Plot: What’s it about?
Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman are both famous, wealthy individuals, as well as best friends. The two decide to take the rougher road and journey across the world, on motorcycles. The trek will be long and dangerous, as the two move from spot to spot, with hopes a smooth journey can be completed. The men will each carry their own camera to document the sights and experiences, while a third camera will observe them to document their reactions to what happens. The pair starts off in London, headed for New York City, but in order to make it, a lot of wild locales will have to be traversed. The friends will face harsh conditions, dangerous passes, and unknown locales, but can they finish their journey?
I have to be honest, I had minimal interest in this series, which follows two rich guys as they take a twenty-thousand mile journey. I suppose the adventure of such a trip would be immense, but to watch this happen didn’t hold much interest to me. But I sat down and watched all seven episodes of Long Way Round and while not as bad as I expected, the show is by no means a landmark. Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman are best friends, so friendship is a driving theme in the show, as evidenced by how the two look out for each other. You have to be close with someone to take on a project like this and as the journey moves on, the two seem to only strengthen their bond as friends. There is emotion, danger, and a decent sense of adventure, but I was never drawn in that much, even for a moment. Long Way Round is a passable series that is worth a look for fans of travel, but unless you just want to see the sights, look elsewhere.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen. This series was shot on digital cameras and given the nature of the project, you can understand that conditions weren’t often optimal. So no, this isn’t crystal clear and refined, but that is acceptable in this case. The rough, raw presence of the visuals add to the feel of the series and after all, this is a documentary and all. I found the image to be passable under the circumstances, so no real concerns here.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is on the same level as the video, not that great, but considering the conditions involved, quite acceptable. This is live, as it happens stuff and as such, sometimes dialogue is lost as other elements grow louder and drown out the vocals. But this is a documentary and that actually helps remind us that it is all real, so no hard knocks there. The soundtrack is Dolby Digital 5.1, but this is a documentary, so keep your expectations on the low end. Not much else to discuss, just a decent soundtrack.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some still photos, deleted scenes, and an interview with the duo after their journey.
