The Art of Flight Review
Summary: Two years in the making, this film gives snowboarder Travis Rice and friends the opportunity to redefine what is possible in the mountains.
- Starring: Travis Rice, Mark Landvik, John Jackson, Jake Blauvelt
- Director: Curt Morgan
- Rating: PG-13
- Runtime: 1h 20m
- 3D Type: Post-Conversion
Story:
The Art of Flight is a Red Bull documentary production that follows iconic snowboarder Travis Rice and friends as they travel across the world snowboarding the most insane slopes that they can find. They travel across Alaska, the Himalayas, the Darwin Range, British Columbia, and more. The film is a beautifully shot showcase of these daredevil snowboarders at the peak of their game.
There is no story in The Art of Flight, it is purely a showcase of the awe-inspiring skill of these snowboarders as they outrace avalanches, perform incredible aerial maneuvers, and live on the edge. No background or insight into the lives or personalities of these snowboarders individual personalities is given. Another nitpick I would say is the lack of crashes in the film, it only shows two heavy falls, but in reality, even a pro snowboarder would not be making these insane flips most of the time.
Picture:
The visuals in The Art of Flight could not be any better. Footage consisting of extreme slow-motion action shots, dropping in off helicopters, jumping over trees, and performing new tricks never seen before. Incredible vistas of mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls where the snow is untouched are a snowboarder’s dream.
Sound:
The documentary features 7.1 Dolby surround sound with music from Deadmau5, The Naked and Famous, and The Black Angels to name a few. With deep bass and high volume throughout, the soundtrack compliments the visuals quite nicely. Along with the music, there are a number of voiceovers and cliche lines such as “It’s not the destination it’s the journey” and “Adventure is what you make it”. Although motivational, it kind of feels like they were put in just to fill the gaps.
3D
The 3D in The Art of Flight is a post-conversion but would not have guessed so. The conversion looks superb and is really well done by Venture 3D.
Pop:
A couple of shots of snow hitting the screen and popping out in ultra-slow motion is pretty cool to watch, though there isn’t much pop here.
Depth:
The crazy depth of field shows the immense scope of these mountains and glaciers and the sense of scale. This film is a show-off of this technology and snowboarding at its absolute peak and it does not get any better. I have not before seen slow-motion shots in stereoscopic 3D like those that are present throughout The Art of Flight.
Verdict:
The Art of Flight will appeal to an audience of snowboarders, skiers, thrill seekers, or adrenaline junkies. It is worth a watch if you find yourself in one of these categories as it is probably the best snowboarding film to date. I’ve only been snowboarding once, and really enjoyed this documentary, however, probably doesn’t warrant a second watch.
Category | Scores |
---|---|
Story: | ★ |
Picture: | ★★★★★ |
Sound: | ★★★★ |
Pop: | ★ |
Depth: | ★★★★ |
TOTAL SCORE: | 15/25 |