7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for the ride of your life! Super Speedway puts you in the driver's seat of an Indy-type race car tearing up asphalt at speeds of over 230 miles per hour. Follow the excitement and drama of championship auto racing with narrator and celebrated actor Paul Newman, and join racing star Michael Andretti and his legendary father, Mario, as they craft a state-of-the-art race car. Then, follow the pulse-pounding action of Michael's high-speed quest for victory as he pushes the limits of the new car at the PPG CART World Series. So start your engines-- Super Speedway is about to begin!
Documentary | 100% |
Action | 98% |
Sport | 38% |
Short | 37% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
BDinfo
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
I certainly appreciate the efforts of MacGillivray/Freeman Productions in the utilization of the IMAX format for awareness, education and entertainment. Their focus on nature and how humans interact with it has made us aware of what we should be doing to our planet, and what we should not be doing. However when I think of the IMAX format, there is only one IMAX movie this reviewer has viewed that fits this large screen format to a tee; Super Speedway. Everything about this movie is big - the visuals, the sound, and the subject matter. Every action shot in this movie is designed to maximize the impact of the presentation to its fullest. It is so well done; you can feel the rush of adrenaline through the spectacular you-are-there point of view shots. Super Speedway is the essence of a great IMAX presentation, using the format to the fullest, and telling a great story in the process. What better subject to focus on than Indy car racing.
Super Speedway races on to the Blu-ray format in a 1080p/AVC encode centered in a 1:78:1 aspect ratio. Images are strikingly sharp and clean, with a few light scratches and speckles here and there. Barely noticeable, they did not harm the picture quality one bit. Grain is light and very well managed, and never a distraction from the presentation. Image quality does vary when the film cuts to stock film footage, but that is to be expected when you attempt to match older footage with newer footage. Colors pop off the screen, and are well saturated without creating a cartoonish effect. Obviously the most exciting images come from having the IMAX camera strapped to the racer. These point of view shots offer great detail, and really put you in the driver's seat at track level. Black levels are deep, strong, and consistent throughout the documentary. Detail and micro-detail is excellent. Check out the feathers on the chickens in the opening sequence. They are so finely rendered, that it looks like hair instead of feathers. Except for the light flecks and scratches, the picture quality of this release is stunning.
The sound mix on this release is first rate in every way. Featuring a DTS-HD Master Audio
encode, Super Speedway will push your speakers to their edge at high volumes, so
be cautious on the volume knob. Bass is ample and very powerful at times, especially
during the race track testing and racing scenes. The panning of engine noise as cars
whoosh by is stunning, seamless, and really gives the listener an adrenaline rush. The score
by Gilles Ouellet adds a breezy coolness to this immensely entertaining aural experience.
IMAX cameras are extremely loud, so there is no on location dialog - it's all recorded in ADR.
It is clean and free from noise, and the only thing coming from the center channel during the
presentation. The sound field is huge, enveloping, and makes the walls and my speakers
disappear in this sonic feast. Phantom side and rear wall imaging is excellent, stable and
ultra realistic giving you that "you are there"effect.
I compared this sound track with its DVD counterpart which was considered reference when
it was released. When the lossless track was compared to DTS at 754kbps, it held up well.
There was a very slight reduction in the overall sound field, a little roll off in the upper
frequencies, but stood up well to the lossless. The Dolby Digital track at 448kbps even
further truncated the sound field, had sloppy bass, and seriously lacked the presence of the
lossless track.
The extra content on this disc is standard fare for an IMAX release to disc.
The Making of takes us on a technical journey of the pre-production process. It
discusses the difficulties, and the satisfaction of overcoming them throughout the filming of
this movie
Movie Trivia Quiz is a question and answer based on information from the
documentary.
Collection of IMAX trailers feature 12 IMAX trailers, all in high-definition, which
show varied excellence in picture quality.
Directors Bio
This disc is BD live ready which allows you to download extra content from the studios
servers.
The Super Speedway DVD was my audio reference disc since it was released in 1998. This Blu-ray disc replaces that, as it is a better presentation of the film by far. Sporting a top notch audio and visual presentation, this disc comes highly recommended and will assuredly thrill those who view it. If you can turn this film up to reference levels and play it back without cooking your amps or speakers, you have one great set up. While this film will appeal most to racing fans, I think those really into their home theater gear will enjoy it as well.
2013
IMAX
2004
2014
2013
2014
2011
IMAX
2000
2009-2010
Includes El Corazón y la Espada
1953
2018
2009
2015
2011
2017
2013
2016
2015
Double Feature with The Dream is Alive
1990
IMAX Enhanced
2016
IMAX Enhanced
2013