
The World's Fastest Indian
3.7
(174)
Drama
Adventure
History
2005
127 min
PG-13
The life story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle—a bike which helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.
Starring:
Drama
Adventure
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"3½⭐/5⭐
(Review ends in comments)
+/- THE WORLDS FASTEST INDIAN works from a visual standpoint. It has some of the best production quality I have seen, depicting the style of the 60's as well as any movie has in terms of cinematography, set-building, props and cars. What I love most about this aspect, however, is that it suggests the time more than it immerses us in it. It never feels overproduced, with most of the movie taking place in charming diners and motels of the time, and it does help that much of the movie also takes place in natural settings, like mountain side roads and the Bonneville Salt Flats. The acting is good as well with Anthony Hopkins in the lead as Burt Munro, a blithe, good-spirited mechanic who is determined to break land speed records with his trusty Indian Scout motorcycle. Most of the movie follows Burt on his journey from New Zealand to Utah, and though he has many charming encounters with colorful characters on his way, for some reason I felt almost as if the narrative used those characters as being colorful archetypes who are mostly there to help Burt get along in his journey as opposed to feeling real in their own respect. It's similar to movies like INTO THE WILD where the main character forms friendships that, because they are short-term encounters, feel more intimate and adventurous. The issue with this movie is that it feels like they were written in because the story required it instead of it feeling organic. This is odd because I assume the people he met were real seeing as how the movie is based on a true story. Their encounters feel episodic without much interest in resolutions. We don't need conclusive scenes, but I am of the mind that in movies like this the arcs, no matter how small, work best when explored, and are not meant to only be rest stops for the main character. In these areas the movie feels like it's going through the motions, not even having a sense of unfolding."
"An awesome movie"
F M
Frank MacDonald