The World's Fastest Indian

Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins), an ageing Kiwi, dreams of reaching the Utah salt flats to finally test his beloved customised bike, the titular 'Indian'. So, in brief: bankable Hollywood Brit plus triumph over adversity equals decent Sunday afternoon watching. The high-speed footage looks great, and Hopkins inhabits his character fully; but the story, like the bike, is clunky and suffers the wobbles. In its need to get from A to B in the allocated time, characters, events and obstacles scramble past without any real effect. 'The Straight Story', a superior film with similar themes, taught us not only that less is more, but that it's the journey that counts. This film passes the time well, but we learn little on the way. [Alec McLeod]