Film review: NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience

Forgive the bad pun, but at times "NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience" is as much of a drag as it is a rush.

Like many large-screen documentaries, this one tries to do too much. In this case, it's trying to tell the history of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. But in a film that's roughly 40 minutes long, there's no chance of that happening.

On the plus side, this one does manage to put audiences in the action. And its brief examinations of the science of auto racing are pretty educational.

Much of the focus here is on how the sport has evolved — evidently its origins had something to do with bootlegging in the Deep South.

From there, it shows how much stock car racing has changed. And all too briefly it looks at some of the biggest names in the sport, such as legendary driver Dale Earnhardt, whose death has led to increased safety efforts.

Kiefer Sutherland is an odd choice for the film's narrator. While he clearly knows his stuff, the menace in his voice is unsettling and seems inappropriate for what the filmmakers were trying to do here.

There's a rather gimmicky bit with a clearly CGI-created tire flying straight at the screen (the actual crash is terrifying enough that no effects were necessary to convince us about the dangers facing the drivers).

To be fair, though, seeing high-speed racing on the big, big screen will be a must for fans of the sport. And it may inspire more casual viewers to check out the sport as well.

"NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience" is rated PG for scenes of sports-related violence (violent stock car crashes). Running time: 40 minutes.

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