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The World's Fastest Indian
2005 127 min New Zealand, Switzerland, Japan, United States of America PG-13 18+
★8.0
Drama, Adventure, History
Director: Roger Donaldson
Trailers
Description
The life story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle—a bike which helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.
Budget:
$25M
US Gross:
$5.13M
Worldwide:
$18.3M
Starring
Anthony Hopkins
Actor
Diane Ladd
Actor
Iain Rea
Actor
Awards
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2005
— Golden Shell
Key opinion
The World's Fastest Indian is a warm, uplifting biographical drama that centers on an endearing performance by Anthony Hopkins. While some viewers find the pacing slow and the narrative simplistic, most appreciate its sincere, non-cynical exploration of pursuing lifelong dreams regardless of age.
| Acting | Anthony Hopkins delivers a masterful, career-defining performance that serves as the film's primary emotional anchor. | |
| Theme | The film effectively conveys a sincere, optimistic message about the importance of perseverance and chasing one's dreams in old age. | |
| Direction | Roger Donaldson’s direction keeps the narrative grounded, avoiding over-dramatization and opting for a realistic, intimate portrait of the protagonist. | |
| Pacing | The narrative structure and deliberate pacing are divisive: fans appreciate the contemplative, patient journey, while others find the lack of high-stakes tension or intrigue to be dull. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the screenplay are split between those who find the optimistic, "good-prevails" tone deeply refreshing and those who perceive the storytelling as overly naive or simplistic. |