markthemoneyman
This is a very interesting show especially for motorcycle enthusiasts. The greatest part is seeing that Ewan and Charlie are just regular people. The funniest part is the fact that Ewan is almost never recognized, even when he visits the location of a Star Wars set in Tunisia that is now a tourist site. Then, in the middle of nowhere Africa, a young boy recognizes who he is. CAUTION: The F bomb is dropped a few times but not very often. Remember, it is a bunch of guys alone in the wild. There is no violence or gore except for one occasion. In the middle of nowhere Kenya they stop for the night. One of the local police who is along for security pulls a goat out of the car. Then they cut its throat, butcher it, and grill for the crew. The crew seems surprised at the action. If you're squeamish you may want to fast forward through this part.
mharlyn-merritt
I was so stoked to see that Charley and Ewan decided to embark on another bike journey together. Africa was a revelation and a visual smörgåsbord. I enjoyed their reactions and the tensions that emerged and subsided, which gave us access to their humanity. Including more of the support crew added dimension, although I do agree that Claudio should have been given more play. Enjoyed the pre-trek prep. Could have done with less griping about time pressure. Thought it was a bad decision to make this a plot point because there were so many other interesting suspenseful things. Really thought the energy and focus dropped off when Eve Mcgregor joined the trip. She added nothing. I felt there was some hidden agenda going on that had nothing to do with the spirit of the adventure. I agree with a previous post that said if she wanted to participate more in her husband's recreational passions she should have done that off camera. As a viewer I somehow felt used by her insinuating herself into the situation. It was like inviting yourself to a rock concert with your son and his friends, or showing up at rehearsal wanting to be part of their band. Hope she does not tag along on the next one.
blackhawkdesign-1
Long Way Down is the feature cut of the second season of the road trip documentary featuring Ewan McGregor and his buddy Charlie Boorman on their motorcycle adventure from the Northern tip of Scotland, to the southern tip of Africa. Brushing up on the past adventure is not a requirement for getting your visa for this trip. The film suffers mildly from the lack of build-up and planning for the trip, which would have added more of an introduction to the traveling company, but the ramping right into the adventure helps the pace of the 2+hr film. As a whole the film works as an African postcard, a buddy road trip, and the greatest advertisement for adventure tourism ever made. It is impossible to watch this film and not have an immediate desire to skip the beaches of Hawaii for the far-reaches of the African wilderness. McGregor and Boorman featured equally are both likable, and yet oddly familiar. They are the friends on any vacation that you realize the longer you stay with them, the more disagreeable and yet likable they get. McGregor checks any star ego he may have at the Scotland border, often embracing his lack of motorcycling skill "I fall down a lot", and is surprised when he is not mobbed while visiting the original 1977 Star Wars set in Tunisia. Unlike the rest of the celebutard reality shows that infest the airwaves, Long Way down is not about following the everyday life of a celebrity, it's about following two friends on the adventure of a lifetime…one of which just happens to be obi-wan Kenobi.
Zhivko Yakimov
I suppose I am slightly disappointed with this effort, though I guess anyone will admit that after "Long Way Round", it would take something really extraordinary to beat the feeling you got from it. I mean, "Long Way Round" is simply such an exceptional work that anything else will seem a little bit ... average in comparison. Thus, I don't want to write off "Long Way Down" right away, because it is also a great series, and certainly worth watching. However, it isn't as pure and adventurous as "Long Way Round".The first part of the trip really seemed rushed, which took away from the series. I believe someone mentioned (probably Charley) that Ewan's film engagements made the window so tight, so I guess they didn't have a choice, if they wanted to do the same team, with both Charley and Ewan. I know this doesn't sound as a good excuse, but I guess everyone has to accept that Ewan McGregor is a big star and doesn't have as much free time as he would like to (certainly not the three months and more they had in "Long Way Round"). Nevertheless, I also wish it didn't have to be like this, because it made many people miserable, Charley and Ewan included, and it showed on camera.The second part was really the most up to the feel of "Long Way Round", they took more time to simply enjoy the countries they passed through and talk to people, the same they did during the previous trip. Besides, it was the part of Africa that is less modernised (in what we in Europe or North America see as modern society), and somehow more enjoyable. Altogether, this is my favourite part of the series (that is, episodes 3 and 4, I guess).As far as Ewan's wife is concerned, I don't think anyone, myself included, has the right to question the decisions they made. Since everyone on the team was OK with Eve being there for part of the trip, though people were apparently having doubts, but mostly for security reasons, then it's not our business to argue about it. I agree that maybe Eve's presence made it look like more like a family holiday, but hey, if someone so much wants to see the real thing, no one really stops him of taking a buddy and making the trip himself. There were a few people taking the same route, but up, so I guess it's not impossible.Anyways, it was a good one, but it has the misfortune of being "Long Way Round"'s sequel. I think if it were the other way round, "Long Way Down" would get much better reception. I do agree that the fewer number of episodes also plays a part in that "not quite there" feel, so I'm looking forward to an extended DVD version, because I'm sure they have plenty of material taken during that trip.And, of course, I'm looking to the next instalment, rumoured to be "Long Way Down Under", and I wish all the best to Ewan and Charley in doing it.
