Super Speedway

Super Speedway makes a great demo of your new DVD / bigscreen / 5.1 channel sound system. The IMAX camera puts you right in the race car, where you cruise around various tracks at high speed, reminiscent of the driving sequences in Grand Prix (if only that would appear on DVD!). I enjoy watching it again and again.

The only minus, and why I didn't give it a 10, is some of the driving sequences look suspiciously like the film was speeded up. The soundtrack also requires a little suspension of disbelief - all you can hear in a real car is the engine. You won't hear swooshes as you go under bridges.

This is a well-made documentary on the exciting world of Indy Car racing. The photography is simply outstanding. The scene were Mario Andretti drives the old racing roadster down the New England street lined with the ancient maples, leaves blown to the side by the speed of the car, is incredible. The film does lose some of its beauty on the small screen but if you like watching cars driven to their limit you should see this film.

i should mention that i'm not really a racing fan.nevertheless,i picked this documentary up fairly cheap,and i thought it might be interesting and thrilling.and to be fair,it was-to a point.the scenes with the closeups of the car racing as it's being tested are quite exciting.the cameras are right on the car,so you can't get any closer unless you're actually behind the wheel.theses scenes really show you how skilled the drivers are and how dangerous the sport can be.and hearing the roar of engines was something.you really get an idea of how powerful they are.but for me,there were'nt enough of those moments. a lot of the time is spent showing how a car(at least one car)is manufactured.i knew before hand that there were would be some focus on this aspect.i just thought they devoted too much time to it.f you're into that sort of thing of thing,you will probably enjoy theses scenes.but for me,i'm not really into that sort of thing,so i found those scenes dry.there is a making of feature,which is almost as long as the documentary itself.this is not something that would interest me,so i did not watch it.however,if you're a racing fan,or you're just interested in the behind the scenes of the documentary,you might like the making of.overall,for me,i was kinda disappointed.i don't think the documentary is terrible by any stretch,but it did not live up to my expectations.i'd have to give Super Speedway a 4.5/10

Sure, for it's super imagery and awesome sound, it's a great home theater "show off" disk, but this is also a touching drama as well as an informative documentary. The parallel stories that are intertwined throughout this film will keep all viewers interested. Young, old, boys and girls alike will find that deep down, we are all fans of the automobile, especially the high performance indy machines that are the result of generations blood, sweat, tears, ingenuity and perseverance. The Mark Knopfler and Ry Cooder sound track is perfectly matched to the visuals and the content. I don't want to give away the ending, but the final driving sequence to Quincy Jones' "Days Like These" just might bring a tear to your eye. Enjoy it!

I enjoyed this movie so much that I watched it twice and that is something to say about a documentary. The musical score, cinematography and sound are absolutely stunning as you might expect from an Imax production. Even though it is shot for those huge Imax theaters, it looks and sounds wonderful on my home system. In fact this would make a perfect DVD to demo your system.

The subject is also so fascinating. It is about Mario Andretti and his son Michael. I was already a fan of Mario because he is the best racecar drive in history since he is the only person to win the CART Championship, F1 Championship, The Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. The script follows the path of two cars very important to the father and son. The first car is found in a chicken coop and turns out to be the first roadster that Mario ever drove and we follow restoration to gleaming perfection. The other car is Michael's new racecar and we follow it from cutting the mold through the race season. Imax lends just the right magic to make car construction entertaining and fascinating.

Paul Newman, who was Michael Amoretti's team owner at the time this movie was made, narrates the film. His anecdotes and witticism, drawn from many years as an owner and driver, lends much to the production.

The main feature is the race scenes. Turn up the volume here! There is something about riding along at over 200 mph and the musical score that totally draws you into the screen for an experience you will not forget. Wow!

The final magical element is the humanity of the Andretti family. This god of the racing world, Mario Andretti, is loving father who proudly watches over his son's career. They work together so well that every father and son should see this. You can tell that they are a close family. I wish we could all have that experience.