Long Way Round

It's been quite a while since I posted. I'll kick off the comeback with a partial review. Long Way Round is a documentary of a motorcycle adventure undertaken by actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. McGregor you know well from high profile Hollywood movies. Boorman is less known outside of the UK. Both actors decided they wanted to take their passion for motorcycles and adventure to the next level and travel from the UK to NYC via bike. They will of course be taking the long way around the globe.

The route they plotted takes them from London through Europe and into Ukraine. The route from there will go from Russia to Kazakhstan, China, then Siberian Russia. When they hit the sea they will take a ship to Alaska, push through Canada into the continental US then head through the northern states to NYC.

The first two episodes detail the preparation for the journey. Ewan and Charley set up a headquarters, contact film crew and gather equipment for both filming and riding. They test drive dual sport motorcycles from BMW and KTM. Ewan favored the BMW but decided to ride the KTM due to Charley's excitement over them. While waiting for the bikes KTM sent a representative out to talk about the trip. Upon his return KTM informed Ewan and Charley that they would not be providing bikes as they didn't believe they could finish their trip. Angry and disappointed Charley resolves to use the BMW and prove KTM wrong.

They start out their journey after hitting several snags and make various stops through Europe. They talk to people, get harassed by police and check out local sites. Most of what they see and do is pretty entertaining. It's not just hours and hours of two guys riding motorcycles. They take in culture along the way and meet some interesting people. One man in particular that stands out is a Ukrainian man who invites them to his home to stay the night. The guy is a nut; he comes downstairs carrying a guitar in one hand and a Kalashnikov in the other. He then starts to sing like an old school mariachi. It's completely insane; you can really sense how awkward Ewan and Charley feel.

The best part is episode 4 where they press on into Kazakhstan. You may recall the portrayal of this country from another Britain, Sacha Baron Cohen, also known as Borat. It wasn't exactly favorable. In his defense he was making fun of first worlder's ignorance of trans Asian countries but it still left many people with a backwards view of Kazakh. In reality it is a developing nation with a rich landscape. Ewan and Charley make an excellent assessment of it's culture and land to really open the eye's of the viewers as to what this country really is.

I have three episodes left. So far I've enjoyed the series and look forward to it's sequel Long Way Down which features a trip from Scotland to South Africa. I'll have the second part of the review up as soon as Netflix sends the disc.