Hi,
Thanks for my first ever diamond and of course the continued rrc's. It's beginning to look a lo...
Hi,
Thanks for my first ever diamond and of course the continued rrc's. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! xx
Member since:08.02.2008
Reviews:278
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‘A Long Way Round’ was the first long-distance motorbike trip conducted by Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor. Since completing this one, which took them round the world they have done another one taking them around the world the other way ‘A Long Way Down’. I personally only really saw the end of this series and then the whole of the Long Way Down series when they were on the television but really enjoyed what I saw. For this reason I decided to purchase this DVD so that I could see the whole story.
This DVD includes the complete TV series, 7 hour-long episodes, plus some unseen trip footage, a photo gallery and an exclusive post trip interview. The 7 episodes are spread across two discs and are in my opinion truly brilliant to watch as you feel like you are so much a part of the trip. The episodes chronicle the boys adventure from the initial concept, to the gathering of equipment, choosing the bikes, finalising the routes and then the journey itself.
Through these episodes we get to meet the support crew of Russ and David as well as cameraman Jimmy and third
biker and cameraman Claudio. This team become more and more like a family for the boys as the series progresses and this is really nice to watch unfold. On top of this both Charley and Ewan immediately warm to Claudio and therefore the filming process is much more relaxed and realistic. What is also nice to watch unfold and progress are Ewan and Claudio’s riding skills as neither had previously ridden in dirt terrain.
What I found most interesting about the series as a whole was the fact that the boys don’t withhold anything from the audience and really do tell you exactly what they think of what they see, what is happening as well as each other. This was something that to be honest I wasn’t particularly expecting to see when I first saw the programme but it does make all the difference because you come to realise very quickly that they really do care about what they are doing.
Some people I know will disagree with me when I say this but in my opinion I thought that the pair really showed themselves to be too really great guys through this programme. I don’t mean that they presented themselves well all the time but that they tried to be exactly who they are and this really shone through and made me warm to them both. I will admit though that the pair can be eternally rude and at times somewhat foul mouthed but I think this added to the reality of the programme and made it all the more watchable.
Another benefit of the programme for me was the fact that we as an audience got to see the sides of countries that we don’t often get to see. The trip through Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Siberia was particularly interesting to watch and I think that the vision we were given of the countries was a just and impartial one. Furthermore both the boys seemed extremely taken in by their surroundings and their reactions towards people, foods and locations was really heartfelt and touching.
On top of all the emotion however is also a great deal of humour and this is generated throughout the entire team. Charley and Ewan’s banter is eternally naturally and this swiftly becomes the case throughout the whole team. This element of humour is really what makes the programme for me because it pulls together all the experiences and highlights how much this trip means to all those involved.
I know that some people simply think that both Charley and Ewan are simply spoilt celebrities that whinge and whine like the rest of them but I personally didn’t find this to be the case. I will admit that Ewan and Charley both brush on what it means to be a celebrity but I think that the conversations they have show how down to earth they are more than anything else at all.
I have already mentioned that there are a lot of extras on this DVD and that is one of the things that I liked about it. All of the extras are included on the first disc which to be honest seemed a little strange to me because the extras contain unseen footage from all 7 episodes. I personally watched the extras after completely watching all 7 episodes so as not to spoil anything and I think that’s the best way to do it.
The extras themselves are all brilliant in my opinion and really add something to the DVD. The unseen footage is mainly humorous and quite a lot of this really made me laugh out loud. The unseen footage for the trip preparation is fantastic and really shows how unprepared for camping Charley really is and how against all premonitions it is Ewan who really knows what roughing it in a tent really means.
The photo gallery is also well worth a look as some of the pictures really are fantastic and seem to capture the spirit of the trip in one frame. The post trip interview is also well worth viewing as it sums up the entire experience and brings closure to the adventure in a way that highlights exactly what is was all about – 2 men, 4 wheels and 20,000 miles.
Pictures
Ewan and Chaley with their bikes
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2 men, 4 wheels and 20,000 miles. Long Way Round is truly the adventure of a ... more
lifetime.Bonded by a unique friendship and love of motorbikes, Long Way Round documents the adventures of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on their extraordinary journey arou...
Advantages: exciting, you can really get into the adventure Disadvantages: It made me regret not travelling, everytime I watch it I want to explore the world.
![Ewan McGregor: Long Way Round (Two Disc Set) [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78487201.jpg "Ewan McGregor: Long Way Round (Two Disc Set) [DVD]")
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