Comments on: Life Cycles: Review

By: Sera

Sera — Wed, 04 May 2011 13:23:16 +0000

Definitely watch Seasons. Incredible cinematography, landscapes, riders, tricks, music, atmosphere, and some impossible shots. Much more free-flowing than Life Cycles but not like a gratuitous Red Bull promo. I also really enjoyed ROAM and Follow Me, also by The Collective / Anthill Films, but I preferred Seasons.

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 03 May 2011 22:26:13 +0000

I’ve never actually seen seasons… i’ll have to have a gander.

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 03 May 2011 22:25:40 +0000

Alright… full disclosure: I was born in Rossland, and lived there riding for the first 18 years of my life (excluding the years I couldn’t walk yet).

So, seeing as a good portion of the flick was filmed in Rossland… there might be some personal connection there.

All that notwithstanding… I’ve shown this particular movie to a whole bunch of people I know… big city and small town types. The only people who gave me a “meh, nothing special” review are people who don’t really ‘get’ biking culture. They are the weekend warrior types who may ride, but aren’t passionate about it as others are.

What i’m trying to say is, this movie is not for everyone, by any stretch. If mountain biking is a quick fix for you, or a occasional pastime, or only get off on endless in your face action (The NWD / Red Bull crowd), then i can’t imagine this movie would hold much interest.

I’m not saying anyone is “Wrong” for not liking this movie, i’m saying that it’s quite likely those who don’t like this film are not the people this film was made for.

By: Sera

Sera — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:26:17 +0000

It’s probably time I watched this film again to give it another chance. I would definitely call myself a bike fanatic and passionate about the sport but for me, Seasons inspired me more than Life Cycles. It had me captivated start to finish, and I’ve seen it so many times now but it still puts a lump in my throat and reminds me why I love to ride. An I’m not even a mountain biker! Road to Roubaix does the same. I just get more inspired when there’s more interaction with the riders, it makes it more personal for me. But like I say, I’ll give it another watch and I might decide my initial review was a touch harsh!
Happy riding :)

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:12:53 +0000

“Greatest masterpiece…ever”? Really? And anyone who thinks otherwise isn’t really that passionate about riding? Excellent. Spot-on. Thanks for stopping by and sharing that with us.

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:01:36 +0000

Good, unbiased review… however one thing i’ve noticed is that the people who are un-inspired by this movie are those who really aren’t that passionate about riding. Personally, I get misty eyed every time I watch this flick. I can literally smell the pine in the scene where they are trail building. I can smell the oil in the ‘maintenance’ scene.

For me at least, it’s extremely personal. I own plenty of mountain bike movies… i’ve seen them all, from NWD to Kranked and everything in between… this is the only movie that truly inspires me. It’s the only movie that captures WHY, it captures the beauty and passion of the sport. Every time I watch it I want to go out and ride just because I love to ride.

Maybe that’s it’s undoing. To someone who is truly passionate about the sport, this is the greatest masterpiece… ever. But to the average weekend warrior, it’s nothing more than some pretty pictures and the occasional cool stunt.

It’s not Transformers like the NWD series tries to be. It takes it’s time. It focuses on the details. But clearly, it’s not for the shock/awe crowd.