Willy Bogner’s Ski To The Max
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: B- Film: B-
Willy Bogner is one of the top people in all of skiing,
not only an expert stuntman in the field, but a filmmaker of the sport. He has worked on the James Bond films among
others and made a few of his own. Ski
To The Max is his 2000 IMAX format film that works best when it is showing
skiing and scenery. It gets distracted
by a pseudo-narrative and bad acting moments that are a waste of time.
When it does work, it is worthy of the shorter IMAX
productions (40 minutes in this case) that are shown at science centers and
other IMAX/OMNIMAX screens around the world.
The lapses are the reason why the format has had problems being profitable. Playing it safe for 30 years of a format
eventually catches up with it, which is why feature films have had better
success making the format a commercial success. This one has just enough fun moments and great stunt skiing to
make it worth your time. The singer
Pink shows up and fares much better here than she would later in the atrocious Charles
Angels – Full Throttle sequel that actually had a negative effect on her
career. This film wants to conjure up
007, especially The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only, but
those films have nothing to worry about.
The 1.33 X 1 full frame image is surprisingly soft,
looking like it is down a couple generations, possibly from an NTSC analog
master. We have seen better, while
Razor Digital skipped the 1.78 X 1 anamorphic option Image Entertainment has
used effectively on IMAX titles like Adventures In Wild California that
only loose some image at the top and the bottom. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has hardly any surrounds at all,
though all IMAX films like his one are issued always multi-channel stereo, so
this is as big a disappointment. Image
has even issued IMAX films in DTS, something that should have been done
here. A 36-minutes-long Making Of
program is included and is as entertaining as the main feature.
- Nicholas Sheffo
