Review of Moto: The Movie - by RMD member

 

Moto: The Movie

Posted on April 26, 2010, 8:16 am on www.MXnewsfeed.com

By Dean Hyman


The opening seconds grab you; not with jaw-dropping imagery, but with
the soul-stirring simplicity of a bike coming off the stand, and the
knobby landing on the garage floor with the soft thud of 14 PSI.
Chills come from that part of our brain, for those of us who get it.
Images of ride preparation get that part of our brain excited. And
this opening collage sets the viewer's endorphin system on alert.

In 45 minutes, director Taylor Congdon then takes us free-riding on
the track, on wide open high-speed trails, in gnarly tight woods. He
takes us racing too; with a lovely montage of WORCS action, an
exciting segment of Endurocross, Southern California motocross, and
even abroad to the FIM series for the film's frantic, colorful climax.

In orderly fashion, MOTO presents four-minute segments of these sub-
genres - most times exploring the underlying question of "why?" Flow
is the answer. And fun is the answer. It's clear that Congdon
understands why we ride, and this film seems to rub that genie lantern
in a way that makes you want to go ride.

Trey Canard opens the show by introducing the concept of Flow at a
private motocross track in Shanee, OK. Then Nathan Woods demonstrates
the same concept in the great wide open of off road which he likens to
"motocross on steroids". What follows is a high-energy compilation of
footage from the WORCS series backed up by a soundtrack that now plays
on an endless loop in my head.

The soundtrack, of course, can make or break a video. And these are
matters of taste. I like this soundtrack, and the artful way it works
with the action and the live sound. As Congdon takes us free riding in
the Washington Mountains with Kevin Rookstool and Kyle Summers, the
music gets ethereal just like the heavenly trails. Flowing among
beautiful vistas on a system of legal trails that are "like a dream",
with "perfect ego dirt", they're just a couple buddies out there
riding and having fun between WORCS races. Steve "Hog" Haugelstein
blazes some new trails in Montana, showing us the free ride in all its
freedom, before MOTO takes us back to man-made terrain.

Back at the tracks in California, the music fittingly takes a turn
towards urban. Jesse Nelson exudes youthful enthusiasm and displays
his skills "just doin' what comes natural". In groomed perfection, he
shows us the pure joy of a sweet Bubba scrub. "I like hitting a nice
rut. It's like… really good for me. Or a nice berm, or... some hill
jumps or whatever. It's just so fun, I like it all." Proving his
point, Nelson and company find a nice hilltop hit. And Jesse busts out
208 feet for the cameras.

Quickly we return to the woods and the free ride, with Richard
Lancaster showing his KTM no mercy. Lancaster says of his favorite
trails "when it comes to trails, "the rockier, the nastier, the
tighter, the steeper the better". And as long as he makes it back home
he can "just laugh about it and order some new parts". If this sounds
ugly, it isn't. Like the whole film, the cinematography is first rate
and pleasing to the eye. And the music takes us back to the ether.

Lancaster's hard core style segues nicely into segments on Extreme
Enduro and then Endurocross before champion Geoff Aaron brings us back
to the roots of outdoors, and the rocks... big rocks, at his home in
Colorado. Exploring the countryside on his trials bike he finds flow
where others would only see a boulder. "Clearing a big triple jump is
just like clearing a big rock".

The grand finale doses us with a visual splash of SoCal motocross
before the aforementioned FIM frenzy. You might need a smoke as the
credits roll with priceless outtakes. As if Congdon knows he's been
pushing our buttons the whole time, the credits end by exhorting us
"NOW GO RIDE!!!!!" And indeed his Pavlovian efforts were part of the
plan. Congdon's note that came with the video says "my intentions were
to make a film that showcased all the different facets of our sport
and would make you want to go out and ride". I'd say he cleared that
jump with style.

MOTO: The Movie deserves a place on your shelf right next to your
Bruce Brown stuff. (Maximum stars, thumbs up, 5 stars, A+ all that)

See the trailer here:
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X-No-Archive: Yes

Now here is a footnote from my heart:

In my last few weeks in the UK, my little 18 month old grandson Carlo
would come into my room when I was in my darkest hours and grab this
DVD and out it in my hand.

Then he would grab my two fingers as that's all he could grab, and
pull me to the TV.

He'd then push my hand with the DVD in it towards the player and look
at me and smile and laugh until I put it in.

After I would put it in, the music would start and he would pull me
over to my little couch and grab my Etnies jacket. He loved that
jacket. And he would motion me to put him in my lap and cover us with
it.

And we would watch Moto together, we loved this movie.

And the world was OK for just a few minutes.

 

On Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:15:56 -0700 (PDT), MXEditor


Saw that trailer when it first came out.
Thanks for the reminder.

 


It is a mighty fine piece of work IMHO.