You don't have to be a fan of bikes. You don't have to be male. Just give this a chance and see what magic Hopkins has worked to bring Munro's character back to life.
The presentation is decent for the most part although some of the scenes set in the dark of Munro's shed are thick with grain. It didn't stop me enjoying this unusual story.
Director Roger Donaldson had wanted to film this story for 25 years. His script is excellent and his passion for the subject matter comes shining through.
Recommended whether you're a fan of Hopkins or not.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Cannucklehead Film Addict
TOP 500 REVIEWER
There's no information given to help the buyer evaluate this blu-ray, so be wary. I've rated it at one star NOT for the quality of the film, which is easily a 4.5, but because the quality of this particular BR is a total unknown.
However, before you buy, consider that the Canadian regular DVD release of this film, from Alliance, was in the widescreen ratio of 2.35:1, as it was in the theatres. However, the director's preferred ratio was 1.78:1. Not only that, but the Alliance disc was non-anamorphic, and did not include the director's earlier film, "Offerings to the God of Speed," a documentary about the real Bert, as an extra. The US DVD release was in the correct aspect ratio, and had great extras.
If Alliance is simply re-releasing their DVD in high def with this blu-ray, then I would say, don't buy it; get the US disc, which has the correct aspect ratio, and better extras. Keep in mind too, that Alliance released Good Will Hunting in a non-anamorphic DVD and kept it in print for years, despite customer complaints, and that when they released the title on blu-ray, they did so in 1080i rather than 1080p, and again, with no extras. Alliance's BR release of The Pianist was also in 1080i, a fact which they decided not to put on the box, thereby getting people to buy the damn thing, only to find out when they got it home, that it was an inferior pressing.
One final note: the US Blu-ray is region free (according to websites I've checked), meaning that, if it's cheap enough, you can also safely get it through Amazon UK.
However, before you buy, consider that the Canadian regular DVD release of this film, from Alliance, was in the widescreen ratio of 2.35:1, as it was in the theatres. However, the director's preferred ratio was 1.78:1. Not only that, but the Alliance disc was non-anamorphic, and did not include the director's earlier film, "Offerings to the God of Speed," a documentary about the real Bert, as an extra. The US DVD release was in the correct aspect ratio, and had great extras.
If Alliance is simply re-releasing their DVD in high def with this blu-ray, then I would say, don't buy it; get the US disc, which has the correct aspect ratio, and better extras. Keep in mind too, that Alliance released Good Will Hunting in a non-anamorphic DVD and kept it in print for years, despite customer complaints, and that when they released the title on blu-ray, they did so in 1080i rather than 1080p, and again, with no extras. Alliance's BR release of The Pianist was also in 1080i, a fact which they decided not to put on the box, thereby getting people to buy the damn thing, only to find out when they got it home, that it was an inferior pressing.
One final note: the US Blu-ray is region free (according to websites I've checked), meaning that, if it's cheap enough, you can also safely get it through Amazon UK.
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