Customer Reviews

Thrill Ride - The Science of Fun (Large Format)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This was my first rollercoaster DVD purchase and I am terribly disappointed. I was expecting more "front-seat" coaster rides. I am afraid now to purchase other simular titles. I would prefer no sound other than actual effects of track noise and rider whoops, screams and yells.

Buy one or all of the videos from the Thrill Rides box set instead of this selection. The video centers more on simulator attractions than "regular" thrill rides, which, in my opinion, isn't exciting unless your couch at home is moving violently like a simulator itself. You learn more about the science AND history of thrill rides in the previously noted video set as opposed to "The Science of Fun."

This movie was great but not really about roller coasters. They were more focused on simulators and computerized graphics.It is probably alot more thrilling to see in the Omni Theatre.All in all,it is a fun and interesting movie to watch.

Good documentary on 3D ride simulators. Notice I said good and not great. But given that this video is just 40 minutes long, that isn't surprising. What this documentary briefly covers are the mechanics and the films that make up some of the virtual 3D rides. If you are familiar with IMAX videos such as "Alien Adventure", "Haunted Castle", or "Encounter in the Third Dimension" by nWave Pictures and like them, then you will probably like this one too. Some of the rides this video looks at are the "Haunted Mine Ride" and the Back-to-the-Future 3D ride, as well as a couple of other rides.

Couple of other things to maybe mention, the video is in full-frame format and parts seem formatted a little odd - I think that is because it was originally formatted for an IMAX sized screen - which view on a home sized television makes some stuff seem small. There is also a short behind-the-scenes making-of feature.

A Very nice experience for those who love roller coasters with explanation of the "fun" idea. You'll find here some of the best roller coaster in the world and even experience a little feeling like being on theme for real :)
Ran

Thrill Ride The Science of Fun is a movie made for the IMAX theater, focusing on thrill rides. This is a boring, uninteresting film that gives a one-sided view of today's thrill rides. The producers of Thrill Ride think that the only type of thrill rides available today are motion simulators, and they are convinced that simulators are able to live up to real thrill rides, and may someday be the only type of thrill ride available. 32 out of 40 minutes are spent covering simulator rides. Unfortunately, this film was made in 1997, and a lot of new technology has since come on the market, leaving older, relatively low-tech attractions on this film. I am not one who enjoys motion simulators most of the time. This film spends a lot of time explaining how high-tech and very good quality computer-generated images are created and used. Of course, in 1997 technology was not that advanced, so the images they're talking about lack the realism of today's CGI. 5 minutes is spent on explaining how simulators for full size airplanes and jets work. I want thrill rides, not airplane sims! A portion of the film is hosted by a crazy old farmer/miner whose accent, attitude, and antics are completely unentertaining. The majority of thrill rides are roller coasters, not simulators, yet this film spends only 8 minutes on coasters and droptowers. Included are POV footage on Kumba and Montu, and Big Shot droptower in Las Vegas, as well as some rare footage from the old movie "This is Cinerama" featuring the defunct wood coaster from New York's defunct Rockaway Playland. Unfortunately, especially in the case of Cinerama, the entire ride is not shown, only a portion. I really wanted to see more of the Cinerama coaster, considering how it is impossible to ride it in reality. This video gets one point for two reasons. First, the minute or two of Cinerama POV footage was interesting (just not long enough). Second, the video offers a behind-the-scenes look at Back To The Future, the ride, from Universal Studios. This was also interesting. Unfortunately, about 80% of this video is sleep-inducing and uninteresting. All in all, I do not recommend buying Thrill Ride - it is a boring disappointment.

This is a great IMAX film and on video its just as exciting since it contains clips from some of my favorite ride film like Back to The Future the Ride and Superstition. A must have.

Thrill Ride is educational, while still living up to its name. Having enjoyed this while it was in IMAX theaters, I was extremely excited to see it on the small screen. Be warned, though, that if you view it on a large enough screen, you're likely to be pretty nauseous by the end. Even on a 19" screen you will still feel your stomach jerked this way and that. After the IMAX experience, it was a few hours before I recovered. Who knew nausea could be so fun?

A history of thrill rides, this film takes a deliberate slant toward motion simulators as we get closer to our own time. Since this is a movie about thrill rides, and not just roller coasters, that made sense to me. The history and technology behind thrill rides are cut in with fly-throughs of a few rides, some famous and some created (I believe) just for Thrill Ride. There's even a pretty good-sized chunk of the Back to the Future ride from Universal.

If you have even a passing interest in amusement park rides (especially motion simulators), or if you have a home theater projector, *definitely* get this movie.

This is a fabulous IMAX movie about Motion Simulators. It would be of great interest to those who do 3D Computer Graphics programming, and looking for some great project idea for their course.

Just saw this on video from library and ordered DVD from Amazon. The best media experiences lately both entertain and educate, if subtly. Think back to "Back to the Future" which Michael J. Fox described as "a comedy-action-fantasy-adventure-coming-of-age film", and "a very life-affirming story about relationships, as well as a 'what if?' movie which audiences love"

I rate "Thrill Ride" high because of its value to "edutain" high school students I am working with who are interested in media technology. I am a volunteer looking for ways to clarify to them WHAT "media technology" is, HOW it connects to their school classes, and HOW graduating will help them make good careers and community impact.

It's tough keeping the connection between school and real life present in kid's experience and this film is a great way to connect "marketable skills" with "academics". It shows LOTS of rides and still shows how roller coaster design, combat flight simulators, and hollywood film making combined to make the current thrill rides.

Any teacher worth their salt (and I am married to one) can make the connections between the film and their academic subjects, including: (AND IF YOU THINK THIS IS A LONG LIST, IT'S WHAT MY HIGH SCHOOL KIDS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLETING TO GRADUATE!) English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Computers, Graphics, Photography, Health, World Languages, Arts, Speech, and Technology.

For those of us who are ahem older it also reminds us how much has evolved in a few short years from old amusement park rides to new.

The kids I am working with have been taught more and more by volunteers about real-life connections. This has raised their desire to 90% to: 1. Complete high school with a full load of academics, and 2. Go on to 2 or 4 year colleges. This is good for their future and good for us as parents and community!