Sequels to any film are usually poor. Save for the Godfather Part II and Star Wars Episode Five: The Empire Strikes Back, they are usually re-hashes of the same old same old. Three-quels are the same but worse (Rocky III, Jaws 3D, anyone?).
I, Superbiker III: Day of Reckoning is the third instalment in Mark Sloper’s telling of the MCE British Superbike Championship and hasn’t fallen into that same trilogy trap which even stymied the likes of Lucas.
From the outside looking in, ‘watching men in Power Ranger suits’, as a friend of mine continuously puts it, going round in circles all day could be construed as slightly monotonous but Sloper again manages to capture the emotion of the sport, and the emotion of the combatants, without giving the film too much of a season review feel.
Reigning champion Tommy Hill looked resigned to losing his crown halfway through the film even though, on the outside, he was upbeat and still raring to go. Eventual runner-up Josh Brookes - who hates losing more than anyone I know - was circumspect. Could he have done any more but win races and finish every single event he started? No crashes this year for the Bringelly Bullet, as he hates to be called.
Although some of the more troubled times are kept guarded by the series’ powers that be, Sloper is more than able to generate much more than an overview of what goes on, bringing in friends and family as well as the odd celeb.
The film’s most poignant edit came with the Bridewell family, who support their son Tommy in his quest even though their elder son Ollie was killed doing the very same thing not many years ago. The passion this family still have for the sport, and Tommy’s will to succeed is captured beautifully, tears and all.
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