Review of Super Speedway: IMAX

Introduction

This documentary DVD follows a season in the life of race car driver Michael Andretti. Michael is Mario Andretti’s son and, as well as covering the design of Michael’s car and his racing exploits, it also features Mario ruminating on his life and past glories.

This movie was originally created for IMAX cinemas, and possesses the usual IMAX virtues and flaws. But more of those as we go along.

Video

If you have ever been to an IMAX film, you’ll know that the screen is massive. Not just big but four stories tall MASSIVE. You’ll also know that the aspect ratio is more like that of a 4:3 TV than a cinema screen. Thus, this DVD is presented in 4:3 rather than a widescreen format, and that’s fine; this is what was originally intended.

Imagery is up to the usual IMAX standard. Pictures are pin-sharp and detailed. Colours are rich and vivid. Overall the video quality is excellent.

Note that because it is an IMAX movie, many of the scenes are a bit contrived and “tricksy” (ground level scene of a pot-bellied pig, for example). IMAX is all about the in-your-face visual experience, and some scenes that work fine on a 60-foot tall screen just don’t work in your living room.

Audio

Truly superb. This is where Super Speedway excels. Throughout the film, the sound is clear and detailed. But it really comes into it’s own during the racing scenes. Combined with the first person, behind the wheel view, the powerful 5.1 soundtrack makes for a truly visceral experience. Cranking your amp up really loud, you can “feel” every pylon whipping by and every change of track surface. It is genuinely exciting.

2 years ago this was one of the must-have demo DVDs (it was one of the first to make proper use of LFE and DD5.1’s full dynamic range for the rears) and it is still a great demo today.

Features

Just one. You get a “Making of Super Speedway” documentary which effectively runs in parallel with the main feature; you can switch from the movie to see how a scene was made at any time. It is relatively interesting although a bit of an advert for the IMAX process.

Conclusion

Nice pictures and a magnificent soundtrack but the film itself lets the side down.

For a start it is only 50 minutes long, which is pretty standard for an IMAX feature. More importantly, it suffers from the usual IMAX flaws. It has the usual portentous voice over, in this case by Paul Newman (who actually owned the team that Michael Andretti raced for). And, fatally, it is just too mawkish and sentimental. If it had been 50 minutes of racing it would have been fine (speaking as a man here), but in the standard IMAX fashion, it has to introduce some saccharine subplots. In this case we get to see Michael bonding with father Mario (family sitting around a campfire singing) and Mario reminiscing about his golden years on the circuit.

Worst of all though is the totally contrived thread about Mario being reunited with his first car. The car is found in a barn with lots of cute hens, restored and then presented to Mario at the end. Mario then drives off into the Autumn sunset scattering golden leaves behind him. How symbolic.

This was one of the first essential reference disks and is still a great workout for screen and speakers. However, the film itself is disappointing.