A flood of documentaries come out each year, all in which attempt to accomplish either a mission or give insight to real life. Le Ride takes the insight route, breaking down the 1928 Tour De France cycling event. A challenge amongst nearly all athletes, a 3,500+ mile course in which only 41 competitors were able to finish. No big deal right?
Plenty of narration throughout, this retrace gives you a much easier experience of said race compared to the 161 cyclist who endured such in person. Prominent focus goes toward the impressive four-man team from coming from Australia/New Zealand, the first english language team competing in the race. From swooping aerial photography to upfront ground territory, the sense of location is enough to keep most viewers invested in the journey, or to at least keep eyes on the screen.
For such a grueling task the race offers, this film is given the light-tone treatment that more than not comes off as a highly passable entry. Le Ride has lots of information to share, at times it feels you’ve learned a thing or two, though it’s never quite enough to stick with you long after. Things are always being told to you it can even be hard to keep track. The team is focused and intelligent, the product is simply underwhelmingly bland at points.
The talent here strains from TV (Phil is the distinguishable Amazing Race personality/host), so it’s very homey. It’s never overly demanding, though it might come off as such to certain viewers. Still, Le Ride is harmless and it’s something anyone can watch, but not everyone will care to.
The film does tends to drag without picking-up much momentum, with the tiring amount voice-over. If you let it go, you can have a pleasant experience with Le Ride. It’s chock-full of unseen facts and details into the crazy reality of the Tour De France, inner workings and an insane amount of endurance (possibly to your attention as well).
Rating: 5/10