If Moto 4: The Movie was focused on the rider, looking at why they ride and showcasing some pretty impressive footage of their prodigious talent, then The Assignment Inc’s new film, Moto 5: The Movie, seems to take a step back, in a good way, and focuses a little more on the fun of riding and, in particular, the environments they ride in.
This direction provides fertile ground for filmmakers to explore how different terrain draws out different possibilities for riding.
Of course, Moto 5 still profiles a handful of super talented MX riders. Each rider provides commentary about their life and why they ride dirt bikes.
And there’s a mountain of slow motion and aerial footage.
MOTO 5 MOVIE
Following an approach established in their earlier films, Moto 5: The Movie continues the fanchise and is a must watch for the MX fan; it’s a fun celebration of riding dirt bikes.
Although the riders discuss a range of reasons for their interest in MX and dirtbikes there’s no deep existential truths about life; instead, what comes across is a deep passion for riding dirt bikes. Meaning comes from the commitment to their sport.
The documentary’s structure is linear with a series of mini-stories. Each mini-story is about a rider (or group of riders) and is told through their actions. Voice over commentary, taken from interviews, is often played over footage of the rider(s) with a few on-camera interviews. Overall there is not much traditional storytelling going on. The approach is visual rather than narrative.
If the riders are the heroes of the documentary, the places where they ride are certainly not bit players. From purpose built race tacks and open desert expanses to ‘private’ coastal tracks in South, Australia, most of the locations are stunning. The variety of locations adds to the cinematic scope of the movie.
One standout aspect of the movie is the use of a remote controlled drone to capture aerial footage. Recent technological advances have given filmmakers many amazing tools, however, it’s clear aerial photography of dirtbkes in cinematic landscapes is a perfect match. The speed and agility of the riders is also expertly captured through the use of slow motion footage.
It would be interesting to see all this modern technology and skilful camera work employed on a traditional story based narrative. Maybe we just have to wait for Moto 6.
Check out the movie trailer below or visit the film's website to get a copy of the movie.
SOURCE/IMAGES: MotoXcinema, Moto 5 (The Movie), Youtube