by Terry Hibberd
2011 was arguably the finest end to the season that the British Superbike Championship has ever seen and arguably justifies the decision of Stuart Higgs the BSB organisers to bring the seven race shootout for the title, as they abandoned the traditional way of deciding who is the cream of the crop when it comes to racing bikes around the fantastic tracks of Britain.
Anyone who follows the sport with any interest whatsoever will know this but for the non-initiated, I Superbiker - The Showdown attempts to bring that titanic, edge of your seat win or bust ending between Tommy Hill and John Hopkins to the big screen.
Tommy Hill, the fallen hero, was back to attempt to capture, at his home track, what many would see as his crown, which was so cruelly snatched from him in the final race at Oulton Park in 2010. He was to again battle with the cream of the BSB paddock and face the man who battled his personal demons to make a monumental comeback in the shape of John Hopkins. But alongside them there are previous Champions, Shakey Byrne and Ryuichi Kiyonari to contend with and the supporting cast of Michael Laverty and Josh Brookes all looking to put a spanner in the works for the hometown hero.
It’s all set up, but there’s just something missing. It has all the action of the races yes, but it has the feel of an end of season review. Last year the I Superbiker film had more character to it, more background and some may say more emotion.
Moviegoers who aren’t necessarily bikers or bike sport fans could go and watch it and get a sense of the riders, who they are and what they are about. But this time round it’s more formulaic, and more of a film for the dedicated follower of the sport as it has a very structured feeling throughout. Yes of course one race follows another but you get profiles of each rider after each showdown battle right up to the title decider and it just seems repetitive.
I Superbiker – The Showdown is a film for bike sport aficionados; people who know the sport don’t need to know about the characters, but for it to make it on the big screen there needs to be more of a personal touch. It does capture the vital points in what was the BSB season to remember. Fans of the sport will love it, and if you did manage to miss the end of the 2011 season then without hesitation it’s a must watch.
It’s well made, looks good and the commentary of James Whitham and Jack Burnicle is excellent throughout but it just doesn’t feel like something you would go and watch at the cinema, but it would be very comfortable to watch in your own home with a beer and I will be buying it on DVD.
