Freebird DVD Review

"Freebird" reviews

DVD

Freebird

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2008-05-30 16:50:24

Provider

DVD Review

Phil Daniels is back on two wheels! But Quadrophenia fans should not get too excited.

Three grungy motorcycle couriers head off on a field 'trip' from London to Wales. Their leader, Fred (Stretch) has promised an old friend he'll buy a truckload of grass for him. With Grouch - an acid-flashbacking loon (Daniels) and Tyg, enjoying his first trip out of London in tow, pretty soon things go awry.

They can't find the field, Fred has history in the area and Grouch has packed enough drugs for an army.

Drink, dope and mushrooms fuel what started out as a calm journey for a hippy-ish business transaction into a nightmare of surreally bizarre, largely unconnected events. Added to this, a large gang of bikers also seek the elusive "field of dreams" whilst the locals are none too happy at the arrival of any interlopers on their patch.

What starts out as a capable plan for a plot. quickly (much like the characters) loses it's way. Watching people on screen have drug experiences or just lay around laughing at each other isn't ideal viewing (not for more than a couple of minutes in any case, as opposed to the half a film we get here). The weird and wonderful characters of Wales (the writers had better keep quiet about this if they go holidaying there) are two-dimensional - their tactics and actions remain largely undefined and unexplained. As for the bunch of modern sports bike riders in pursuit, they seem to be an afterthought and not much of one either.

Freebird is an opportunity missed to make a comedy in the vein of British 50s and 60s films. In the end its a wanderlust project where the point of the whole proceeding has been abandoned after the first act.

It's two discs with extras including a director's commentary, a making of, deleted scenes, interviews, a trailer and the whole movie again with a different sound setting! (Why on earth?...), then there's a screenplay and a storyboard companion too.

You need to REALLY be a fan of bikes and bikers or a Daniels completist for this.