Greg Barely Godfrey EntertainmentThrillbillies DVD
As a huge fan of the Nitro Circus series, I had high hopes for the new ThrillBillies DVD from Godfrey Entertainment, but after several viewings I can say that I'm somewhat disappointed with this one. Although solid production quality and plenty of Travis' own footage highlight the video, it seems to be missing the trademark "Nitro Circus energy" that has made the series what it is. Sure, there's a great mix of crazy B.A.S.E. jumping stunts and Subaru Rally action in ThrillBillies, but the DVD could really use what fans have wanted from Travis all along: more of No. 199 having fun on two wheels. We certainly have to give Pastrana credit for taking it easy on his battered body, but at the same time it's not totally healthy to slide oneself down the walls of the Grand Canyon while dragging a parachute or, for instance, jumping out of an airplane without a parachute; that's potentially really bad for you, too.
There's an excellent multi-bike-truck-helicopter jump session and some brief supercross footage sprinkled in, but without much Travis, these are a bit of a letdown as well. Additionally, the Nitro Circus crew doesn't seem to be complete in ThrillBillies-there's hardly any Cowboy Kenny or Ronnie Renner in the video, and the ever-entertaining Special even makes an appearance. There's plenty of Tenacious J, though. Maybe this is his chapter in the Nitro series? Overall, this DVD is still worth the $29.95, but I for one would like to see Travis fi re up his trusty Suzuki more for the next Nitro Circus video, and I hope that he stays physically safe enough in the meantime to be able to do so.
After all, after this, what else can he really do? And by "do" I mean survive. -Chris Denison
| DVD | 80.0 |
| Originality | 15/20 |
| Cinematography | 27/30 |
| Suitability for children | 8/10 |
| Entertainment | 30/40 |