Review
NASCAR 3D
Narrated by Kiefer Sutherland
Directed by Simon Wincer
Opens Friday, March 12
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The fast paced world of NASCAR is certainly interesting enough to warrant a documentary, but NASCAR 3D makes you wonder: does it have to be 3-D and does it have to be in IMAX? The answer is a resounding no.
According to narrator Kiefer Sutherland, NASCAR draws the largest audience of any North American sporting event and the fans are rabid. The thrill of competition, the breakneck speed, the possibility of high-speed wrecks – all of these factors make the event highly watchable. So why is NASCAR 3D so boring? Perhaps it’s footage of the mechanics pushing $120,000 performance vehicles around the garage at speeds in excess of two miles per hour. Let’s not discount the footage of a guy sitting in a stationary car, testing out the engine. For every shot on the track, there are at least two shots of static cars, waving fans, engine diagnostics or semi-trailer convoys heading to the next race.
Don’t get me wrong – the fact that NASCAR evolved from bootleggers with souped-up automobiles who got bored outrunning the cops is interesting. Watching a pit crew change all four tires on a car in less than 12 seconds is amazing, but it isn’t enhanced by the extra large film format or the 3-D gimmickry (some of the shots are downright hard to look at). If you are going to pay more than usual for a movie that is half as long, it had better pack a punch.
If the film had more focus or more intimacy, it would certainly be a great documentary. I’d rather spend two hours finding out how the pit crews are the unsung heroes of NASCAR. Instead I got about 10 minutes of overblown, mismatched, lacklustre race footage bolstered by half an hour of boring behind-the-scenes footage and black-and-white photos of NASCAR pioneers.
Fans of NASCAR won’t want to miss it, for everyone else NASCAR 3D is disappointing because of all the wasted potential. |
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