[14x06] December 27th, 2009 [South America Special]

[14x06] December 27th, 2009 [South America Special]

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acabinian said:
Doesn't the human body eventually adapt to the lower air pressure at altitude and use the oxygen that you breathe in more efficiently, though? Or is it too much for the body to handle?
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After a while you get used to that altitude, but it takes time and it feels weird

My sister was born at 10000 feet and never had any trouble
 
The camera work was just brilliant. I do wonder what the camera crew were driving.

Anyhow I doubt a lot of that was scripted. Yes there were "scripted" parts, but only a couple.

I think the Toyota bit at the end would have been much better if they focused instead on Hammond having to leave it. Obviously it would have killed him if he tried to take it down. He loved the thing, having to say good bye and leave it at the top would have been powerful.

Epic episode.
 
This gets a 10/10 from me. It almost received a 9 from me, but the work that went into this was just astounding and I couldn't give them a lower rating than 10.

The overused comic relief bits are beginning to get old. I know that Mr. Wilman has made mention of this, and that James did as much in this episode, but I thought I'd beat the dead horse to death a little as they have with their shtick. I hope that this point is clear, and I hope that new ideas regarding comedy will be introduced in the future.

Epic episode, what everyone including myself is looking for in a special. Great scenery, great adventure, and a great escape from reality.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY1APSk0SS0[/YOUTUBE]
 
im waiting for the episode in 720p and was wondering if anyone has it already if they could seed it for a faster dl please:bow:
 
Who cares if some of it or all is scripted O.O
It was a great show, and for me it's a 10

I vote 10 for those Top Gear episodes that you just cant miss. And this is definitely one of them...

Stop over analyzing everything people. You'll enjoy things more
 
I gave the episode a 10/10. I thought the beginning was sort of typical Top Gear cocking about (the sort from back in the day) trying to get the cars off the barge. The scenes of the presenters looking bad-ass cutting through rainforest and then them only having made like 50 feet was hilarious...and awesome. Everything else was just epic.

I think this is very close to the best TG special. IMO, the best was Botswana and this is either tied for a 10 with Botswana or it SLIGHTLY bests Botswana.

As far as the LandCruiser falling down the dunes being scripted. I really don't think it is. The boys have made many simple mistakes like that that end in "whoops" (like Jeremy putting a bigger Turbo on the Mitsubishi and not doing anything about the cooling, for example) and this may be no different. If it is scripted, i'd rather that happen than them break from what TG usually does and say something like: "This is too dangerous, Hampster will prolly die, we'll leave the LandCruiser up here" when normally, they make death jokes all the time ("Well, he's dead, if you want a job on Top Gear, write to us at ...").
 
Crash Biker said:
predictable, predictable, predictable...

Perhaps it caught me in a bad mood, perhaps the hype had wound expectations too far. Very, very disappointed. Or perhaps I've just hit the end of 3 decades with TG.

Genuinely glad the crew here liked it, wish I had too.

C
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Perhaps you've become a seer :blink:
Honestly you need to chill a bit and stop overthinking and setting the bars so high up. What did you expect, a Discovery channel in depth learning experience on the Amazonas, or a National Geographic documentary on the Atacama? No, for that you turn on the Discovery Channel or Nat Geo.
If you wanna see 3 blokes cocking about in cheap cars then you tune in to Top Gear. :cool:
 
I thought the current series, while strong, was still lacking the certain je ne sais quoi of previous years. The Bolivian special redeemed it in a very spectacular way. It had the cocking about, the unreliable cars and, quite new for Top Gear, genuine, rock-dropping fear. I don't think I've laughed so hard during a TG episode before. There is no rating for this episode other than a 10.

Top Gear, while occasionally weak in the "regular episodes," never disappoints in the specials. The chemistry is always much stronger and more palpable. And of course the camera work is even more brilliant than usual. The specials are perhaps the best TV spectacles around and the great news is there are a host of options still left open to them!
 
Quite solid 9 for me, Extremely enjoyable, and I could see myself watching it again with friends to catch more of the hidden details of the filming. I can't say I have any major complaints either, the whole thing seemed smooth and simple. The only thing I could say that could have been done better is to cut the raft scene down a minute or two, is all.
 
In my opinion this was the best Top Gear special ever. The american special was more funny but this was just something different, the views, the roads. this is the second great ( in my opinion) TG film this series. (The romanian film was very good) As I see it, the boys are the world champions at road movies about three friends having adventures worldwide. But they are getting worse at making road tests and car reviews wich is what Top Gear was about. I see how Top gear has evolved... it transformed from a show about cars, to a show about 3 blokes that share the love for cars, test them, and take part in challenges involving them...
But I still Love it ;)
 
10/10. I'm in shock. Utter brilliance, stupidity, daftness, silliness, scriptness, humourous, sometimes un humourous, treacherous, strong, weak, beautiful, deadly, crazy, funny, unfunny (oh wait I already said that), insanity, sanity, brave, skills, cocking about, serious shit, intelligence, fear, understanding, miscomprehension, drama, comedy (and not so comedy), thriller, adventure...

But above all, it was fucking epic.

Jeremy, Richard, James, Andy and everyone else, I commend you. And this is why I still love Top Gear and always will till death do us part.
 
Not sure if it's because of the lower quality of shows this series or post-holiday cheer, but I think many are being a bit too generous in their praise of this one.

It didn't feel as epic as Africa, Vietnam or the Polar race, nor did the camaraderie feel as genuine as the aforementioned films.

A lot of time in the jungle chopping at vines for the camera. 30 minutes in before they're finally out. I'd rather have seen some of that time put towards the bits in Chile. Part of what makes these films epic is the scenery. They spent nearly half the film showing someone's overgrown lawn.

Writing on the side of the car will never be as funny as it was in the American film. Stop trying to make it work. You keep failing.

It pains me to think that the one moment that had some real tension was entirely faked. After all, wasn't it very nice of those people in the white SUV to stay on the road, likewise Jeremy in his moment of near-death, and wait for the film crew to get there and move in for some close-ups, then back out for the wide shots. Respect to the driver during the close-ups of the wheel near the edge. If one wheel slips the momentum could have taken the whole thing down.

Hammond babbling on loaded with cocaine candy, flailing away at invisible bugs and playing the moron who forgets he's on the edge of a steep dune when he steps out of his car just continues the sad deconstruction of Hammond from a genuinely funny person into a cookie-cutter sophomoric character from the latest juvenile comedy.

James was the real star of this one. He's both great at acting and his quick wit creates some great moments of spontaneity. Who doesn't think for a moment that he wasn't being absolutely genuine when he threatened to cut off his co-presenters' wedding vegs if they rammed into the back of his car again and then nearly does so when he goes after Jeremy with the machete?

The film crew deserves some serious respect as well. They no doubt were the rock that those three leaned on repeatedly throughout the journey. It's a shame they didn't get some recognition in the film. Can't wait for the DVD of this with the crew commentary to get some of the real story behind the film.

3 1/2 movie rating stars, so that's a 7/10 for me.
 
I gave it a 9/10. I thought it was absolutely fantastic, except from the few obviously scripted parts (chopping at vines, and hammond's car rolling down the dune)

It somehow felt overall more real than the rest of the episodes this season, and that is what I enjoyed the best about it.
 
One thing I noticed is I believe this is the first Special / Cheap Car Road Trip with the actual cast and crew names...
 
It was alright I guess but it just wasn't as, I don't know, 'lively' or something. I'm not sure how to verbalize my feeling. Bolivia didn't suck by any means, but every other special I've seen has been better in some way.
 
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