Common Sense Note
Parents need to that although it's a documentary, many kids will be interested in this story of an annual off-road motor race along Mexico's Baja peninsula. Filled with swooping camera angles, race action and, yes, dust, there are no villains in this telling, just noble competitors, and for most of them winning is secondary to the thrill of just being in the race itself. There is brief profanity, and we hear about some fatalities (although we do not see them). The film does make it clear that the sport is dangerous and not easy. Strong messages include the volunteer efforts behind putting the race together and the selflessness of the participants. Also worth noting are the family relationships strengthened by the contest. Some teams are fathers and sons; others are brothers, and one team, the only females depicted at length, are racing wives and mothers who have gotten together in a team of their own.
Families can talk about the dangers of racing and its effects on the drivers and their families. What does it take to put on a race?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Charles Cassady, Jr.
If there were a real-life Speed Racer, he'd undoubtedly have a two-part adventure in the Baja 1000, a unique, largely off-road motor race along Mexico's Baja Peninsula that goes nonstop for a thousand miles through rocks, cacti, and infamous silt-dust paths. Open both to four-wheel and two-wheel racers of all kinds, from NASCAR vets to motocross champs, this roughly day-long event is the subject of the entertaining race documentary DUST TO GLORY. It tackles a recent run of this November dash with a vast array of cameras swooping around in the air and on the ground.
Filmmaker Dana Brown, who narrates whenever the thundering soundtrack music dies down, introduces a few of the star competitors up front, like Mike `Mouse' McCoy, a cyclist trying to carry off the rare feat of doing the entire route solo (most other contestants work in relief teams). Other noteworthy entrants are not introduced until well after the race has begin, which takes an edge off the forward momentum but certainly saves the viewer without a program-guide a lot of memorization; there are literally hundreds of racers.
In addition to billowing dust, Brown turns up human-interest material, like local charities that benefit from the race. An outcast Mexican amputee who went to live alone in the wastelands by the route is now a beloved mascot-figure to the racers. The Baja 1000 is something of a do-it-yourself production, with many of those organizing it pitching in for free. Grown-up ham-radio operators who want to get young people involved in the hobby will have a hero in Bob Steinberger, who sets up his own antenna station on a nearby peak and coordinates communications, not asking any money for the service.
That this is not a safe or easy sport is shown by the numerous breakdowns, a couple crackups (one wipeout is caused by Brown's own helicopter overhead!), and the memory of a driver who was killed a few years ago. One spectator does perish (offscreen) here, and some of the drivers who cross the finish line look like they've been through the wringer.
There's another strong message, one of family relationships strengthened by the race. Some of the teams are fathers and sons; others are brothers, and one team, the only females depicted at length, are racing wives and mothers who have gotten together in a team of their own. It's worth noting that filmmaker Brown's own parent Bruce made his name as an extreme-sports documentarian with surf and cycle movies that were huge hits a generation ago, like On Any Sunday. Dana Brown and producer Scott Waugh dedicate Dust to Glory to their fathers.
Families who enjoy this movie might also enjoy Supercross: The Movie and Off Road Action.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentWhat appears to be a dirty joke over the closing credits, but likely to go way over kids' heads. |
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ViolenceLots of dangerous driving, a few (offscreen) fatalities. |
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LanguageSomeone says "ass," but with all the mechanical breakdowns it's amazing more choice words weren't used. |
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Social BehaviorMost, though not all, of the racers are white and male (and, seemingly, wealthy enough to indulge in an expensive race venture), but that being said, all the ones in the spotlight are depicted as good sports and noble competitors. Especially nice are the stars who go out of their way to sign autographs and give away free team jerseys to their worshipful fans, and one team goes so far as to fund an orphanage. |
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CommercialismLike it or not, these athletes and their vehicles are often walking billboards, with sponsor labels constantly in view. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoReference to beer-drinking (though the beverage most consumed seems to be Red Bull). |
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