A true rarity: a feel-good underdog story that isn't manipulative

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2005)

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing this movie last night and will say that it is the best movie I've seen this year, and I've seen an awful lot of movies this year. Hopefully come Oscar season the Academy will not only reward Anthony Hopkins for his fantastic performance but also the filmmakers for making such a quality picture. This is a movie that really can appeal to anyone, and I'd imagine it would be only the coldest, most soulless person out there who wouldn't be touched by this story. It is the true life story of Burt Munro's fulfillment of his life-long desire to travel from the southern tip of New Zealand to the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah to speed test his 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle just to see how fast he could get it to go. He really was a guy who came out of left field and astounded everyone around him with what he accomplished, and it is a truly incredible story that makes for a fantastic movie. If you're looking for something to entertain you and lift your spirits, this is the movie for you. And even though it is much in the same vein as virtually any "underdog" feature, it manages to avoid feeling manipulative at all because of how earnest it is, just like Burt Munro.
Peter Hallinan stated his displeasure with the fact that only people from "down under" had commented on this movie, and I wanted to say that is because the movie is a long way from being released here in the US. They will run it in a few theaters for a week in mid-December, but it won't actually get full release here until February of 2006. I plan to go back and see it when it does open because I enjoyed it so much, and also so I can contribute to the film's box office and do my small part to make it a success because I feel it deserves it.