As a child, I was a fan of Evel Knievel. Growing up, it was a big deal to see a guy on a motorcycle jump over something, be it a bunch of cars or a huge fountain. And, of course, who can forget the rocket cycle over the Snake River Canyon? So, one of these stunts was a huge deal, and yet, growing up at that time, it was also commonplace. In that sense, I've always had an interest in daredevils, although I can't say that I'm a fan. For example, I don't go out of my way to watch the X-Games, but if someone is doing a back-flip on a motorcycle, I'll stop and watch it. Apparently the exploits of Knievel's generation have rubbed off on today's youngsters, as we have things like Nitro Circus, a group of adrenaline junkies who have taken their stunts to the big-screen in Nitro Circus: The Movie.

Nitro Circus began its broadcast life as a television show on MTV in 2009. Founded by Jeremy Rawle and Gregg Godfrey, the group focuses on crazy stunts which feature dirt bikes, BMX bikes, cars, boats, and tri-cycles. (Yes, you read that correctly.) With X-Games champ Travis Pastrana in the lead, along with Jolene Van Vugt, Streetbike Tommy, Special Greg, Jim DeChamp, and Erik Roner (amongst others), the group devises elaborate jumps where they try to push themselves further every time. The movie serves as a documentary of sorts. Having shown their stunts on TV, the group has decided to do a live show in Las Vegas, although many think that this is a good idea. Preparations for the show are intercut with scenes in which the group practices their stunts in Utah, Panama (as some are too dangerous to perform in the U.S.) and at Pastrana's home in Maryland. (Which is nice house surrounded by ramps and dirt piles.) We see them play a live-action version of Angry Birds (although, they don't call it that), flip a car, and ride on water. Through these scenes, we get to meet the members of Nitro Circus and see just how fearless they are.

Here's my take on things: Nitro Circus does stunts to push themselves, while the guys in Jackass do stunts for entertainment purposes. And therein lies the reason why watching Nitro Circus: The Movie is a somewhat numbing experience. Are the stunts themselves impressive? Yes, they most definitely are. Well, not all of them, but the majority. The best jumps include those requisite moments where we hold our breath as they land or cringe when they fall off of their bike and lie limply on the ground. But, here's where we reach the question of what makes a product like this truly entertaining. There is some chatter with the group between stunts, along with brief interviews and background information, but none of them come across as very engaging. I've never seen an episode of the Nitro Circus show, so I don't know what the format is like there, but I get the impression that Pastrana is supposed to be the host of all of this, but that doesn't happen much in the movie. In the deleted scenes, there is a moment where Pastrana introduces a stunt in a manner similar to what Knoxville does on Jackass and I think that more of this could have helped the movie.

Am I asking too much to suggest that the movie give us a human side? Not at all -- it would help to break up the monotony of the film. While Directors Godfrey and Rawle have attempted to break up the segments with some comments from the group as well as from people like Channing Tatum (really?), the movie simply plays like a greatest hits package where we watch one jump or leap after another. Sure, Jackass is incredibly immature, but I have to admit that their pranks and pseudo-skits help to give their program some variety. (Also, I like the fact that the Jackass guys aren't dressed head-to-toe in corporate sponsored gear.) On the positive side, the members of Nitro Circus seem to be much more supportive of one another, although the movie truly falters when a member of the group is injured in a stunt and we never find out what happened to them afterwards. So, your enjoyment of Nitro Circus: The Movie is going to depend on what you want out of it. While opening aerial ballet of jumping dirt bikes is truly impressive, the rest of the movie grows more tiresome as it goes along. The question must be asked, if one just wanted to see the stunts, couldn't they simply watch the TV show?

Nitro Circus: The Movie voids the warranty on many snowmobiles and motorcylces on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Arc Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 1.78:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 17 Mbps. The movie must have been shot using HD equipment, as the image is very sharp and clear, showing no grain and no defects from the source materials. Shot documentary style and in mostly sunny locales, one feels as if they could actually step into the screen. The colors look good and the image is never overly dark or light. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 2.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The explosions and crashes have been wisely routed to the subwoofer, so they pack a punch. We get some stereo effects when things are happening off-screen to one side or the other. The musical score and the crowd noise in Vegas fill the rear speakers.

The Nitro Circus: The Movie Blu-ray Disc contains several extras. The Disc offers five DELETED SCENES which run about 7 minutes. These consist of stunts not shown in the finished film. They should have left in the shot which shows how expansive Pastrana's private skate park is. "Gregg's Car Roll" (3 minutes) simply offers additional footage from the scene in which Gregg attempts to break Pastrana's record for rolling a car. We get more look at the preparation of the stunt here. We get something similar with "Roner's Pond Skim" (2 minutes), as we see the group experimenting with driving on water. "Steve-O Interview" (19 seconds) simply has that jackass from Jackass stating that he liked the movie. How is that an interview? The final extra is the TRAILER for the movie.