Fans of Anthony Hopkins hoping to see the Welshman do redface may be disappointed to discover that the Indian in question is a souped-up motorcycle. But those eager to catch the knighted actor in lovable old-coot mode, prone to prostate problems and deaf as a post, will be pleased.
Based on the real-life adventures of New Zealander Burt Munro, who traveled all the way from wee Invercargill to Bonneville, Utah, to set a speed record with his chopper, The World's Fastest Indian is one sappy episode after another of the cuddly Kiwi codger winning the hearts of all the Yanks he meets on his journey. Our geriatric rube learns how to drive on the right-hand side of the road with a pot-smoking Latino car salesman, eats eggs over easy with a bighearted tranny motel clerk and has a roll in the hay with a lusty widower from the heartland. He even meets a real Native American, who has no tips for Burt re: swiftness, but does suggest a helpful homegrown remedy for that pesky prostate. Once Burt reaches Bonneville to fulfill his velocity vision, the entire Beehive State, it seems, is summoned for cheers and tears. Clocking in at a grueling two hours plus, the film may qualify as the world's most prolonged feel-gooder. (Now Playing; see Index for venues.)
—Melissa Anderson