Faster

The MotoGP circuit of high-speed motorcycle races hasn't achieved NASCAR-level popularity in the U.S., but thanks to filmmaker Mark Neale it now has its own documentary: Faster, narrated by Ewan McGregor, a chronicle of the multinational, 18-race 2001-2002 season that also covers the history of the sport via interviews and newsreel footage. Neale concentrates on four competitors: Italians Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi, who dominate the circuit; Australian Garry McCoy, a veteran plagued by bad luck; and rookie John Hopkins, an easygoing youngster portrayed as the great new Western hemisphere hope--perhaps its first American superstar (unfortunately, Hopkins' performance in his freshman season doesn't quite match the hype--a disappointment, it would seem, to the director, who constructed much of the coverage around his progress). The year is also marked by the introduction of a new bike model, with an engine that increases speed; hence the film's title. Overall, Faster does a decent job: it grows a bit repetitious and doesn't end with the sort of rousing triumph one might like, but it also offers enough basic information to serve as a good introduction to an unfamiliar sport while including “advanced” details to satisfy dedicated fans. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras on this two-disc “ultimate collector's edition” set include the 48-minute sequel “Faster & Faster '03-'04,” 14 additional scenes, and an interactive racing segment in which viewers use the angle function to toggle between the onboard cameras of Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi, and Sete Gibernau during four classic last lap battles at Australia 2001, France 2003, Germany 2003, and Czech Republic 2003. Bottom line: a very good extras package for a so-so doc.] (F. Swietek)