Teton Gravity Research's latest freeride film offers the usual. Good freeride action, appealing background music, solid cinematic design and realization. Unfortunately, that's about it. Nothing new from the West, so to speak.
The opening sequence speaks volumes. Todd Ligare is lying on the side of the road somewhere in the steppe in a fat SUV truck. A voiceover talks about freedom and a road is like life and comparisons are drawn with life as a freeski pro. The scene, like the entire movie, has about the depth of a bowl of soup. If you're looking for depth, it's best to sit in front of the TV with ear protectors or let your favorite music drown out this nonsense. Nor do the makers surprise the viewer with anything new: business as usual, so to speak. A bit of powder skiing in Alaska, a bit of powder skiing in the local Jackson Hole area. Only a trip to Macedonia refreshingly stands out from the crowd. Only the slow-motion shots with a special camera (Phantom cameras, 1000 frames per second) show that you can still be innovative.
Conclusion
"One for the Road" is not a freeride movie high-flyer. Good action, nice entertainment and overall light fare. That's perfectly ok and certainly deserves the school grade "good" and ensures a few "Ahhh's and Ohhh's" among viewers. Unfortunately, however, few viewers are really blown away these days. Points are deducted for the narration of the background voice. We can only hope that the makers rediscover their innovative strength and finally find someone who can make a good film into something special.
Bonus: Various extra scenes, trailer
Price: 29.90 euros (34.90 euros as Blu-Ray)