199 Lives: The Travis Pastrana Story opens with a catalogue of motocross rider Travis Pastrana's championships and injuries--and, without question, it's the injuries that truly demonstrate Pastrana's staggering drive. This is a guy who dislocated his spine when he was 15 years old, then went on to compete against the best motocross cyclists in the world, then won multiple freestyle events, then nearly died (and nearly killed his passenger) in a car crash, then went on to do rally car racing, which involves a passenger... rarely has anyone exorcised their worst fears in such a literal way. What makes Pastrana even more intriguing is his odd combination of dorkiness (he approaches his waking life with an almost aggressive naivete) and the unsettling underside implied by the night terrors that haunt his sleep. 199 Lives also explores Pastrana's family, particularly his supportive (yet deeply stressed-out) mother and his super-competitive father, through a combination of interviews and charming home movie footage. But of course, it's not the psychological portrait that ultimately sells this movie--it's the astonishing footage of successful jumps and the even more astonishing footage of unsuccessful jumps, capturing stomach-churning accidents that no human being should be able to walk away from. Yet Pastrana does, and usually smiles as he does it. Fans will find 199 Lives essential; non-fans may find 199 Lives will turn them into fans. --Bret Fetzer
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