114. Deathgrip; movie review

DEATHGRIP
Cert TBA
53 mins
BBFC advice: TBA

I have to admire people who push physical boundaries even though I never have done.
It must be amazing to fly through the air on a bike with the grace of an eagle swooping across the sky.
But, while I am boggle-eyed at the skill of riders such as Brendan Fairclough during Clay Porter's Deathgrip, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend it as film to enjoy for those unconnected to the sport.
Sure, the cinematography is amazing. Porter frames Fairclough and fellow mountain bikers Brandon Semenuk, Josh Bryceland, Sam Reynolds, Ryan Howard, Nico Vink, Andrew Neethling, Kyle Jameson and Olly Wilkins against spectacular backdrops across the world.
But there is not enough explanation of their sport for my liking and, crucially, nothing is seen of their failures.
Deathgrip implies that their sport is dangerous and it certainly seems so when they are hitting breakneck speeds on the sides of cliffs.
However, none even suffer a scratch during the entire film which actually makes what they do look remarkably easy (I know it's not).
Indeed, instead of showing success after failure, there is just a non-stop lesson in speed, beauty and brilliance.
I wanted to know how they map out a track through a forest so they know they are not going to kill themselves and how many times they have to practice to create the dazzling end product.
But, no, this is a picture for their riders, their mates and their fans. It is a bit like a football team's end of season video not showing any of the goals they conceded.
Surely, the best games are ones where adversity is a factor.
I believe it probably was here but I didn't understand how much and, consequently, I found the film repetitive.

Reasons to watch: Some incredible stunts
Reasons to avoid: If you are not a mountain biking fan, it is a tad repetitive

Laughs: None
Jumps: None 
Vomit: None
Nudity: None 
Overall rating: 6.5/10

Director's quote: "It is about giving Brendan a platform for him to showcase the style of riding that everybody loves."

The big question - How dangerous is mountain bike riding?

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