On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter

Aimed at motorcycle enthusiasts, On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter offers a glowing look at the world of two-wheel daredevil stunts and various forms of professional racing. Directed by Dana Brown, who has made similar—and occasionally better—films (such as the 2003 surfing documentary Step Into Liquid), this is a follow-up of sorts to the 1971 motorcycle classic On Any Sunday, made by filmmaker Bruce Brown, Dana's father (the theme of family legacy is prominent throughout). One of the more audacious performers captured here is Australian Robbie Maddison, an extreme motocross champion who has taken up the mantle of legendary performer Evel Knievel. Maddison's amazing leaps on his motorcycle over canyons, football-field-length distances, and tops of buildings are breathtaking. Yet what stays in the viewer's mind is the sight of his toddler son watching his dad with awe. Brown also celebrates motorcycle racing as a generational bridge for riders and fans in this handsome, energized, nonfiction celebration that will be embraced by diehard fans, but perhaps not by casual viewers, who may be disturbed by the bone-crunching crashes that are a constant visual refrain here. Recommended, overall. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)