America's Greatest Rollercoaster Thrills In 3d

I'm pretty sure that when scientists finish mapping the human genome sometime in the next century, they're going to discover what most sensible people have known all along: there is a specific "roller coaster" gene. Otherwise, why would people with a brain bigger than a ping pong ball pay good money to strap themselves into a flimsy contraption that hurtles up to 80 m.p.h. around a track that has more twists and turns than Roseanne Barr's married life? Co-hosts Eric Boardman and Lisa Williams engage in some rather tedious and predictably juvenile banter in between the real attractions--namely, rides on a dozen of the most thrilling coasters in America. Viewers will get a front, side, and rear view of such popular attractions as Viper, Batman, Mean Streak, Raptor, Drachen Fire. and Big Bad Wolf, among others, and will learn the vital stats on each ride as well as hear comments from Ray Toomer, one of the premier coaster designers. Where the program goes off the track, so to speak, is with the 3-D glasses (two pair enclosed). The 3-D effects are few and far between, hard to see, and gave me more headaches than thrills. The program can be watched just fine without the glasses, but both the box and the show emphasize the 3-D aspect. The bottom line is that while this would probably be popular, it's an optional purchase. (R. Pitman)