Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Wired to Win: Surviving the Tour de France

It's not fair to compare IMAX versions of Star Wars or other
mainstream films to films like Wired to Win. Some would think that
it's not worth your time or money to see documentaries in IMAX, when
you could go see Fung Fu Panda in a similar setting for the same
price. Nonetheless, at the beginning, you sort of wonder what you
paid for when the film starts with a family video of a kid riding a
bike for the first time. A couple of crashes, and then he's finally
riding.

It was similar to a magician's act in which you're not sure what's
going on, and you're fairly unimpressed, until he pulls back the
curtains with a dramatic WHOOSH! Then you forget everything you've
ever known, live in the moment, and try to take in every bit of detail
that's thrown at you.

Any fan of cycling should see this movie, because until they start
airing the Tour in HD, this is the most breathtaking coverage yet.
Just with the opening shot over the Alps and the peloton threading
their way through the perilous pass, it's enough to make you wonder
why they don't charge more for admission.

The documentary follows two athletes, one of whom suffers serious
injury and is forced to drop from the Tour. The second goes on to
claim Sprinter's victory in Paris. By a hair mind you, but he does
win.

The cycling fans will wonder why there isn't more bike action in the
film, but the CG sections that explain neurological pathways are
linked very effectively with the action. In one case, the Peloton is
on a decent through the Pyrenese and one of the cyclists hears the
warning cry, "Look out!" After this the camera follows the sounds
waves into the inner ear, stops in the cochlea where the sound is
processed, then hops aboard the auditory nerve to the brain where
Alfred Molina - another great reason to see this film - explains how
the brain gauges the importance of the warning.

This is something that the entire family would enjoy. People who
enjoy a good crash, learning more about the way your body functions,
and even those who love the sweeping vistas that the french
countryside is famous for. This IMAX feature will not disappoint.

VIVE LE TOUR!

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