Burt Munro is a man who never lets the dreams of youth fade. After a lifetime of perfecting his classic Indian motorcycle, Burt sets off from New Zealand to test his bike at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. With all the odds against him, he set a new speed record and captured the spirit of his time. Munro's 1967 world record remains unbroken and his legend lives on today.
No, this isn't a bio-pic on Usha, India's most prolific athlete in the 80s and early 90s. It's about a doggedly optimistic man and his quest for speed using his 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle.
Played by Anthony Hopkins, Bert Munro put New Zealand on the map, when the gutsy Kiwi achieved a world speed record on his rusty but trusty old motorcycle in 1967.
The film's initial backdrop is a typical western suburban town. The old and steady Munro spends all his time tinkering with electrical gear and, much to his neighbour's chagrin, makes quite a din in the mornings trying out modified engines.
Munro raises enough money to travel to Utah in the US to enter his motorcycle in the "Speed Week" race at the Bonneville Speedway.
His trip up North is facilitated by Munro paying off his sea-fare by being the ship's cook.
Once the ship reaches America, we're introduced to comic book images of the Land of Dreams. With diners and motels all looking like they came out of a 1960s Superman comic book, it isn't much of a surprise when Munro meets a stereotyped fast-mouthed Latino used car salesman who tries to pull a fast one on the old and weary Kiwi.
Munro faces each predicament head-on using his charm which seems alien but gives a warm and fuzzy feeling to the Americans he meets. Why, he even gets laid while on the road.
However, the middle of the movie, which is peppered with Munro showing off his charming ignorance and innocence, gets a bit trite and the audience could probably do with less of this.
Hopkins won't win an Oscar for this role as the movie is unlikely to receive much buzz in America. As expected, Hopkins delivers the goods but he could have worked a bit harder on his, "Crikeys".
The central message of the film is similar to the ones espoused by movies where the underdog revels in the end due to perseverance and persistence: Don't give up because that fleeting moment of achievement is far greater than a lifetime of mediocrity.
As of today, Burt Monro's 1967 speed record remains unbroken.
