Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Super Speedway Blu-ray Movie Review

"There is nothing that will give you a rush like a Indy car engine at full throttle."

Reviewed by Sir Terrence April 17, 2009

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.

Directed by Stephen Low and narrated by the late Paul Newman, Super Speedway is really two inter cutting but related stories that come together seamlessly in the end. Newman, a long time racing fan is part owner in the famous Haas-Newman Racing Company, a company that designs some of the fastest Indy cars in the business. The first story follows the design, building, and road testing or Michael Andretti's championship car Lola during the 1996 racing season. The second story line involves the long arduous process of restoring Mario Andretti's 1964 roadster, a rare race car in a period where both drivers and cars where lost in high numbers. The chances of reuniting a driver, and his original sports car is a once in a lifetime experience based on these losses of both cars and drivers.

When the film begins, we are introduced to Mario and Michael Andretti, a father and son that is well known to racing fans. Mario and Michael are working with engineers from the Haas-Newman Racing Company to produce Michael's race car for the 1996 season. We are taken through the beginning design, modeling, and molding process of the body of the vehicle which is an intricate and involved process. Smoke is used to test wind resistance and flow over the body of the car. Engines are tested to determine the breaking point before the engine gracefully fails, or just explodes. Once testing on a certain parameter of the car is complete, it is incorporated in to the final design of the car. That design is then tested on the track, the results evaluated, and adjustments made to the car until everything is tweaked to perfection. However, not everything is based on perfect design, as it is pointed out you can have a great driver, and the perfect car, and still not win a race.

We cut away to the small shop owned by Don Lyons who restores cars for a hobby. After finding Mario's wrecked 1964 roadster, he begins the difficult task of restoring it back to its old racing form. The age of the car, and the rarity of existing cars has made it tough to get parts for restoration. The most difficult part was tires, but engines were also difficult to get. None of the difficulties dampen the enthusiasm of this gentleman, as he attempts to reunite the driver with the restored car. His payoff finally comes when Mario sees the car, and takes it for a run.

Super Speedway Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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.

Super Speedway Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Super Speedway Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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.

Super Speedway Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.