Average Joe Reviews... SEASONS - A new film by The Collective

The Collective film was really where my transition from simple trail riding to trying some tougher stuff came from. I blame those guys squarely for all the extra money that has gone on DH in the last few years Really there was little riding that hadn't been done before in the first film but it was really the way it was filmed and the style of it that led to a shift in thinking for film makers and raised the bar permanently on what was expected of a mountain biking film. Gone was the angry music and obsession with endless huck after endless huck to a true reflection of what the real joys are of mountain biking. Most importantly it made you get out and ride. Roam came along a while after and had to raise the bar again and in many ways did but really did feel at times like the 'difficult second album/season. Sections demonstrated some great new direction but it never really lived up to the seamless nature of its elder brother. Don't get me wrong, it was excellent and better than pretty much everything else on offer but The Collective was so good it was always going to compare unfavourably. Seasons has been much anticipated for a range of reasons, not least because it was a fresh look at the sport and was due to be shot on a mixture of formats including digital. We all knew it would be good but how good? In short the answer is, brilliant. If you don't get this then you are seriously missing out. The film follows seven riders throughout one year – training, riding and competing and aims to get under the skin of a range of disciplines within our sport but specific focus on downhill, slopestyle and a bit of freeride chucked in. The old grainy proper film making hasn't been lost but merely cleverly complemented by the new digital format. With the format change comes sumptuous colours and new techniques, some of which really do make you sit up and hit the rewind button to look again. In particular the silhouette and sunset sections on the widescreen are stunning and the sections where the filming is slowed down to almost still and then sped back up again (see Steve Peat race section) really offer something new and exciting. Dust and puddles in slow motion have never looked this good before. Story wise, an hour flies by and like all good films you are left gagging for more. What the film does highlight is that an hour really isn't enough time for the four seasons of the year for seven riders and that you get the feeling that they had a tonne of footage they simply couldn't use. Personally I could have watched several hours of this without blinking. Particular highlights:

• The Steve Peat race section which really does offer a fresh way of filming DH.
• Stevie uplift section (why can't everyone's mum offer endless uplifts?).
• For the dads it would Shandro out riding with his son
• Especially the Karate Monkey section at Whistler with all the riders together which really highlights their different styles.

A fantastic track-listing offering the usual variety of genres and new sounds is the cherry on the top of the cake. Really I could go on and on about how good this film is but Im gonna leave it there so I can go back and watch it over again. The first film raised the bar and this just takes it higher. Can other filmmakers keep up? It's just a good job these films only come out every two years as it takes the rest that long to keep up. Buy online: www.wiggle.co.uk www.thecollectivefilm.com

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