On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter Blu-ray Movie Review

Enjoyable on any day of the week.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 2, 2015

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter, a passion project follow-up to the acclaimed 1971 motorcycle documentary On Any Sunday featuring Steve McQueen, offers a spirited and detailed overview of the world of modern motorcycle competition and highlights some of the key drivers and players in today's two-wheeled motorsport landscape. On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter -- written, directed, and narrated by Dana Brown, whose contributions in the extreme sports home entertainment world can also be found in films like Step Into Liquid and Highwater -- takes viewers on a fast-paced and adrenaline-charged journey through the races, places, and faces from around the world of two-wheeled adventure both for pay and for pleasure, at the highest levels of competition down to the earliest exposure of life on two mechanized wheels. While the program has something of a piecemeal feel to it, it's nevertheless a fairly tight and consistently exhilarating journey into a dangerous yet pleasurable and, in many ways, elite world of speed where the love of the bike supersedes everything else.

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter tells the story of people whose passion for, and undying devotion to, the motorcycle and motorcycle racing defines their very lives, exists interweaved in the very fabric of who they are. It looks at the rise of Robbie Maddison, the top name in freestyle motocross, with a special look at his daring 120 meter jump off the ski slopes at Utah's Olympic Park. It also examines the AMA Pro Grand National Championship and the famous "Springfield Mile," the rise of electric motorcycle racing, and Motocross. Individuals highlighted include Carlin Dunne, deaf racer Ashley Fiolek, and the world's youngest MotoGP champion, Marc Márquez.

Although there's a basic narrative structure at play -- a look at a wide range of events and the people that make up the motorcycle racing universe -- On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter is truly a product of its photography. This is a slick, mesmerizing experience, the sort that should be seen on a huge screen, a movie of epic scope and detail that's frequently reserved for both IMAX and at home for the finest in the extreme sports world. The photography presents a symphony of racing slowed down to reveal the slightest bike wobble, every spin of a tire pushing the bike forward in speeds few have ever experienced on wheels, each bit of dirt and mud flung into the air, and every inch of movement along the chain's revolution. Viewers will witness extreme -- and extremely gifted -- athletes turning corners so fast and so sharply that their knee and elbow simultaneous scrape the ground. This isn't merely watching racing. This is experiencing racing, feeling it flow through the body and engage a sense of danger and satisfaction that can't be fully replicated on the screen but that can come as close as humanely possible to telling the story in pictures, slowing down some of the fastest and most treacherous events to a beautiful explosion of science, wonder, and awe-inspiring intimacy that must be seen to be believed.

Yet the movie is almost equally enjoyable when it's slowed down to focus on the people that make the world run, be they those who ride, build, or the family and friends that support them. The passion is contagious and their intensity is equal to, if not greater than, the speed and precision with which they race. And it's not just about a payday -- though certainly that doesn't hurt, and if they can make a few dollars by donning a Red Bull cap in front of the camera, more power to them -- but about pushing the limits of man and machine, essentially making them one inseparable unit, a yin-and-yang combination by which only human ingenuity and precision can make the machine run, and only by the machine can they go faster along the edge than anyone before them. One must wonder how these drivers operate on the bike, how they can focus so precisely on the task at hand, knowing that just a slight shift in weight around a tough turn, one innocent wobble of the handlebars, one tiny little flaw in the machine is all that stands in the way between victory and not only defeat, but their bodies sliding along the ground -- sometimes right in the path of other speeding bikes -- and experiencing that slow motion dread of futility, fragility, and failure. Certainly that hurts -- in more than one way -- but to see them spiritedly discuss their sport and passion, the thrill of the competition, and, sometimes, the excitement of victory is enough to brush aside any dangers or flaws in favor of living in the moment and living out life's dream at high speed. Still, one can't help but wonder if these athletes should be praised for their skill and courage or scolded for their risk-taking, if one should shake their hand or shake some sense into them, but kudos to all of the racers -- and the people who make it happen behind the scenes -- for making their world into what they want it to be, living on the edge and loving every minute of it.

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter arrives on Blu-ray with a striking, eye-popping 1080p transfer that's as finely tuned as the precision machines that are the film's focus. Details are delightfully lifelike, incredibly intricate, and infinitely clear. Whether facial features, clothing lines, motorcycle tires, muddy chains, flying dirt and debris, rugged terrain, or pavement, every last little bit appears with remarkable, in-depth precision that ranks at the very top of the Blu-ray heap in terms of raw definition and realism, whether the movie be showing static interviews, slow-motion racing excitement, or full-speed mayhem. Colors, likewise, are beautifully bold and intense but natural. Colorful logos and racing uniforms are particularly impressive, but bright blue swimming pool water, green vegetation, and earthy hues are likewise extraordinary. The image suffers from only trace banding and noise, neither of which really warrant a knockdown in score. Neither black levels nor flesh tones raise any alarms. There's also some lower grade digital photography that features a bit of aliasing and less well defined colors and details, usually seen in footage obviously captured from smaller cameras set up to showcase an event from various intimate and unique angles, such as mounted on the front of a bike or placed on the ski slope down which Robbie Maddison rides early in the film. There's also some rougher vintage film footage scattered throughout. The primary video elements, however, are pretty much perfect. In short, this is an exceptional, exciting, and reference quality transfer from Red Bull.

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter features a big, spacious, and rich Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation makes use of every square inch of real estate afforded to it, with easy and effortless music and surround support. Clarity is a strong point, particularly when motorcycles zip around the stage, whether defined by their signature deep rumble or, later and more humorously, a "safety alarm" that blares and signals the coming (and going) of the otherwise silent electric bikes. Precise definition of the bike sound effects spill into, and through and around, the stage with commendable accuracy. Music, likewise, is alive and detailed with beautiful flow and realism. Dialogue -- both narration and interviews -- is delivered with the cleanliness and center focus expected of a top track. There are a couple of instances of firm and natural dialogue emanating from a surround speaker.

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter contains several bonus featurettes.

• The Brown Legacy (1080p, 5:32): Dana Brown and his father sit down and discuss the family's history in film and passion for motorcycles.
• KTM/Kurt Caselli Bike Build (1080i, 4:24): This piece takes a brief look at Kurt Caselli's legacy off the bike and after death.
• Riders for Health (1080i, 8:46): A supplement that introduces viewers to an organization that contributes to the health care industry in Africa.
• Robbie Maddison's Drop In (1080p, 4:49): Extra footage of Maddison performing on his bike.
• Trailer (1080p, 2:38).
• Teaser (1080p, 2:06).

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter is a precise, exciting film. Though it sacrifices narrative flow for something of a more piecemeal sort of presentation, it's nevertheless an exciting, detailed experience that brings audiences closer to the world of motorcycle racing than ever before. Whether the precise photography or the people who make it all happen, the film captures the sport's essence and speed with an uncanny knack for intimacy both on the track and off of it. Red Bull Entertainment's Blu-ray release of On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter features excellent, exciting video; strong lossless audio; and a few supplements. Highly recommended.